Earth Balance & Palm Oil

Dear Jacqueline,

Thank you for taking the time to contact us here at Earth Balance. We always appreciate hearing from consumers who care enough to reach out to us with their comments or questions.

As palm oil is one of the critical elements to our proprietary blend of oils, we’re dedicated to being proactive in growing awareness around the issue.

While Earth Balance is only a small palm oil user (we use less than 0.05% of all palm oil), we’re taking a big stand against unsustainable palm oil. Here’s how…

First, we are firmly committed to sustainable sourcing, and we believe in the power of informed consumers to change the world for the better. We are educating our suppliers about ways to safeguard the rainforest through sustainable palm oil sourcing, and we’re educating our customers about how they can have a direct positive impact by exclusively purchasing responsibly sourced palm oil products.

Thirty percent of our palm oil comes from sustainable palm oil plantations in Brazil. Our Brazil-sourced palm oil is 100% organic and is used in all of our organic products (and because orangutans are not native to South America, the Brazilian palm industry does not adversely impact their wellbeing). The remaining 70% of our palm oil comes from responsible sources in peninsular Malaysia, which are all members of the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), the leading global organization developing and implementing global standards for sustainable palm oil production. We insist on continuing assurances from our suppliers that all palm fruit oil purchased for Earth Balance complies with the RSPO policies, and we are committed to terminating any suppliers that violate these policies.

In addition, we purchase GreenPalm Certificates, which work a lot like carbon credits. The money used to purchase these certificates helps improve the infrastructure and practices behind sustainable palm oil. Moreover, we are supporting the action-oriented, on-the ground conservation work of Orangutan Foundation International (OFI) in Indonesian Borneo. OFI is a non-governmental, non-profit organization, led by world-renown primatologist and conservationist Dr. Biruté Mary Galdikas. OFI is committed to rescuing and rehabilitating orangutans that are adversely affected by the palm oil industry, and has been working for more than 40 years to conserve rainforest habitat and educate people throughout the world about the orangutans’ plight. Earth Balance is especially proud to be a financial supporter of OFI’s ongoing initiative to return 330 wild-born, ex-captive rehabilitated orangutans back to the wild, into biologically-rich, protected forest, where they rightfully belong.

For more information, please see our White Paper: Addressing the Social & Environmental Challenges with Palm Fruit Oil, posted on our website.

We recognize this effort takes time, and we are committed to working with the industry and with organizations to develop long-term sustainable solutions. You can visit our website www.EarthBalanceNatural.com/responsibility/palm-oil/ for more information.


Sincerely,

Your Friends at Earth Balance

Palm Oil & Making the Connection

Palm Oil & Making the Connection

What is Palm Oil? Well, if going to Wikipedia you'll find: Palm oil (also known as dendê oil, from Portuguese) is an edible vegetable oil derived from the mesocarp (reddish pulp) of the fruit of the oil palms, primarily the African oil palm Elaeis guineensis,[1] and to a lesser extent from the American oil palm Elaeis oleifera and the maripa palm Attalea maripa.

Palm oil is naturally reddish in color because of a high beta-carotene content. It is not to be confused with palm kernel oil derived from the kernel of the same fruit,[2] or coconut oil derived from the kernel of the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera). The differences are in color (raw palm kernel oil lacks carotenoids and is not red), and in saturated fat content: Palm mesocarp oil is 41% saturated, while Palm Kernel oil and Coconut oil are 81% and 86% saturated respectively[3]

Along with coconut oil, palm oil is one of the few highly saturated vegetable fats. It is semi-solid at room temperature and contains several saturated and unsaturated fats in the forms of glyceryl laurate (0.1%, saturated), myristate (1%, saturated), palmitate (44%, saturated), stearate (5%, saturated), oleate (39%, monounsaturated), linoleate (10%, polyunsaturated), and alpha-linolenate (0.3%, polyunsaturated).[4] Like all vegetable oils, palm oil does not contain cholesterol,[5][6] although saturated fat intake increases a person's LDL[7] and HDL[8] cholesterol. Palm oil is GMO-free,[9] i.e., it is not derived from genetically modified organisms.

NPR reports that according to USDA data, U.S. imports of palm oil more than doubled between 2005 and 2012. Last year we imported about 2.7 billion pounds. Much of the palm oil ends up in snack foods such as cookies, crackers and microwave popcorn. And a number of manufacturers are using a mix of oils in many of their products. For instance, it's typical now for crackers to contain a little palm oil as well as soybean, canola or cottonseed oil.

According to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (founded in 2003). First started by WWF for Nature and Unilever was created to work to ensure that sustainable practices are in use for the protection of the environment, human rights and the protection of Sumatran orangutans and tigers. Now incorporates more than 700 members made to promote sustainable agriculture on palm oil plantations. These groups are made up of various stakeholders in the entire palm oil supply chain from planters, processors, traders, consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, bankers, investors as well as environmental and social non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
Their vision is:
-RSPO will transform markets to make sustainable palm oil the norm
And their mission statement is:
-To advance the production, procurement, finance and use of sustainable palm oil products;
-To develop, implement, verify, assure and periodically review credible global standards for the entire supply chain of sustainable palm oil;
-To monitor and evaluate the economic, environmental and social impacts of the uptake of sustainable palm oil in the market;
-To engage and commit all stakeholders throughout the supply chain, including governments and consumers.

Here are my thoughts on this. Going to RSPOs website, and you click on Executive Board Members and Alternate Board Members; you find some that work for Oxfam and WWF. You also find ones that work for Kraft Foods (Head of Sustainable Source Chains); Unilever (Global Director of Sustainable Sourcing Developer); and formally worked for Procter & Gamble and now works for Kraft Foods, he is the (Director of Sustainability Global Issues Management). How many of these board members have a conflict of interest? Since palm oil is found in most of the U.S. processed snack foods. If looking at the rest of the world, there is a Wilmar Group associate that sits on the board. The Wilmar Group is Asia's leading agriculture business. They have been reported to use unsustainable 3rd parties to harvest palm oil leading to the destruction and habitat loss of Sumatran Tigers. They sell to Colgate-Palmolive; Nestle; and Procter & Gamble. Educate yourself, call companies or send them e-mails to inquire where they source palm oil.

30 NAMES PALM OIL CAN BE LABELLED UNDER

Foods, Body Products, Cosmetics & Cleaning Agents:
Vegetable Oil; Vegetable Fat; ^Sodium Laureth Sulfate (in almost everything that foams); ^Sodium Lauryl Sulfate; ^Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate (SDS or NaDS); #Palm Kernel; #Palm Oil Kernel; #Palm Fruit Oil; #Palmate; #Palmitate; #Palmolein; #Glyceryl Stearate; #Stearic Acid; #Elaeis Guineensis; #Palmitic Acid; #Palm Stearine; #Palmitoyl oxostearamide; #Palmitoyl tetrapeptide-3; *Steareth -2; *Steareth -20; #Sodium Kernelate; #Sodium Palm Kernelate; *Sodium Lauryl Lactylate/Sulphate; ^Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate; #Hyrated Palm Glycerides; ^Sodium Isostearoyl Lactylaye; #Cetyl Palmitate; #Octyl Palmitate; ^Cetyl Alcohol; #Palmityl Alchohol

# These ingredients are definitely palm oil or derived from palm oil.
* These ingredients are often derived from palm oil, but could be derived from other vegetable oils.
^ These ingredients are either derived from palm oil or coconut oil.

Found: http://www.saynotopalmoil.com/palm-oil.php

Today Is~Earth Overshoot Day

Today Is~Earth Overshoot Day

In less than nine months, we have now used more natural resources than what it takes the planet 12 months to produce. For the remainder of 2013, we will be living on resources borrowed from future generations.

This year—Earth Overshoot Day—the approximate date human resource demands exceed nature's budget—fell on August 20. Two days earlier than last year. In fact, since 2001, Overshoot Day has moved ahead by an average of 3 days per year.

And by 2050, the global population is expected to reach 9 billion—only increasing pressure on Earth's natural resources. On this finite planet, we need to change the way we think about everything, but especially about where and how we live, work and travel, along with what and how much we consume.

Overshoot Day is a bold indication that now is the time to make a change. Small actions can make a big difference. We each play an important role in creating a world where we all live within our ecological limits.

Found WorldWildlife.org

So here is my take on all of this... While we feel like we're doing our part on recycling, and reducing; we have forgotten that recycling still uses energy. That's not our society's get out jail free card. We have to get out of the me, me, me throw away society and make some real changes. For those who follow me (or know me), know that once I have fit a new step into my lifestyle; I add a new step... So, here is my question for you, what steps are you going to fit into your lifestyle?
1. Maybe instead of going to the gym, exercise outside;
2. Or look for upcycled products;
3. Instead of buying a gift for that special someone, make them something like a tasty treat or write them a poem or draw them a picture...
4. Instead of paying for the packaging, purchase from the bulk bins...

Tooth Care~Earth and Animal Friendly

Tooth Care~Earth and Animal Friendly

I haven't posted one of these in a while, so here are some natural tips on keeping your pearly whites sparkling....

Teeth Whitening

1 ripe strawberry
1/2 tsp. baking soda

1. In a cup or glass, mash the strawberry and add the baking soda. Mix.

2. Apply the mixture to your teeth with a toothbrush. Leave on for about 5 minutes.
Brush your teeth with your favorite cruelty-free toothpaste or for a smaller carbon footprint, use the recipe below and rinse.

3. Enjoy your newly white teeth. Now that's something worth smiling about!

Tooth Paste

March Against Monsanto~ The Fight for Our Food

March Against Monsanto~ The Fight for Our Food

Monsanto claims that it's a sustainable company, if this is true then why do so many speak about the evils of Monsanto and why was there a world wide event on Saturday, May 25, 2013, all over the world in every different city a protest took place. Spanning in different communities, people came out to march against the evil company, that has been on a killing spree. You may ask what company or even how are they getting away with this or what are they doing?

Here it is, how Monsanto is killing the environment from the disappearance of bees. To farmers in India killing themselves due to over priced, self destructing seeds and poor yields. To using humans as test subjects by selling food that has been stripped of nutrients and is killing us as a species.

The Impact We Have in the World....

The Impact We Have in the World....

Our actions have an impact throughout the web of life. "The toilet paper on your grocery store shelves may have a direct impact on the 400 Sumatran tigers left in the wild. Not all tissue and paper towels are made from responsible sources."

So, I had found the picture and the 3 sentences on Pinterest months ago. Recently, I posted it on The Compassionate Vegan facebook page and someone asked about what companies are socially responsible. It got me thinking about some may not know about the companies or even realize that we have an impact with the items we purchase every day. The link below will help you find great info to help make a more compassionate choice.
http://www.nrdc.org/land/forests/gtissue.asp

The First of Many....

So, here I go. My boyfriend said I needed to this. (I got to thinking about it. And, guess what, he may be right.) This blog will be about plant-based diets, veganism, vegetarianism, sustainability, compassion and more. My back story (just like everyone) is one where I shouldn't be as normal as I am. I had an eating disorder, like SO many other girls and boys, it started off with me trying to control the crumbling world around me. Then the disorder took control of me. I will not go into what I used to do-I'm not wanting to give anyone any ideas on how to continue or pursue this. I will talk about how I took back my control (yes, I'm still a control freak-it adds to my charm), and my relationship with food, mother nature, friends, family and loved ones.

I've been posting a Meatless Monday blog for the San Antonio Sustainable Living Group and The San Antonio Environmental MeetUp Group since 2009. I started dating someone new (since January-this year), after being dumped by the guy that I moved to Colorado Springs with.