Palm oil plantations and deforestation; What we can do locally to help

It is a fact that our world's rainforests are rapidly disappearing due to palm oil production. At this time the largest production comes from Indonesia and Malaysia. However, they are not the only places in danger of palm oil plantations. Palm oil is in over fifty percent of all products bought at the store and consumed by people like you and me. Products like cookies, baby food, cereal bars, chocolate bars, pet food, shampoo, soaps, cosmetics and much more all contain palm oil. Not all products, however, contain palm oil from a sustainable source. These unsustainable plantations are causing issues of deforestation. Palm oil is used because of its many advantages, such as its ability to maintain its properties even under extremely high temperatures, its natural preservatives, and the fact that it needs less than half the land required by other crops to produce the same amount of oil. The vast advantages of palm oil and an enormous rise in consumer consumption are driving the industry to seek out more land for their palm oil to grow so they can keep up with the demand of consumers for years to come. This is quickly causing catastrophic damage to our planet.

In November 2013, Grand Rapids environmental activists, several individuals and a number of companies and organizations from all over West Michigan joined at Kellogg's corporate headquarters to rally against their partnership with Wilmar International, the world's largest Palm oil trading company known for its bad habits regarding the rules of sustainable palm oil. WMEAC, Land Conservancy of West Michigan, several other key environmental and sustainability organizations from Grand Rapids, church organizations, and others provided over 5000 signed petitions and signed a letter that was delivered to Kellog’s Vice President of sustainability, Diane Holdorf, urging the company's attention in this matter.

In August 2014, Kellogg’s company announced their new responsible sourcing commitments and renewal of their conservation goals. By 2020 Kellogg’s goal is to source fully traceable palm oil to known and certified sources that are environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable. They will require suppliers to trace palm oil to plantations that are independently verified as complying legally with the principles for protecting forests, peat lands, and human and community rights. They will also verify that suppliers are compliant with all RSPO principles and criteria, continue to work on reducing energy and greenhouse emissions by about 15%, implement water resuse projects in 25% of their plants, and they are undertaking initiatives to help people recognize materials that recyclable and encouraging them to recycle them.

While we may not be able to stop the use and production of palm oil or completely stop using products containing palm oil, there are still things we can do to be aware of where the oil in our products come from and cut out our consumption of oil from unsustainable sources.  If we do not do something now to stop deforestation, the effects on humanity and life forms of all kind in years to come will be catastrophic. Orangutans, other wildlife and local people of Indonesia and Malaysia are already feeling the negative effects of the fastly growing palm oil industry.

It is not too late to do something about the future of our rainforests and the livelihood of our earth. Start by being aware and take action as a consumer over what you are buying and supporting.