Comments on: No more palm oil please – Can’t we have true vegan alternatives?

By: Cdrk

Cdrk — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 11:37:58 +0000

Hello,

I agree with you regarding palm oil, it became a plague, it’s almost everywhere even in soap, so-called organic palm oil from Colombia is indeed organic but not ethical at all (see this for example : http://www.befair.be/en/content/organic-palm-oil-causing-stir), on the other hand if you want to stay logical, you should boycott chocolate too, there’s almost nothing ethical in it, very few companies don’t employ kids or simply fairly pay or treat their employees and regarding the few that seem to care, it’s hard to check they really do… (see here for http://vision.ucsd.edu/~kbranson/stopchocolateslavery/main.html)

Thanks for your article anyway.

By: Resa

Resa — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 23:22:02 +0000

There is a list of vegan palm oil free products in this guide — http://www.onegreenplanet.org/lifestyle/guide-vegan-products-and-palm-oil/

By: admin

admin — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:27:03 +0000

I honestly have trouble accepting the RSPO as the overseeing organization. They involve some of the largest and historically most problematic corporations in the certification process. This bothers me.

I will continue to avoid palm oil in my bakeries products. It just feels right to me. A lot of the products made with palm oil that vegans use are luxury items. I don’t need Earth Balance or Tofutti to live. I don’t think sacrificing faux butter cream frosting, for example, is such a big deal.

Thanks for the discussion Alisha. It is always good to re-think a stance and decide if you still embrace it. I do in this case.

By: Alisha Koenig

Alisha Koenig — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 01:46:33 +0000

I do understand that there is a percentage of palm oil that is grown ‘unsustainably’ but I do feel that it is a lot smaller than people make it up to be based on reports by the RSPO. Besides, which oil doesn’t have this problem? and my question is, what is our other option in feeding 7 billion people on this earth, if we all decide not to use palm oil, and they stop growing it due to the fall in supply? Grow more coconut and soybean plantations which take up 90% more land to produce the same quantity of oil? Good thinking except it will just exacerbate the problem we face now. I feel that instead, we should work together to support sustainable palm oil.

By: admin

admin — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:03:31 +0000

Thanks for your comment Alisha. There is nothing to support the claim that local people benefit from palm oil plantations. Quite the opposite actually. This is one of the many articles I have read that discusses the problems with Palm Oil, including the impact on indigenous populations.

By: Palm Oil Forum

Palm Oil Forum — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 02:07:24 +0000

Palm Oil Forum…

[...]No more palm oil please – Can’t we have true vegan alternatives? « “Just a little slice of light”[...]…

By: Erin

Erin — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 18:49:05 +0000

My company, Kelapo, sources and sells organic, Fair Trade certified coconut oil from Sri Lanka. We are helping to rebuild a country that has been devastated by natural disasters and civil unrest through use of their naturally occurring coconut palm trees. Coconut oil is also a viable option for vegans who don’t want to use palm oil. (Note coconut oil and palm oil are not the same.) You can read up on our sustainability and Fair Trade practices on our website. And ps, coconut oil makes for great frosting when mixed with a little powered sugar!

By: Healthy alternative cream cheese frosting | The Wealth Of Health

Healthy alternative cream cheese frosting | The Wealth Of Health — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 01:38:17 +0000

[...] No more palm oil please – Can't we have true vegan alternatives … [...]

By: Rob

Rob — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 15:23:38 +0000

I absolutely agree with you, both from a compassion perspective and an environmental perspective. What is the footprint of shipping that oil?

An alternative: what if palm oil is grown and harvested here in the US? What if another oil, such as olive, is used instead? These things make the price of the finished product go up a few cents, and that is what we pay for a healthier, more compassionate planet. I’m willing to pay that price. Some things are worth it.

By: Sheri Lee Pierce

Sheri Lee Pierce — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:28:29 +0000

I think it’s absolutely fair to focus on palm oil. It’s the “poster child” for so many wrongdoings, and the industry just keeps growing, fueled by demand from U.S. business and consumers.

And I don’t agree with the statement above that “If we all switch to other oils then there will be new farms for those, too, and animals will be displaced/killed”. Using palm oil in EVERYTHING is a pretty new phenomenon, and by giving it up we might discover OLD, struggling American farms that are more-than-capable of meeting our needs.