Is the Food Industry Concealing Possible Destruction of the Tropics From the Public?
Palm oil, found in many products like shampoo, lipstick, cookies, and pizza, is linked to severe environmental damage and human rights abuses, especially in Indonesia and Malaysia. These countries produce about 85 percent of the world’s palm oil.
Palm oil used in animal feed, especially for dairy cows, is often hidden from consumers and not included in companies’ deforestation-free commitments. Major companies like Nestlé and Ferrero claim to be reducing deforestation but ignore the palm oil in animal feed. Research by Rainforest Action Network (RAN) found that most companies importing palm oil-based animal feed into the U.S. lack strict policies to prevent deforestation.
The use of palm oil in animal feed is growing, with additives like “palm fat” and “palmitic acid” becoming popular to boost milk production. These additives, along with palm kernel expeller and palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD), are often imported from Indonesia and Malaysia, further contributing to deforestation.
Tracking palm oil in animal feed is difficult due to a lack of specific trade codes. In 2022, feed-grade palm oil was the largest category of palm oil products imported to the U.S., mainly from Indonesia. This hidden palm oil challenges companies’ claims of being deforestation-free.
European regulations now require companies to ensure their products are not linked to deforestation. However, most companies still lack transparency and do not fully implement deforestation-free policies. For meaningful change, all companies must adopt strict NDPE (No Deforestation, No Peatland, No Exploitation) policies and include palm oil in animal feed in their commitments. Transparency and accountability are essential to protect forests and uphold human rights.
🔭 This summary was human-edited with AI-assist.
