Reducing Palm Oil Demand Saves Rainforests
Palm oil is an inexpensive vegetable oil used in a variety of packaged goods like food and cosmetics (and soap). It is also becoming more widely used as a source of bio fuel.
Palm oil use has increased substantially over the last decade, creating an overwhelming surge in demand from producing nations like Indonesia and Malaysia.
To meet the increasing demand (expected to double by 2030), non-sustainable logging and devastating clear-cutting have rapidly destroyed the tropical rainforests and peatlands in these countries to make way for plantations.
According to Greenpeace:
"Tropical rainforest destruction accounts for about one-fifth of global GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions - more than the world's cars, lorries and aeroplanes combined. Destruction of Indonesia's peatlands alone accounts for almost 4% of global annual GHG emissions. Curbing tropical deforestation is one of the quickest, most effective ways to cut GHG emissions."
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"Indonesia holds the global record for GHG emissions through deforestation, putting it third behind the USA and China in terms of total man-made GHG emissions. During the last 50 years, over 74 million hectares of Indonesia's forests have been destroyed - logged, burned, degraded, pulped - and its products shipped round the planet."
Source: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/press/reports/cooking-the-climate-full
http://www.greenpeace.org/raw/content/international/press/reports/cooking-the-climate-full.pdf
LUSH is committed to creating awareness of this issue, while finding ways to reduce our own reliance upon palm oil (even that which is sustainably produced).
Switching to a palm oil-free soap base is our first step on the journey to help protect the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia and reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. You can help too by learning more about palm oil and purchasing only from companies committed to using sustainable ingredients.
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