What's Up With Palm Oil? Part 1: History

Click here for the continuation of this series, Part 2: The Problem With Palm

What do ice cream, instant noodles, margarine, lipstick, and soap have in common?

A lot of us have probably used some in the last two weeks, and they also may contain palm oil.

Everything we consume has some sort of impact on the environment and many concerned citizens are eager to find new ways to make more sustainable choices, but honestly my strawberry ice cream cone was not at the top of my list of changes to make for a better world.

Palm oil is a widely-used vegetable oil , but is often produced unsustainable ways and is linked to environmental and social issues.

So what's up with Palm oil?

A (Brief) History of Palm Oil

(To read the full report, see "History of Palm Oil" from The Cambridge World History of Food 2 Volume Boxed Set by Kenneth F. Kiple and Kriemhild Coneè Ornelas at http://coconutoil.com/palm_oil_history/) 

Elaeis guineensis, or the oil palm, is a tree native to West Africa. It was likely a food source for indigenous people in unrecorded history, found in ancient Egyptian tombs, and its use in cooking was written about in the journals of some European travelers from the mid 15th century. Today it remains an ingredient in cherished dishes in cultures around the world; trans fat-free, nutritious, containing antioxidants, and used in making many tasty foods.

Upon expansion trade of the red palm oil got its hands dirty, supplying vessels of the transatlantic slave trade. It was used for candlemaking and as a lubricant for machinery, and the demand for palm oil in Europe increased during the British Industrial Revolution it became a modest exporting trade for farmers in Western Africa while also farming for local usage. It is believed that often oil palm trees were self-seeded, ground about by their own natural processes, even possibly after the 1900s European plantations were established in Southeast Asia and Central Africa.

The demand continued to grow ever larger as palm oil slipped its way into Western foods, especially because of non-hydrogenated margarine. Today a lot of us have been warned about the health risks associated with the process of hydrogenation because of trans fats, and this has been a key point in the common butter vs. margarine debate. However, eventually  it was found that palm oil could be processed in a way that allowed it to be used in margarine without undergoing hydrogenation as other vegetable oils may. 

Although in the 1940's the use of palm oil in Western cultures slowed when there were interruptions in trade with Asia, when butter was in short supply during the war people were often encouraged to use margarine.

From there a grading system was developed and made standard by The Produce Control Board and later Nigerian Oil Palm Produce Marketing Board, which motivated producers to develop better processing techniques.

... Today & the RSPO

Today we are at a point in history where sellers of palm oil have been faced with a new challenge; a challenge ensure it is farmed and produced sustainably. Palm oil has a speckled past, but the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (or RSPO) is now challenging traders of palm oil to make a clean slate, and clean up the act for the future.

This is the RSPO's Mission and Vision statement taken directly from their website:

• "Advance the production, procurement, finance and use of sustainable palm oil products
• Develop, implement, verify, assure and periodically review credible global standards for the entire supply chain of sustainable palm oil
• Monitor and evaluate the economic, environmental and social impacts of the uptake of sustainable palm oil in the market
• Engage and commit all stakeholders throughout the supply chain, including governments and consumers." - rspo.org

Basically an RSPO certification compares the means a trader or palm oil with a certain standard so as to minimize negative impacts on the environment, animals, and people.

The oil used in ramen noodles may seem arbitrary, but sustainable or unsustainable farming of it is linked with larger environmental issues that are getting closer to home for people.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of "What's Up With Palm Oil?" to read more about the issues surrounding palm oil, the significance of RSPO, and what each one of us can do to help clean up the act.

In the meantime...

WWF created a satirical trailer, "Unseen" for the drama that is gradually unfolding around unsustainable palm oil. On the surface it may sound far less important and glamorous than the fight against mass deforestation and habitat loss, climate change, or indigenous rights, but the sustainable palm oil is an ingredient affecting all of the above.

Sources

http://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/which-everyday-products-contain-palm-oil 

http://coconutoil.com/palm_oil_history/

http://www.soyatech.com/Palm_Oil_Facts.htm

http://www.rspo.org/about/sustainable-palm-oil

http://www.rspo.org/about

Picking the Right Fish in the Sea: Selecting Sustainable Seafood

For generations the  ocean has been both a source of awe
and inspiration as well as physical needs. 

Have you ever had the chance to watch a wave from the ocean roll onto the shore? Somewhere beyond the horizon and farther than you can see, all the right motions started that wave, and you can only imagine all the life and stones and forgotten wrecks that it passed over on its journey.

Sushi is a personal family favourite for making and eating,
but the imitation crab should be selected carefully.

The vast blue seas have long been a source of awe, inspiration, and resources for humans, but as with anything, unsustainable human activity can have serious consequences to marine wildlife and ecosystems (and by inevitable extension, to humans). While the practices place direct impacts on marine ecosystems, consumers have the power the either fuel that damage or reduce it back based on where we spend money.

If you are vegetarian or vegan than you have already eliminated that problem entirely in your case, but for fellow fish-eaters, some organizations have developed research tools to help select the right fish in the sea (for your plate).

Some people reading this may have stopped with the thought, "what about the wellbeing of the people who rely on fishing as a livelihood?" This is a valid concern regardless of how or what they catch. However, if the marine ecosystem collapses then the same fish populations they must draw from will be adversely affected as well as other species that are connected to it. Put simply: Hurt the fish, no fish to catch, no fish to sell, and no fish to eat.

Many people have depended on fishing for generations, but with changes in technology and fishing methods what once was a sustainable tradition has gone sadly overboard in many cases. It is for the long-term benefit of both humans and wildlife that we make more sustainable choices. 

"When the last tree has been cut, the last fish caught, the last river poisoned, only then will we realize that one cannot eat money." - Native American Saying (source: http://quoteinvestigator.com/2011/10/20/last-tree-cut/)

There are a number of online resources but here are a few that I have found to be particularly helpful which evaluate seafoods based on when, how, and what is being caught relative to sustainability. When using these to compare fish and other seafood products remember to check for the specific species, where it came from, and the method (eg. troll, wild, farmed). 


Sea Choice (http://www.seachoice.org/) is a nice and full online database with lots of straight-to-the-point charts. If you search something like "tuna" it is easy to compare various options all side-by-side, and if you would like more details you can click on the specific name.

This database is extensive and has easy-to-compare charts for comparing different variants which is good because one detail can make all the difference between 'good choice' and 'stay away'. When researching something like 'tuna' which renders a long list of results, the search function (control+F on Windows) can be very useful in highlighting specific criteria when evaluating a specific product.

Sea choice was also sourced for David Suzuki's Top 10 Sustainable Seafood Picks (http://www.davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/food-and-our-planet/suzukis-top-10-sustainable-seafood-picks/). From the graphics to immediately listing "Ask For" and "Avoid" for each type, I love the intuitive layout of this list. It immediateky addresses questions people will probably have and this flow continues under "More>>" which includes not only cooking information and a recipe but things to learn about the animal itself.

Although it may not feel good to think about how the animal your are eating was once alive, it can encourage respect. Learning about the species as wildlife including the way it once looked and the things it would have done can help encourage deeper respect and appreciation for it.

Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch (http://www.seafoodwatch.org/) is another online database which like Sea Choice includes important details. Although details are not always given immediately, the strength of this one lies in the portability of a free app which does not require wi-fi once updates are downloaded (great for grocery shopping), and printable guides.  California rolls are a family favourite in our house for eating and a benefit when we make our own is being able to be more aware of the source of fish we use in it and make choices accordingly. If you like sushi, the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch also has a sushi guide.

If you're interested in reading more about sustainable eating, here is an older post with a few more tips. (http://naturenimbus.blogspot.ca/2014/10/world-food-day-some-tips-to-digest.html).