Rainforests all around the world are home to thousands of exquisite species of plants and animals(most of which only ecologists and scientists are aware about). Beauty of these creatures is alluring and more elaborate than fauna and flora of city habitat. Rainforests are a world of their own. Apart from being an enclosed ecosystem, rainforests also play a significant role in balancing weather system of the entire world. They control the weather phenomenon and cause rains throughout the world. Calling rainforests “lungs of Earth” might just be a misnomer. They are much more than that. They give and support life for millions of organisms including humans.
With growing human needs these rainforests are suffering. Our ever-growing population and its demands are causing rainforests to be burned. Every year we are losing rainforests at an unprecedented rate especially in the last few decades. These forests are being encroached day and night to meet land requirement for creating farms, industries and relentlessly growing urban areas. One rainforest which has suffered the most is in Borneo, Indonesia.
Borneo Rainforests are extremely rich in fauna and flora due to their perfect tropical location. These forests which were once flourishing, are now facing immense destruction. Borneo Rainforests have lost 50% of their forest cover, 40% of which was lost in last 10 years to Palm oil farming.
Satellite footages show that deforestation in Borneo has been rampant in last 15-20 years. Borneo has lost approximately 850,000 hectares of forest every year since then. Scale of this devastation is alarming. If only one sees these images the pain is much heartfelt. If this was not enough other disheartening data shows that almost 100,000 Orangutans have been killed in last few decades making them endangered species now. Borneo and Sumatra are home to these wonderful, intelligent creatures and we brutally destroyed their homes and lives for our superfluous needs. Humans have caused mass annihilation without even being aware about it.
Oil-Palm trees thrive in this idyllic tropical weather of Borneo Rainforests which has incentivized Indonesian government and local farmers to convert rainforests to a money yielding palm oil farmland over the past 40 years. Borneo forests were pristine till early 1950s, untouched by industrial civilization. In 1950s these forests were approached for the first time by rubber and timber industries. Though deforestation here was less-toxic until palm oil became a popular commodity in 1980s.
Palm oil has a very dark backstory and yet it is a $50 billion business per year. It is found in almost everything in our lives from most food products to everyday use items like toothpaste to cosmetics. It is a new popular cooking oil, being labeled and sold as vegetable oil. Palm oil’s popularity has constantly increased due to lower price and high efficiency.
Unfortunately, most of us don’t even know how many or what items we consume have palm oil. Believe me it’s most of the snacks that we eat, most chocolates we love, most nut butters we think are healthy and sometimes even self-care products that are advertised to be nature-friendly. Mostly products manufactured by large conglomerates like Nestle, Pepsico(lays), Unilever etc use palm oil to reduce costs. It’s sad that we are hurting the planet very innocently. It doesn’t have to be this way. Self-care products like shampoos, lotions, cosmetics etc. can be made with substitutes like coconut oil etc. Look for these when shopping. Checking ingredients list will help ensure that we are making the right choice. Palm oil is also being marketed with many other sneaky names which requires consumers(us) to be even more vigilant. There are alternatives to almost all food items that do not contain palm oil(I have summarized list at the end) try adopting those in your daily life. By putting in a bit of due diligence when we shop can make a difference. Lastly, Palm oil is also being sourced in sustainable way without exploiting rainforests. We can support buying products which are sustainably sourced.(They can be identified with small certification labels on the packaging, Rainforest Alliance is one of the many examples.)
It’s time we save the future of our planet, cute & intelligent Orangutans and many other species that make this planet unique. I have incorporated a simple mantra to reduce the scourge of palm oil : Choose alternatives, Always check ingredients and Be mindful.
Pro tip: If anything you are already using has palm oil, do not throw it right away. Finish it first, a lot of resources were put in making it.
Possible substitutions: Lays to Pringles, Doritos to Late July tortilla chips, Cadbury to Theo Chocolates, Nutella to home made chocolate spread(or Justin’s), JIF peanut butter to Crazy Richard’s Peanut butter and shampoo, conditioner lotion etc from Ethique. There might be many more locally made hand-crafted options, all you need to do is look.
Other Suggested reads: https://e360.yale.edu/features/vanishing-borneo-saving-one-of-worlds-last-great-places-palm-oil