In this post, we'll delve into the sustainability debate and RSPO certification, and whether that makes these palm oil containing products a better choice (or not) than trying to go palm oil free.
Last post we saw that the global production of palm oil has increased 700% in 30 years (while global population increased ¬46%). Two thirds of that palm oil is used in food products - it's a long lasting and cheap fat (like butter) or oil substitute, with a semi-solid smooth texture, despite its impact to heart💓 health. Palm oil is such a symbol of our convenience way of living - found extensively in packaged snack foods like biscuits, chips and cakes as well as in margarine, bread and instant noodles (plus beauty & cleaning). We also saw that it's hard to spot on the label, fitting under the generic label of 'vegetable oil' (which vegie?) and other more confusing titles like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or Stearic acid.
Deforestation for palm oil plantation is devastating for our global climate cycle, as rainforests play a key role in how our climate works. It also impacts biodiversity (orangutans, tigers, elephants, gibbons, medicinal plants and more), air, soil and water quality. It disrupts indigenous lands and livelihoods, there are known human rights issues with forced workers and displacement issues.
Enter the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and the process of Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO). As at their 2022 Impact Report, the RSPO had 5,400 members. They've been around for almost 20 years (established in 2004) with a Board of governors made up of growers, processors / traders, consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, bankers, and environmental & social NGOs. Each party gets 2 nominees each on the Board.
They focus on "upholding human rights, smallholder inclusion, environmental protection, fire prevention, climate change mitigation, certification and market transformation". Great stuff huh? and have certified about 4.5 million hectares of palm oil plantations, with 300,000 hectares of that conserved and protected. There are challenges though - this only accounts for just under 20% of all production. So, to prevent deforestation and human rights impacts, two decades of governance has reached just under 20% of the market. Much, much, more needs to be done for certification and even for maturing of existing RSPO member's practices and adherence to the principles and criteria developed across RSPO's different focus areas.
Palm oil is big business - employing > 4.3 million people on plantations directly with many more employed in the full supply chain and major issues with forced labour, with only 500,000 workers now covered by RSPO Principles and criteria.
What does it actually mean to be a member of the RSPO?
These member organizations make promises to do better on a whole range of factors mentioned in RSPO's focus areas above, from environmental impacts to human rights issues. Not all members are able to hit all their obligations each year, 54% of supply chain members subject to Shared Responsibility requirements met their 2021 CSPO uptake target.
There have recently been global shortages of RSPO certified palm oil, so it's worth checking up on companies who are in danger of greenwashing (getting certified and letting their commitments lapse temporarily). Nestle remains on my watch list as their public documents continuously talk about "remaining committed" as opposed to "we met our commitment" which would give consumers more certainty in their green reporting.
We need more companies using palm oil in their products to be certified and wear the badge, preferably fully certified along their entire supply chain.
Look for the trademark RSPO certification and the badge 'Certified' or the phrase: Contains certified sustainable palm oil, then the palm oil itself is all Identify Preserved (IP) or Segregated (SG), meaning high levels of traceability all through the supply chain. IP means the palm fruit comes from certified growers and from a single IP mill, SG from multiple IP mills.
Look for the trademark RSPO certification and the badge 'Mixed' or the phrase: Contributes to the production of certified sustainable palm oil.
Then the palm oil itself is a mix of certified and other sources along the supply chain. You might also see a reference to Mass Balance (MB) meaning a mix of certified and other sources of the palm fruit or mills.
Finally, companies cna also purchase RSPO Credits, which is "a virtual trading scheme where downstream RSPO members can purchase credits from certified mills without physically sourcing certified products."
To palm oil or not to palm oil?
With the global demand for vegetable oil palm so pervasive we can think about whether palm oil is a good choice from a few different angles -
The straight swap - is there a less environmentally damaging source of vegetable oil?
As already mentioned, palm oil is a super-efficient crop in terms of land use. The data below compares different crops on the basis of how much land would be needed to produce all of the world's vegetable oil needs. Palm oil uses up way, way less land than alternatives which means it must be better for the environment right?
Yes and no. If we are comparing crops that require rainforest clearing then this would be a yes (rainforests are vital carbon sinks, precious global sources of immense biodiversity and critical to global weather patterns, contributing to the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), a major atmospheric circulation system that affects rainfall patterns and trade winds across the globe). Palm and coconut oil crops are in tropical regions, with coconut able to be grown in a wider variety of soils and coastal tropical regions.
Soybean, sunflower and ground nuts (peanut) are semi-tropical, meaning they still contribute to carbon sequestration, not to the same extent as tropical regions. They do the same good as rainforests, but to a lesser extent.
Canola (type of rapeseed) is grown in temperate areas (forests, grasslands, wetlands) and Olive oil in Mediterranean climates (proximity to water, prevailing winds, forests, shrublands). These areas also have unique biodiversity and play a role in carbon sequestration, just not to the same level of significance of rainforests.
Looking at straight land use may not be the only factor as a hectare of rainforest clearing may be more damaging than 10 hectares of temperate region land clearing (I made that number up but you get the point). We also need to factor in water usage, energy intensity and other factors that contribute to the impact from oil production. Palm oil uses relatively moderate amounts of water compared to other vegetable oil crops, with rice bran, cottonseed and soybean using substantial amounts of watering for cultivation. So maybe a swap to sunflower oil, with relatively low water use and lesser impact than rainforest clearing can also be a good palm oil substitute.
Sunflower oil would also be considered to have a better impact on health (comparatively). It has a high content of polyunsaturated fats, an essential omega-6 fatty acid, which when consumed in moderation and as part of a balanced diet, can have positive effects on heart health. Palm oil contains a higher proportion of saturated fats compared to sunflower oil. Saturated fats have been associated with increased LDL cholesterol levels when consumed in excess and is generally linked to an increased risk of heart disease.
However, palm oil is solid at room temperature, while sunflower oil is liquid, which will impact its versatility as a replacement in existing uses.
The straight swap - is there a less environmentally damaging source of fat?
What about butter? If we need a solid fat at room temperature, perhaps this could be a substitute for palm oil. I asked ChatGPT to compare the land impact of 1 tonne of butter to 1 tonne of palm oil.
Assumptions on productivity of the land, the type of farming system used, and the quality of the dairy cows' diet, it came up with 4,355 acres of land (2.5 acres multiplied by 1,742 cows) to produce enough milk for 1 tonne of butter. This included land for 2.5 acres for feed for the dairy cow, land to grow the food, average milk yield of 7,000L p.a.
For an average oil yield of 2.9 tonnes per hectare per year for palm oil production, it would require approximately 0.345 hectares (or 3.45 acres) of land to produce 1 tonne of palm oil.
Uh, that seems like a big difference, but land is just one component. What about the energy and production infrastructure to raise and milk cows versus harvesting and producing palm oil? Palm oil is an energy-intensive production, with the cultivation, processing, and refining of palm oil require significant energy inputs throughout the production chain.
Vegetable Oil | Water use | Land use efficiency | Energy Intensity | Carbon Footprint | Pesticide use | Health Rating |
Palm oil | Moderate | High | High | High | Moderate | Moderately Healthy |
Soybean oil | High | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | High | Moderately Healthy |
Sunflower oil | Low | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderately Healthy |
Rapeseed / Canola oil | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Low | Healthy |
Olive oil | Low | Low | Moderate | Low | Low | Healthy |
Ground nut / Peanut oil | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Low | Healthy |
Coconut Oil | High | Low | High | High | Low | Moderately Healthy |
Butter | Low | Low | Moderate | Moderate | Low | Moderately Healthy |
From the table, its really hard to determine a 'good answer' to the challenge of meeting the global need for vegetable oils. Though depending on the location of origin, reasonable alternatives to palm oil would be olive, canola and sunflower oil. I didn't realise coconut oil would have a relatively higher footprint.
Small scale agroforestry is emerging in studies as more sustainable and cost-effective, moving away from large-scale clearing and planting to more and smaller production done in traditional indigenous ways. This is the approach being used in much of the claimed 'sustainable' cacao supply chains for chocolate production too and could lead to better agriculture in tropical zones in particular.
Where did we land?
It depends😉. The application or the product for which palm oil is being used matters immensely here. The carbon footprint of a packet of processed choc chip cookies versus making a batch of biscuits at home, is going to come down to more than the choice of fat.
Ultimately the best choice will avoid the most environmentally damaging ingredients:
that require large areas for land use (like beef and lamb) or large water for cultivation (like chocolate),
grown in rainforest zones that are critical global carbon sinks and contributors to our global weather patterns, like palm oil, coconuts, vanilla, coffee, cacao/cocoa and medicinal products),
by avoiding packaging or containing recycled and recyclable packaging,
that avoid energy intensive manufacturing and production processes, including those for development of the product itself, its packaging, and
minimizing transportation of ingredients and components from source to manufacture to distribution.
Palm oil free may not be better for the environment if its being swapped out for a crop with a much greater land use, water use or other environmental impact. Although I would contend for applications where the substitute works, sunflower, canola or olive oil may be better choices, even with greater land use and more expense, to better preserve our rainforest regions.
What you can do
The vegetable oil situation is pretty complicated. In the end its easier to manage your impact by just eating more whole foods and homemade foods as snacks.
But I'm realistic, our lives get busy, we all fall back on convenience products even when we know they cause damage (to the environment and quite often our waistlines!). My cupboard is full of 'back-up snacks' for lunchboxes and picnics and after school.
When this happens, be aware and read the label. Choose RSPO Certified only. Make informed decisions. Through conscious product swaps, we can collectively reduce our carbon footprint, support sustainable practices, and advocate for a more environmentally responsible future.
You can also join the voices lobbying for palm oil to be declared on product labels, so we also know when we need to be looking for the RSPO stamp. This is hard when it's hidden under so many generic labels.
Take action in one minute to add your name to the campaign for mandatory labelling in Australia by clicking on the following link: Don't Palm Us Off | Sustainable Palm Oil | Zoos Victoria
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