Palm oil
- a complex problem
Palm oil is the world's second most consumed edible oil (after soy). It is very versatile, and used widely and found extensively in all your favourite foods such as margarine, crisps, and chocolate. If you are asking questions about this resource you need to look at these manufacturers too!
We began handmaking our products 15 years ago to avoid using chemicals in everyday life, and in particular to avoid using petrochemical products such as mineral oil from a dirty exploitative industry and non renewable resource
We turned to food ingredients such as coconut and palm oil to do so, which at the time was a great choice because demand was low.
At the time we were one of a handful of businesses in Australia doing this but now the explosion of demand for renewable resource raw ingredients (both for foods and cosmetics) has meant that in the case of palm oil, there has been a huge increase in farming of this product to meet that demand.
Where there is a rapacious demand of course greed and unscrupulous methods to meet that demand inevitably follow closely behind, nomatter what the commodity!
Hence the admirable campaigns to try, by consumer pressure, to force the adoption of sustainable farming practices .
Our position on palm oil is the same as all of you out there, we want supply from a sustainable/renewable resource with minimum impact on the environment, and-importantly-wildlife who are the victims in this scenario.
BUT - this is where things get difficult - indeed almost impossible for us, and indeed any Australian business.
Tracing the source of palm oil from any one distributor, particularly in Australia is quite literally impossible, due, in part, to the tiny ( in world terms) population, and hence demand for product.
This results in the domination of the raw material markets by one or two giant (reputable) multinationals which we, and all other small businesses in Australia, are forced to buy from.
This is partially because the oil is traded on the world market as a commodity and is processed at centralised mills and refineries in many countries around the world, before it is even offered for sale to the dominant large distributor groups/wholesalers in Australia. Another factor is that in some cases palm oil is used interchangeably with other oils such as coconut, further obscuring the supply chain.
The crucial problem is that at present there is no credible verification or certification process on which to base a code of conduct, or standard which to work to, so where to start?
Organisations such as The Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil and The Malaysian Palm Oil Association are working on solutions to this problem which is a vital start.
What are Beauty & the Bees doing about it?
We have contacted all our our suppliers to ensure they are made aware of our stance on palm oil, that they clearly understand the issues, and our urgent need to source sustainably farmed palm oil or a comparible substitute.
To date the response has been, frankly, muted, but we are in the position of every other business in Australia, of having no choice of supplier with an appropriate ethical stance due to the small population of our continent. The UK has 60 million consumers and substantial muscle if it challenges the supply chain there- we simply do not have the numbers in Australia to do this.
As a supplier said to us this week 'there is not enough demand, or consumers, to make the logistics of bringing in, for example, alternative commodities such as soy wax to replace palm, it would simply not be feasible'.
We are actively changing our body product formulae (creams butters, waxes) to minimise palm oil content- substituting other natural waxes such as olive butter, rice bran butter etc which will add their own valuable moisturising qualities.
We are trying to source a replacement for palm oil in our soaps, such as soy or sunflower, but face the sourcing/supply problems outlined above.
Palm has been used for at least 150 years in soap,as a replacement for Tallow (animal fat) which was demanded by vegetarians, and because it contributes hardness ( makes the bar last longer) and it's own lathering moisturising properties, and is almost impossible to replace with another oil.
We are helping directly to support those working to save the threatened wildlife such as orangutans.
5 cents from every soap bar or shampoo bar purchased will go directly to The Australian Orangutan Project Australia and we strongly encourage you to contribute directly to this great organisation. Ask food producers (any fried food item is more than likely fried in/contains palm oil) who are after all the biggest consumer, if they are contributing too!
AOP is a non profit organisation staffed by volunteers to raise funds and collect donations for Orangutan Conservation and habitat protection.
Get more info : www.orangutan.org.au
And Malaysian Palm Oil Association
We approached them about our efforts and they were kind enough to send the following response by email:
Hi Michelle
Rick has forwarded me your email. Your stance is admirable. I don't think there is a lot more you can do at this stage other than keep the pressure on your suppliers and to look for alternative sources
The message is getting thru slowly and hopefully there will be true sustainable Palm Oil on the market one day.
Keep up the great work
Tony Gilding
Vice President
Australian Orangutan Project
Australia
Fax 02 6687 2581
Mobile 0413 123 000
Email tony@gilding.com
Web www.orangutan.org.au
AOP is a non profit organisation staffed by volunteers to raise funds and collect donations for Orangutan Conservation and habitat protection. Orangutans are critically endangered in the wild and most experts say extinction is inevitable. AOP refuses to accept that.
There are no salaries paid to AOP volunteers and most services are donated.
Therefore a very high percentage of your donations go straight to organisations involved in the active welfare of orangutans and on habitat protection.
