When I first started making soap in 2008, I bought palm oil without knowing much about it’s source.
Palm oil has desirable qualities which include producing a mild and hard bar that lathers well. From my own experience, I’ve found other good substitutes such as olive oil, rice bran, and coconut oil to be just as nice.
It wasn’t until recently that I knew about the environmental and social implications of using palm oil.
As for the social impact, forests are usually cleared in large tracts of land through burning and clear cutting. This has alienated communities and created tension between locals and the company executing the project.
For the environmental impact, large areas of Indonesian and Malaysian rainforest have been cleared to make way for palm plantations. The spaces used to expand palm plantations are often created by draining and burning peatland, which sends carbon emissions into the atmosphere.
The removing of rainforest is also effecting the orangutan population that dwell in the forest. It is estimated by Borneo Orang Utan Survival Foundation UK that orangutans can disappear in five years. But there is still hope.
Indonesia’s Center for Orang Utan Protection has rescued many baby orangutan orphaned by palm oil companies. As many of the orangutans are seen as pest and are killed off. The center to protect orangutan ask that we use orangutan friendly palm oil (from sustainable palm oil farm) in our food and household products.
This baby orangutan (photo above) seem to be having fun. Image source.
This is huge palm plantation. Image source.
A United Nations report “illegal logging and fires have been overtaken as the primary cause of deforestation by a huge expansion of oil palm plantations, which are racing to meet soaring demand from Western food manufacturers and the European Union’s zeal for biofuels.” and that “The UN’s environment programme report, ‘The Last Stand of the Orang Utan: State of Emergency’, says natural rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia are being cleared so rapidly that up to 98 per cent may be destroyed by 2022, and the lowland forest strongholds of orang utans much sooner, unless urgent action is taken.” The Guardian. Source.
This honey & almond soaps was made with no palm oil but includes rice bran oil, olive oil, safflower oil, and sunflower oil. It is still a very nice and moisturizing bar.
If I make soaps in the future, I will only use sustainable palm oil. I found this at Whole Foods by Spectrum.
24oz Tub. “Made with organic palm oil, Spectrum Organic Shortening is a healthy, trans-fat free alternative to traditional shortening for flaky crusts and crispy fries.”
Image source.
11:12 am on October 30th, 2009
I didn’t realize that it’d be that bad to the environment, but looking at the picture of the plantation, that is one huge plantation. This post will definitely create an awareness and hope that more people will demand for sustainable palm oil and many plantations will work toward that.
10:56 pm on October 30th, 2009
Hi Nye,
I sometimes think people get caught up in their own lives too much to really think of the big picture. And it the big scheme of things, a better planet is a better place for all.
And now that we know about the situation, it’s best to spread the news. The orangutans and the forest need our help!
5:32 am on December 15th, 2010
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10:01 pm on September 1st, 2011
I recently had the opportunity to tour a fascinating palm oil extraction plant in Honduras. They are doing palm oil right. Not all palm oil farming is created equal. Read about the reuse of the biomass and biogas produced at this plant: http://lifeobservationsfromorangehouse.blogspot.com/2011/08/african-palm-trees-real-power-plant.html
11:07 pm on September 6th, 2011
@Brian, thanks for the info. Your work sounds interesting and it’s making a difference in people’s lives. Keep up the great job!
8:37 pm on May 11th, 2012
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