The cultivation of the oil palm tree, used to create palm oil, is causing the loss of well-loved animal species, global warming and health issues according to the experts.
The edible oil, found in over half the packaged items on Australian supermarket shelves is produced in many parts of south East Asia.
The unsustainable production is contributing to the decline of native animals including orang-utans, rhinos, tigers and elephants, according to WWF, Australia’s most influential conservational organisation.
WWF Australia’s Sustainable Forest and Palm Oil Manager, Andrea Wiseman says they are concerned about the impact that unsustainable palm oil plantations are having on the natural environment and global warming.
“WWF is particularly concerned about the large-scale forest conversion which includes the loss of critical habitat for endangered species,” Ms Wiseman said, “and the large amount of carbon pollution release by cutting and burning forest, draining carbon-rich peat lands and reduced ability of converted land to store carbon.”
According to WWF an estimated 25 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels are from rainforest destruction.
Another pressure group in Australia is the Palm Oil Action Group dedicated to spreading awareness about the impacts of palm oil.
Palm Oil Action group Coordinator, Charlotte Richardson says unsustainable palm oil companies are using slash and burn techniques, resulting in mass deforestation and loss of habitat for the iconic orang-utan species.
“[Orang-utans] are territorial and find it difficult to move on, often causing them to hang around the plantations and get shot by farmers,” Ms Richardson said. “We lose 50 Orang-utans every week from deforestation.”
Ms Richardson also says the local communities are divided about keeping their forests how they are or benefiting from the economic advantages of palm oil plantations.
“Local communities who have been there for hundreds of years are being kicked off their land with little to no compensation by large scale palm oil corporations,” Ms Richardson said.
Ms Wiseman, from WWF says the palm oil companies have a big impact on the local community who rely on the industry for their livelihoods.
“By using better management practices, the palm oil industry could provide palm oil without threatening our natural treasures,” Ms Wiseman said.
The Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil and WWF developed Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) which ensures companies produce economically viable, environmentally appropriate and socially beneficial palm oil.
CSPO can only be awarded if the palm oil is produced on already degraded land or grassland not on forest land which has been destroyed.
However, many companies like KFC, Arnott’s and Aware Laundry detergents now refuse to use any palm oil in their products.
Chief Executive for Aware Iain Chaney says the ripping down of rainforest to plant palm oil is wrong.
“This is our small way of making a stand,” Mr Chaney said, “thus helping to save the Orang-utans whose habitat is being destroyed.”
WWF and the Palm Oil Action group are currently lobbying for a change in legislation to see palm oil legally labelled on products.
Ms Wiseman from WWF says there is currently no law for compulsory labelling of palm oil.
“All oils contained in food products only need to be labelled as vegetable oil,” she said, “which means no distinction is made between different types of vegetable oil.”
Senator Xenophon and the Greens have recently presented an amended version of a private bill, Food Standards Amendment, Truth in Labelling (Palm Oil) Bill 2011, which will make it mandatory to label products containing palm oil.
The amended version is said to have the support of the Coalition according to Federal Liberal Member of Parliament Karen Andrews.
“The amendments the Coalition support ensure that important consumer information about the presence of palm oil is dealt with through the appropriate consumer laws,” she said.
However Senator Claire Moore, Chairperson of last year’s Senate meeting which voted against the Bill, says it may still be a long time before palm oil is labelled on products.
“Palm oil, as presented to us in our committee, was not a food safety issue,” Senator Moore said. “It was something we had not done in Australia which was for environmental purposes.”
The bi-national Government agency Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) are responsible in developing labelling requirements which can then be enforced by food agencies.
According to Senator Moore FSANZ concerns are health and safety not the environment.
However according to Australia’s leading cardiovascular organisation, The Heart Foundation palm oil is a health issue.
In a media released in June this year National CEO Dr Lyn Roberts said palm oil contains 50 per cent saturated fat which is a major cause of heart disease.
“Australians are consuming twice the amount of saturated fat they should be and every 23 minutes an Australian dies from heart disease,” Dr Roberts said in the media release. “Australian’s have a right to know what they are eating.”
Ms Richardson from the Palm Oil Action group agrees that palm oil is a health issue.
“Palm oil is linked to chronic disease which accounted for over 58 per cent of deaths last year,” she said.
Senator Moore says Previous Health Minister, Dr Neal Blewett is currently being commissioned by the Government to do a report on all food labelling which will see the issue of palm oil addressed through the existing process.
“Cabinet is due to make a response to [the report] by the end of the year,” Senator Moore said.
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