YggdrasilBoard

[Here is a] strategy for Palm Oil month[.]

[We are] thinking that [there are] three approaches here:

1) Personal pledges.
2) Spreading awareness.
3) Direct action.

Personal Pledges

Clearly an individual thing here, but my pledges are as follows:

- I will avoid buying products that contain palm oil wherever possible.
- If I do have to, I will only buy products that are from sustainable plantations.
(Turbeaux concurs!)

Awareness

We should use any media platforms and social groups we have access to, to spread the word about palm oil. I'll try and put the word out on other sites I'm frequently on. I'm gonna chat to my two gaming groups to try to recruit them to the cause. I'm raising palm oil as an agenda point at work, who happily are quite good at taking on eco-initiatives, for a GP surgery.

I think [the following] website [link] [is] useful here, but the main thing is to be aware of the reasons why palm oil is bad, and to be ready to answer the main objections,

Objections that may arise:
Palm oil is more efficient than other fats, so other fats would use more land. Sure, but it's the high per-acre return of palm oil that makes it worthwhile for governments to allow their rainforests to be cut down. The deforestation would not be occurring if palm oil demand was not rising.
It gives poorer nations a chance to develop. Only in a very shortsighted way. It involves destroying one of their best long term resources in exchange for a short term gain. Also, it isn't the poor that are benefiting, it's small numbers of exploitative large corporations. The poor are being displaced, those working are subject to exploiative employment practices, exposed to hazardous chemicals, child labour is being used. Palm oil is not lifting people out of poverty - its worsening the lives of the poor in order to fill the pockets of international corporations.
It's not something we can change on an individual level. True, governments and corporations need to be responsible. However, in many countries governments are elected by the people, corporations are beholden to their shareholders, retailers respond to the demands of consumers. No one individual can change the whole world, but a world of individuals can.

Direct Action

We're not Extinction Rebellion. If anyone is going to blockade factories or take their activism to the streets, kudos to them. However I think for Forest's Palm Oil month the goal should be to communicate to those in power that we care about palm oil and want them to take action. Write to your supermarket telling them you aren't willing to shop in a supermarket that stocks products dependent on non-sustainable palm oil. Write to your MP. Write to manufacturers, and tell them you're a fan of their products but can't in good conscience buy them till they guarantee sustainable palm oil.

One voice won't make a huge difference, but many voices may.

Important Information

Please consult this list when necessary and examine the infographic: https://www.ran.org/the-understory/palm_oil_s_dirty_secret_the_many_ingredient_names_for_palm_oil/ . I was quite alarmed to see that it has been snuck into almost all of the deodorants, soaps, and shampoo/conditioner that I use! Fortunately, I already avoid food products that use it for unrelated reasons (It is used in the production of many manufactured foods though, so please be vigilant regarding the food that you eat!). Responsibly-sourced coconut oil can be used in place of conditioner and lotion.

Thank you for your attention,
Candlewhisper Archive & Turbeaux