Palm oil, boycott it or not?
The palm oil war will have no end, as long as we fail to realize that the latter can - and indeed is destined - to be more competitive, better quality and above all even more sustainable than other oils, especially oils European vegetables.
According to an article by Pietro Paganini for The Jakarta Post, in the countries of origin, Indonesia in the first place, many steps are being taken regarding the sustainable cultivation of palm oil.
Boycott without ifs and without but the use of this ingredient in preparations does not seem to be the right direction to follow, especially in view of achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Many economies, in fact, are experiencing a new thrust thanks to a conscious supply chain aimed at improving the working conditions of production workers.
The benefits of palm oil
For the local populations - taking up what the article says - palm oil means better living conditions, access to education for millions of children who otherwise would not have a chance without future prospects, spreading knowledge and innovation, all key factors to encourage increasingly sustainable production processes .
Palm oil would be "good" also from the point of view of environmental sustainability: in Indonesia oil palm plantations would require few natural resources, little energy or a low quantity of fertilizers and treatments and low production costs.
Furthermore, as claimed by the Italian Union of Sustainable Palm Oil, this ingredient can be part of the diet, as it does not present health risks if it is included in a balanced diet .
The question that arises is: is Europe also becoming aware of all this? The risk is to lose sight of the priority of company development to pursue "flag" causes (from the defense of orangutans to the felling of forests).
Sustainability and palm oil
Investing in sustainability, stresses Pagani, means investing also in local oil palm controlled plantations .
Palm oil is a product of the land, technology and hard work of hundreds of thousands of Indonesians and their families ; but at the same time it is a land of war that is being fought against by slogans and publicity between the European Union and exporting countries, including, in addition to Indonesia, Colombia and Malaysia, which see themselves taking away a possibility of growth and of development.
In a report by Repubblica Affari & Finanza, there has even been talk of a "war on the plate" regarding the strategies for selling, distributing and using oils in food.
Once again, it is profound knowledge that allows us to make real progress towards real and credible sustainability .
