There it sat...on the top of my scanner/printer just waiting to be consumed. I purchased it two days ago at the local vegan grocery store Food Fight. It was an impulsive purchase. I was feeling naughty. This was the Snickers-like candy bar I had waited nearly 15 years for! And it lives up to that bar...to the trashy candy bar bar, that is! Though I purchased it with some hesitation - one ingredient stood out to me. Months back, I had read a story about the Girl Scouts and their attempt to raise awareness about the plight of orangutans in Borneo and Sumatra as the result of the derivation of palm kernel oil.
According to one website, "palm oil plantations are a huge problem for orangutans in Indonesia and Malaysia as entire forest habitats are destroyed to make way for plantations. In both Indonesia and Malaysia, the increase in palm oil plantation acreage is the primary cause of permanent rainforest loss. With the native peat forest that is destroyed goes the incredible array of biodiversity the forest supports. The number of species that live on Borneo alone is immense: 210 mammals (including orangutans), 420 birds, 254 reptiles, 100 amphibians, and 368 freshwater fish.
So...off an email went to the company, and now I'm sending a snail mail letter as well...
As a consumer, you can make a difference!
The Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil, a voluntary association created by organizations involved in every step of the supply chain for palm oil, is working to promote the growth and use of sustainable palm oil. Any product that contains palm oil, palm kernel, palmitate or any derivative of the word “palm” is an opportunity for people to help save endangered animals and their habitat. People can support companies that are members of the RSPO and purchase products that contain palm oil, palm kernel oil or palmitate only from companies that are members of the RSPO.For a list of products made by members of the RSPO and a sample letter to can send to companies, visit this link: http://www.orangutan.net/orangutans-home/items-to-avoid/palm-oil.
Signing off, D
