What is palm oil?
Palm oil is extracted from the fruit of the oil palm. This plant originally comes from the rainforests of West Africa before being brought to Asia in the 19th century. Today, the oil palm is mainly found in Indonesia and Malaysia, where the tropical climate provides ideal growing conditions.
The palm tree can grow up to 30 metres high and bears approximately 3,000 to 5,000 fruits. Due to their high perishability, these are processed immediately after harvesting. The pulp is separated from the stone kernels and pressed in so-called palm oil mills, which yields the orange-red palm oil.
The main importers of palm oil are located primarily in Europe and Asia, where it is mainly used in food and cleaning products, cosmetics and as an energy source.
Why we do not use palm oil at Verival
The oil palm itself has many advantages. For example, it requires much less land to produce the same amount of oil as coconut, soy or rapeseed. Palm oil is also very versatile and is used not only in food but also in cosmetics and bio-diesel.
Due to its ease of use and low production costs, palm oil is the most widely used vegetable oil in the world. And although it is so cheap and practical, palm oil production has a serious impact on the environment. That is why all Verival breakfast products, such as our crunchies, mueslis and porridges, are 100% palm oil-free.
Species extinction
Due to rainforest deforestation, more animals are losing their habitats today than ever before. Entire forests are being lost to oil palm plantations, and with them their inhabitants.
In Indonesia and Malaysia, one of the world's most biodiverse regions, animals and plants are falling victim to the greed for palm oil. Animal species such as orangutans, elephants and Sumatran tigers are being displaced from their habitats by palm oil plantations and are threatened with extinction.
Land conflicts
The spread of palm oil plantations is causing enormous problems: residents are often violently driven from their villages. Many try to fight for their land, but most have no chance. The palm oil business generates enormous profits, and corruption is therefore rife.
In addition, palm oil plantations cause the soil to dry out completely. Traditional resources such as rice, fruit and vegetables can no longer be cultivated due to the destruction of the soil. Farmers and their families lose not only their source of income, but also their basic food security. They are ultimately forced to work in the palm oil plantations for a pittance.
Working conditions
In the main producing countries, Indonesia and Malaysia, human rights violations such as forced labour and child labour are repeatedly reported. Hard work, inadequate protective clothing, inhumane working conditions and wage slavery form a vicious circle from which workers find it difficult to escape.
Climate
Although palm oil plantations require less land to produce the same amount of oil, they have the highest carbon footprint per area. Rainforests and peat forests store huge amounts of carbon. Slash-and-burn practices and the draining of peat soils therefore release enormous amounts of CO2. Indonesia is one of the world's largest CO2 emitters due to rainforest deforestation.
Fossil fuels are also used for soil cultivation, fertilisers, pesticides, harvesting and processing in the cultivation of oil palms. In addition, the methane escaping from production residues is a powerful greenhouse gas. Considering the entire life cycle of palm oil, its use as an energy source is by no means environmentally friendly, and bio-diesel is no longer so bio after all.
Fires
Rainforest clearing and the draining of moors lead to repeated fires during the dry season. These not only destroy the habitats of endangered species such as orangutans and Sumatran tigers, but also envelop entire regions in a toxic cloud of smog.
Palm oil-free – organic products from Verival
Palm oil consumption has risen massively in recent years. Nevertheless, more and more people are becoming aware of the negative effects of palm oil. However, trying to avoid palm oil completely is not that easy. When visiting a supermarket, you would find palm oil in every second product. Even if the proportion in a product is usually not very high, the total consumption of palm oil is unfortunately very high, too high.
At Verival, we make it easy for you to do your bit for the environment, even at breakfast time. That's why all breakfast products you find on the shelves or order online from Verival are guaranteed palm oil-free.
At Verival, we consciously avoid the use of palm oil and are strongly committed to sustainability and environmental friendliness. By treating the environment, energy and resources with care, we want to make an active contribution to environmental protection. Our crunchies, mueslis and porridges are therefore 100% palm oil-free.
