Palm Oil: What You Need to Know

I’ve written about the nutritional profile of fats and oils, but what about the environmental impact?

While in Malaysia I noticed an immense amount of land propagated for African oil palms. I knew there was concern around it’s agriculture, but I did not know the serenity of the situation until I connected with my friend Magdalena.

The African oil palm produces palm oil, a vegetable oil derived from the fruit pulp of the plant and generally healthy to consume. You can find it in a myriad of food products, body-care products like toothpaste and deodorant and many home products. Often times though products will not have palm oil listed as an ingredient. You’ll see it listed as it’s derivative like glycerin, emulsifiers, stearates, etc.

The crop’s high yield and ease of growing allow for the annual production of fifty million tons of palm-oil. It fills almost half of the products you buy in stores. But at what cost?

Growing and producing palm oil is immensely damaging to the environment.

Environmental Impact of Palm Oil
►Rapid deforestation of precious, irreplaceable land
►Animal endangerment from destruction of habitat
►Ponds of wastewater at palm-oil refineries release immense amounts of methane, which is 34 times more potent than carbon dioxide
►Indigenous peoples are pushed out and displaced for access to farmable land

This video sums it up well. 

 

It is for these reasons that Magdalena is going palm-oil free and I wanted to share a few things she has learned in the process.

After years of being a conflicted primatologist who consumed products that directly endangered primates, Magdalena Antuña set out to go palm-oil free and documented her trials along the way. As the only American resource of its kind, this project quickly evolved into the environmental online magazine you see today. Selva Beat is a daily meeting grounds where the conservation-minded can find conflict-free articles, product guides, recipes, and reviews. As Editor of SB, Magdalena aims to educate about the industry, form a discourse between company & consumer, and have a general laugh at the precarious nature of “no impact” living.

Over seven months ago, I began an experiment to see if I could live without consuming palm-oil* It felt hypocritical for me to commit my life to primates and, while conducting academic research to secure their conservation, consume products that were directly linked to their demise. I gave myself 365 days and started documenting it to benefit whomever it might reach. What I didn’t expect was to find a community of people who were unhappy with conflict palm-oil and wanted to mitigate their connection to its devastation through consumership. In my professional experience, the idea of boycott is met with a lot of hesitance. I understand that it is a very self-serving gesture, if not coupled with ‘actions’ like communicating with the company you’re unhappy with and changing the system on which they rely. I also believe, however, that I have no obligation to companies who are using unsustainable practices. Whether you want to call it boycott or abstinence, what it really means is that I don’t want to financially or ethically support the ramifications of conflict palm.

Edit: Before this said ‘conflict palm-oil’ but to be clear, the challenge I set forth was (and still is) to not consume palm-oil at all, in any form, whether it be whole kernel oil or a derivative, etc.

So, I set out to do all three ‘actions’ as much as one person could with a full-time job. It hasn’t always been pretty and here are the biggest lessons I have taken away so far; my advice to you if you’ve ever thought about about making the cut yourself:

Planning is Crucial to Any Lifestyle Change
I partially learned this lesson when I was diagnosed with a severe wheat allergy the year before. If you don’t plan, especially with avoiding conflict palm, then you’re likely going to fail. Just like being gluten-free, you can certainly get by with the bare minimum. You can give up make-up and processed foods but in order to live comfortably, you have to do your research and that takes time. I converse with people often that say that living palm-oil free is impossible; it can be very, very difficult, but certainly not impossible. For some reason, it is easier to conceive of going vegan, gluten-free, paleo, cruelty-free, or non-toxic but avoiding conflict palm-oil is hard to wrap our heads around. Trust me, you’re still going to have trouble when you go on vacation and there will be moments in the beginning when you’ll just blow your whole plan, but isn’t that all just to be expected?

I gave myself three months to do my homework and sort things out, at my own pace, and I think that this beginning period is crucial to any decided life change.

Sometimes it is genuinely hard finding specific products that you need, sometimes you have no choice but to make them yourself. You will have to seek out regional, independent makers, visit your local farmer’s market, or do some DIY. Right now, that’s just how it goes.

Buying Conflict Free Isn’t More Expensive  
I thought that switching to palm-oil free products, like gluten-free items, would be very expensive. While these things do cost more on average, especially when you factor in shipping, the difference is that now I really only buy the things that I need. Before the challenge, I spent a lot of money on just “trying” things out. I always had three different shampoos in the shower and a cabinet full of serums, eye liners, and lipsticks. I don’t think this is necessarily bad. It’s okay to have stuff. I still have a lot of lipsticks, even if they are palm-oil free. But I do think my habits before were completely mindless and now that I know, it’s just hard to go back.

Now, I view everything I buy as a potential investment. I’ll admit it is a lot less fun (especially when everyone else is picking up something new) but financially, at least, it is better for me. I had to ask myself why I relied on these products so heavily – what aspects of myself did this item enhance? Could this effect be duplicated some other way? There are many different means of improving yourself and making yourself happy — this is something with which you have to experiment.

Read more about Magdalena’s experience on Selva Beat and check out this list of Palm Oil Free products.

Maple Candied Bacon

“Do we eat too much bacon? Are you sure this is healthy?” asks my husband as I put the second tray of candied bacon in the oven. Bacon feels indulgent and almost too good to be true. How can something so delicious be nourishing? It all depends on the quality of the meat.

Bacon is predominately fat and when you’re eating animal fat it’s most important to source humanely-raised, healthy pigs. The fat contains the highest concentrations of an animal’s diet. If a pig was raised predominately on corn and soy meal then it’s fat will have higher levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids than a pig raised on pasture grasses/weeds, roots, tubers, rodents, reptiles and other grains. Pigs are natural foragers and have a varied nutrient dense diet. By consuming bacon from conventional/factory farmed pigs, you’re ingesting higher levels of inflammatory omega 6 fatty acids.

The pig’s health will be reflected in you. If the pig led a suffered, sickly existence then you don’t want that meat on your plate. Pigs should be raised humanely under happy, sustainable conditions. Whatever the pig eats, you’re eating too.

Chipotle recently pulled all pork from their menu after discovering their suppliers were sourcing non-humanely raised pigs. By holding up to this standard, the company is showing how much they care about the health of their customers. They successfully found another supplier, Niman Ranch to fill the loss.

Have your bacon and eat it too. Just make sure you know what’s in it. I like to consider bacon a complement to a meal, there to highlight all the other ingredients. Use this sweet and salty bacon candy as a topping for salads, guacamole or for dessert on ice cream or cupcakes.Candied Maple BaconSourcing Quality Pork:

►List of all the farms in the U.S. that Ship pasture-raised pork, http://www.eatwild.com/products/farmsthatship.html

►Niman Ranch, http://store.nimanranch.com/p-75-uncured-applewood-smoked-bacon-4-12oz-packages.aspx

►Local Famers Markets – Ask the farmers how their pigs are raised and what they feed them.

Candied Maple Bacon

Candied Maple Bacon

Maple Candied Bacon
Serves 12
Candied Bacon with Maple Sugar and Cayenne
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
35 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
35 min
Ingredients
  1. ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
  2. ½ tsp salt
  3. 5 tbsp maple syrup
  4. 2 tsp dijon mustard
  5. 1 lb good quality bacon - sliced
  6. 2 tbsp maple sugar
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 365 degrees.
  2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a metal cooling rack on top of the backing sheet. Make sure it’s folded down and secure over the pan.
  3. Mix together the cayenne, salt, maple syrup and dijon mustard in a large bowl. Individually dip each slice of bacon into the mixture, allowing excess to dip off into the bowl. Arrange slices onto metal rack.
  4. Bake for 20 minutes in the middle of the oven. It should be golden and not quite done.
  5. Remove from oven and sprinkle with maple sugar. Bake for 5-10 more minute until crispy. If chewy, allow to cook a few more minutes.
  6. Only allow to cool for 5 minutes. If they sit too long the bacon slices will stick together. Move to a plate. Eat as stripes or crumble for salads and desserts.
Sparkle Kitchen https://sparklekitchen.com/

Resources:

The Jungle Effect, Okinawa, Japan by Daphne Miller, M.D.

Hog Production Alternatives, Alternative Feeds, http://thenaturalfarmer.com/article/hog-production-alternatives

Pigs – the food connoisseurs of the farm animal kingdom, http://www.naturalpigfarming.com/feed.htm

Dear Mark: Bacon Fat Stability, Noise Machines, and Pig Feed,http://www.marksdailyapple.com/bacon-fat-stability-noise-machines-and-pig-feed/#axzz3Qiq23Htz

Dude, They Found Your Carnitas: Chipotle Solves Its Pork Crisis, http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/01/16/chipotle-pork-shortage-solved-carnitas-return

5 Reasons to Buy Organic & Local this Thanksgiving

Photo by Scott David Gordon - from jbgorganic.com
Photo by Scott David Gordon – from jbgorganic.com

I choose local, organically grown foods. Mostly because I’m a control freak. I like to know exactly how my food was raised. And I also want to know the foods I’m eating are nourishing me. Conventional produce and meats are not able to offer the same standards.

Before I get into the other reasons why I buy organic, I have to explain one misconception. Foods labeled organic are not the only organically produced foods. Many small farms practice sustainable farming but do not carry the USDA Organic seal. The Organic certification process is cost prohibitive and too time consuming for most farmers. It requires a daily record-keeping of all tasks, which is unmanageable when you have weeds to pull and crops to harvest.

The best way to learn how something is grown is by getting to know the farm, searching their website or asking the farmer directly at the market.

Better for our Health
When you eat organic, you are much more likely to consume a larger variety of plant species. The majority of conventionally grown food is locked into one variety of the plant. All across the globe, we’re eating the exact same broccoli, making a homogenous diet and assuming that everyone on earth needs the same foods for optimal health. We know this isn’t so. Every body is different and requires different nutrition. Small farmers typically grow varieties not commonly found in the grocery store so you’re getting a more varied nutritional profile when you consume them. Try replacing those canned green beans for heirloom ones this year in your green bean casserole.

No Pesky Pesticides
Pesticides. Just the word makes my skin crawl. The US still allows the use of these harmful chemicals that have been shown to disrupt brain development. According to Environmental Working Group, a single grape sample can contain up to 15 pesticides.

Organic produce is imperfect and it’s these imperfections that garner my attraction. The European Commission is out ahead of the US in fighting against the dangers of pesticides, banning several types and imposes tight restrictions on imported food.

Environmentally, pesticides are killing off honeybees and other beneficial insects. Organic growing practices contribute to a robust biodiversity. The variety of plants allows pollinators to thrive and keeps predators at bay, which in turn cuts down on the need for pesticides. Organic fields have been shown to have over 100 times more pollinators than conventional fields. This means more honeybees and more of my favorite sweetener.

Produced without GMOs
The first genetically engineered product was approved by the FDA in 1993 and now up 70% of processed foods contain GMO ingredients. And 95% of the animals raised in the US are fed GMO feed. This is new science and has not been properly tested for implications. We are all currently part of the experiment and may not know the side effects for decades.

It is important to point out that the original motivation behind GMOs was to create more nutrient dense foods. That is not the case today though. Corn and soy are the most abundant GMO products. These are largely used to make vegetable oils and preservatives placed in empty calorie foods, which are contributing to the obesity epidemic. Not the best use of technology if you ask me.

GMOs are also limiting the number of foods we eat and cutting those foods down to one variety.

The average person eats 15 different foods. Only 15. There are thousands and thousands available across the globe and the use of GMOs is limiting this availability. Rice alone has 40,000 varieties. With a GMO food model, a family in Ohio eats the exact same dinner as a family in India. Nutritionally, this isn’t healthy and culturally, it’s devastating. In order to live a healthy life, we should consume a wide variety of foods. And GMO foods are making this impossible.

Fewer Cases of Food poisoning
Up to 76 million Americans suffer from food poisoning each year according to the Centers for Disease Control caused by the unsafe production of conventional foods.

Salmonella, e-coli and fecal contamination are found in animal products coming from factory slaughterhouses across the country. The disease-infested growing conditions for most animals force farmers to use antibiotics to keep their animals healthy. These antibiotics are then passed on to us, leading to a growing concern of antibiotic resistant bacteria. The more antibiotics we consume through meat, the less able are bodies are to fighting off disease. Animals raised with organic practices live in sanitary environments, minimizing their exposure to harmful bacteria and need for antibiotics.

Most commercial turkey producers add antibiotics to the animal’s diets. So this year, buy your bird from a reliable source. Look for heritage, organic and sustainable in your local market.

Supports the local Economy
Invest in your local economy this Thanksgiving and keep your food local. Small farmers are changing the food system one growing season at a time, saying no to conventional production methods so families can have healthy, safe food.

Local food from small farmers is less likely to contain harmful pesticides and is produced with ethical standards. The farmers are often more transparent and willing to share their growing practices so you know exactly what you’re putting on the table. At farmer’s markets, the farmer is right there to ask questions and will even allow you to come tour the farm.

Where to Shop

►Local Grocery Store

►Farmer’s Market Guide – Local Harvest,  http://www.localharvest.org/

►Local Farms – Eatwild’s Directory of U.S., Canadian and International Farms & Ranches, http://eatwild.com/products/index.html

►Food Cooperative Food Co-op Directory, http://www.cooperativegrocer.coop/coops

Resources:
Ten Reasons to Buy Organic, http://tennessee.sierraclub.org/pdfs/Why-go-organic.pdf

Ten Reasons Why Organic Food is Better, http://www.earthfuture.com/earth/Organic%20-%2010%20Reasons.pdf

Decreased functional diversity and biological pest control in conventional compared to organic crop fields, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21611171

Did Your Thanksgiving Turkey Take Any Antibiotics?, http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/11/26/247377377/did-your-thanksgiving-turkey-take-any-antibiotics

Environmental Working Group, http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php

GM crops currently on the Market in the United States, http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/GMonMarketUS.pdf

Eatwild’s Directory of U.S., Canadian and International Farms & Ranches, http://eatwild.com/products/index.html

Food Co-op Directory, http://www.cooperativegrocer.coop/coops