Palm Oil Article Q&A

Questions and answers about palm oil. 

Q1. What can we do to stop the production of palm oil? 
A. Unfortunately putting a stop on palm oil production everywhere at once is virtually impossible. However, we can put pressure on the companies (including Starbucks, KFC, Pepsi and Pizza Hut) using palm oil in their products. Even Z’s “healthy” biodiesel contains palm oil. Nestle have changed their Kitkat from the original product so it does not contain any Palm Oil. Over thousands of people have contacted them in some way or spread the message. Nestle has sent a strong message supporting those who go against Palm Oil and plantations.

Q2. Who is doing something about palm oil?

A. There are many people doing something about palm oil - Kids Cut Palm Oil, Say No To Palm Oil, Conflict Palm oil, and many others. GreenPeace is a group of people against Palm Oil and harming wildlife and are the very reason Nestle have changed Kit Kat.

Q3. Is there something we can use to replace Palm Oil?

A. Students at Bath University may have created an alternative. M Pulcherrimma has a similar lipid profile to palm oil. It can produce 20 grams per litre of oil, and doesn’t need sterile conditions to grow, so it can be grown on baths at the campus.

Q4. Why do we use palm oil in foods?

A. We use palm oil in foods because it is cheap, has a high melting point and is economically beneficial - but mostly because it is a high quality, cheap vegetable oil. 

Q5. What damage is palm oil doing?A. To make room for palm oil plantations the suppliers are burning down forests and destroying the habitats of many animals including orangutans, rhinos and tigers, rapidly decreasing the population of those species. I think I have reached L02 for my Q&A because I given examples of how change affects a community of living things.