Palm Oil: What’s inside your Easter eggs?
Easter is just around the corner and many people of all ages will be tucking into one or two (or even more!) chocolate Easter eggs; but how can you make sure you’re making sustainable choices?
Palm oil is a widely used vegetable oil found in many household products such as cosmetics, detergent, biodiesel as well as lots of different food – even chocolate.
And demand is increasing year on year.
Featured on various wildlife documentaries including most recently David Attenborough’s Netflix docu-series, Our Planet, large areas of tropical rainforests have been destroyed to create plantations for palm oil production, this results in habitat loss for numerous endangered and critically-endangered species such as orang utans, tigers, rhinos, elephants and many more.
However, the answer is not black or white.
Photo: Phillipa Dobbs
Palm Oil is a critical part of the economy, particularly in developing countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia where many communities and millions of people earn their living from farming it. Additionally, palm oil provides a higher yield (more oil for the amount of land used) than any other vegetable oil, making it a good option for a planet with a growing human population.
To cope with the worlds’ demands for vegetable oils and to minimise negative effects for the environment and its people, palm oil must be produced sustainably.
What can you do this Easter?
Make an informed choice by checking the packaging of your Easter eggs whilst shopping or checking their website and favour chocolate which is made with sustainably-sourced palm oil.
Look for these labels on products:
RSPO Label
Ensures products are made with certified palm oil. Palm oil has been produced in a socially and environmentally responsible way.
Green Palm Label
Indicates products in support of the transition to certified palm oil.
If your favourite chocolate treat or brand does not state if it contains sustainable palm oil, contact them to find out why – Facebook and Twitter are great ways to do this!
Spread the word to friends and family by showing them our blog post or sharing our blog on your Facebook, Twitter or Instagram pages.
