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THE PROBLEMS WITH Palm Oil

Did you know in the last 16 years 100,000 Bornean Orangutans have been lost due to the damage caused by palm oil production? The palm oil business is a profit-based industry and manufacturers continue to burn down forests so that oil palms can be grown, and more money can be made. An area the size of a football pitch is lost every 25 seconds due to deforestation and it has caused tens of thousands of animals to lose their homes, and their lives, in the process. This planet is ours to protect; why are we destroying what was given to us? We need to come together and make a change before it is too late.

We may not be able to see it, but palm oil has become increasingly available in our everyday lives. It is found in almost half the products in UK supermarkets including: chocolate, shampoo, lipstick, soap, margarine and so much more. It predominantly comes from the fruits of the West African oil palms and is used to give products a longer shelf-life. In order to feed the growing demand for palm oil, more plantations have been replacing tropical rainforests and peatland. Indonesia now has more threatened and endangered species than any other country on Earth – largely because their habitats have been destroyed. Bornean orangutan numbers have more than halved between 1999 and 2015.

In my opinion, it is wrong to use palm oil and damage our natural world. The natural world does not belong to us and it never has. Valuable land is being wasted and precious lives are lost just to get one product as a result. I sent an email to Cadbury’s to tell them about my views on the products they use.

Dear Cadbury’s,

I am Arabella Davis and I am 12 years old. Recently I have taken an interest in world around us and how we are damaging it. I am writing to you to tell you about one of the ingredients you are using in your products. You use a product called palm oil which is very dangerous and life threatening to the wildlife and nature.

To keep up with the high demand for the cheaply produced oil, acres of rainforest are being cut down - leading to a loss of animal habitat for endangered species. In the past 16 years, the production for palm oil has led to the death of an estimated 100,000 orangutans. Elephants, rhinos and other endangered animals are also in danger.

Palm oil production is linked to major issues such as deforestation, habitat degradation, climate change, animal cruelty and indigenous rights abuse in the countries where it is produced, as the land and forests must be cleared for the development of the oil palm plantations.

Raising awareness about how palm oil production is harming the planet, animals, and people alike is so important.

Major corporations must start to change the ingredients they use and set the standard to the rest of the world, you should be setting an example that others follow. Finding an alternative ingredient is something people must start to do. I believe that we should treasure the world around us and not destroy it. Next time you pour palm oil into production; think about the journey and the mass destruction it has created.

Yours sincerely, Miss Arabella Davis

In response they wrote:

Dear Arabella

Thank you for getting in touch with us.

Mondelez International is committed to eradicating deforestation in the palm oil supply and we are actively working with our suppliers to ensure palm oil is fully traceable. We have actionable steps in place to make certain that the palm oil we buy is produced on legally held land, does not lead to deforestation or loss of peat land, respects human rights, and does not use forced or child labour.

Here is a link to more information, which we hope you’ll find helpful https://palmoil. mondelezinternational.com/

Thank you again for contacting us.

Kind regards, Amanda R Consumer Relations Team

So what can we do to help stop deforestation as a result of palm oil production? I think it is important to keep pressure on the corporations who use palm oil. They need to ensure their palm oil is sustainable or find an alternative ingredient. We need to start making a difference and change this destructive process.