If conscientious consumption means we avoid contributiong to suffering, palm is clearly problematic. ~ Mark Hawthorne My vegan lifestyle is a continuous evolution - Im constantly learning something new about food, nutrition, the environment, ethics, politics, etc. No wonder many people find veganism intimidating - theres a lot to consider! When I first went vegan I looked at it very simply - I didnt eat any products that came from animals and I could verify this by looking at labels, seeking out vegan certifications and avoiding the obvious (meat, dairy, leather, silk, etc). But as I became more passionate about the lifestyle and made it my career to inspire and educate others on the topic, I realized that theres a lot more than meets the eye. Some may find this overwhelming, but I believe that if we take things step by step and strive to be informed, we can each develop a well-rounded perspective on our personal choices. A perfect example is palm oil - in this article I explore this confusing and touchy subject, and offer some suggestions on how you can keep your purchases as ethical as possible When I first heard about the ethical (and environmental) issues with palm oil I admit that I felt a bit annoyed - its derived from plants and some of the most beloved vegan companies use it, so how could there be anything wrong with it?! Honestly, I was coming from a place of frustrated ignorance. Thus I started collecting information via conversations with friends and companies, but remained skeptical. At Expo East 2012 I spoke with a few businesses about their use of palm oil, and it was an uncomfortable topic - some were working on finding alternatives, others were irked by the issue. Six months later at Expo West 2013 I noticed several brands proudly displaying the words palm oil free on their packaging - things were changing fast! Meanwhile, VegNews had published a phenomenal article on the topic.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 08:00:02 +0000
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