Deforestation Fuelled by Palm Oil Industry

From chocolate to lipstick palm oil is likely to be in many of our daily products, it's difficult to avoid now a days! Favoured for it's smooth texture & often under the umbrella term of 'vegetable oil' on packaging labels.

Unfortunately palm oil plantations the biggest contributor of deforestation on the island of Borneo, creating pockets of jungle, ultimately entrapping species & preventing the Penan from living their once nomadic lifestyle. 

From the air I remember flying back into Brunei & being shocked to see the scarred forest below - it felt like there was no forethought into the repercussions of our actions. So many small pockets of jungle left standing, how was this to support biodiversity - human and animal? It appears to be a free-for-all for the logging companies. 

First-hand I have witnessed & subsequently supported families who have been directly impacted by the logging trade. In recent years when some of the Penan children started to attend school they would use the logging routes as access ways, unfortunately this meant crossing paths with logging crews which in several instances have resulted in rape. It broke my heart to hear such accounts. I made it a focus of our charity to help transport children safely to & from school, they require an education more than ever in the world they're now faced with, their nomadic lifestyle no longer an option. 

If you're interested in avoiding palm oil, choose products that contain clearly labeled oils, such as 100 percent sunflower oil, corn oil, olive oil, coconut oil, or canola oil. I truely believe any little action we take to better the lives of others is a positive one.