PALM OIL

 

As an independent family bakery, owned and operated by the 3rd generation of family, GH Sheldon Wholesale Bakers understands the importance of our community and environment – both locally and internationally.

Over the years the food industry has increased its usage of palm-based vegetable oils, from oils in products to other key components using derivatives of palm. Palm oil is not a new oil and has been in use by humans for over 5000 years. Palm oil was crucial in the British Industrial Revolution, where it was used as an industrial lubricant from 1760. However, although palm oil has had a long and positive history – its increase in popularity has caused a great deal of widespread deforestation and placed a number of indigenous species at risk of extinction.

Sheldon’s refuses to accept that the endangerment of wildlife is nothing more than an after affect of the production of palm. To this end, we joined the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) in 2014, and have maintained our commitment, membership and compliance to the standard ever since.

As Sheldon’s looks to the future, we are working with our suppliers to look at palm oil reduction and enforcing Sustainable Palm where it’s reduction and abolition cannot be immediately met.

A POSITIVE IMPACT

Sheldon’s also understands that palm oil brings many positives into the communities where it is grown. These include:

  • Supporting 4.5 million Indonesian and Malaysian workers in the palm oil production sector.
  • 1 hectare of palm can produce 10x the amount of oil than the same land growing Soybean, and 5.5x more than the same amount of land growing rapeseed.

Studies also show that if the world were to stop using palm oil over night, the impact on the world would likely be worse than maintaining palm oil supply. As palm becomes unavailable the world’s demand for vegetable oil would remain – forcing increased farming of alternatives such as soybean, rapeseed or sunflower. Due to these crops producing far less oil per hectare, this would increase the land needed to meet the needs of the global oil consumption.

Stopping production of palm oil would also put entire countries at risk of poverty.

Furthermore, due to palm’s unique properties, an immediate boycott of palm will see recipe changes in food products all over the world – as the use of palm oil gives a unique taste and texture that other oils cannot offer.

HEALTH BENEFITS

Palm oil has the natural ability to become semi-solid at room temperature, a natural property that cannot be achieved with other vegetable oils without hydrogenation. Hydrogenated oils are bad for human health due to high levels of unnatural Trans Fats. By using palm oil, the final product is naturally healthier.

SO, WHAT IS SHELDON’S DOING?

Sheldon’s continue to work with our suppliers and are still actively looking to reduce and remove palm oil from the recipe where this is feasible for the final product and to meet price demands of consumers.

Until then, Sheldon’s will continue to not only be a member of the RSPO but promote the RSPO through our supply chain to ensure that the production of palm oil remains sustainable, that the environmental impacts of farming palm are minimised, and that the families and communities involved in the production of palm oil are supported financially though the sourcing of RSPO palm products. We believe that when the supply chain works together, to invest in the permanent sustainability of any product, the whole world benefits.

SOURCES:

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Want to know more about the RSPO?

Click the button to be taken to the RSPO Website where you can learn about the important work the RSPO is doing.