Essay On Palm Oil

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Palm oil is used in a wide variety of foods and hygiene products. It is an oil made from the pulp of the oil palm, usually the African oil palm. There has been a lot of controversy on the health effects that palm oil has; a recent study has shown that regularly ingesting this oil can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, while another shows no correlation between the oil and the risk of coronary artery disease (Loki). While the health effects are still being debated, there is no question that this highly-used ingredient is killing rainforests in Malaysia and Indonesia, threatening many species, including the Sumatran elephant, tiger, and orangutan, as well as the Bornean orangutans and pygmy elephants, all of which are critically endangered …show more content…

Over 90% of their habitats have been destroyed, and many depend on relocation/conservation programs to survive. Some are killed for meat, but most often die from overcrowded habitats that don’t have enough resources to keep their population alive. In efforts to protect the population of these orangutans, it is illegal to capture, trade, or kill them, though this law is often ignored (Conservation and Rehabilitation). Luckily, there are a few rehabilitation centers who help relocate orangutans in direct danger from deforestation. Many of these programs, such as the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP), take measures to protect the Batang Toru Forest, which house the orangutans, to monitor the population and well-being of wild orangutans, and to breed orangutans in captivity to provide a safety net for the population to fall back on if needed (Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Program - SOCP.). Thanks to their work, many orangutans have been saved and brought back into the wild, and 900 orangutans in captivity worldwide …show more content…

I was astonished to find out how much of the food my sisters regularly eat contain this ingredient. Doritos, Vanilla Wafers, Cheez-its, Kit Kats, pretty much any pre-packaged food in our house had it. Even though I was shocked to see how much palm oil my siblings consumed, I was even more shocked to find out how much I didn’t consume. As a vegan, I expected many of the vegan substitutes I have to contain palm oil, as many vegan food companies strive to make their food as healthy as possible and reduce the amount of “unhealthy” oils they use, such as olive oil or vegetable oil. However, there were only two items that I eat that contain palm oil: bread and Skittles (Sutter), and a few hygiene products that I use that contain the oil (Palmer). Out of all of these, the one I am most devastated about is Skittles. They are a staple in my diet and are the only candy I eat. Nevertheless, I understand that a candy is less important than an animal’s home, and will stop eating

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