Plantations were built on stolen land and hard labour. This has swept away cultures and devastated Southeast Asia, according to a new book.
Plantations were built on stolen land, and with harsh labour. They have destroyed cultures and devastated Southeast Asia.
Sometimes in life, we need to examine our assumptions more closely. Jocelyn Zuckerman, an award-winning journalist, has done a remarkable job of exposing the connections between the choices made at the grocery store and the destruction of the planet. Anyone who is sane would not be shocked by the fact that palm oil’s overwhelming presence in soap, lipstick, baby formula, dog food, and baby formula is the reason for persistent poverty and hunger elsewhere in the world will be disturbed.
Palm oil is responsible for one-third global vegetable oil consumption. India is the world’s largest palm oil importer, with 9.2 million tonnes of annual production in 2019. Zuckerman argues that the multi-billion dollar palm oils business has been a hindrance to the global economy. Our growing appetite has led to a worsening of the situation. More forests have been cleared for new plantations. Forcible expulsions have increased human sufferings and contributed to higher carbon emissions. The most worrying aspect of this is how a less-known oil suddenly became a vital consumer product, despite its environmental and long-term health implications.
Zuckerman uncovers palm oils’ colonial history to draw a parallel to its current fetishism. He also points out the role of industrialisation in promoting modern food systems. With multiple uses and a life expectancy of 25 years, palm oil’s economic potential was not lost on George Goldie (credited with securing Nigeria to the Crown) and William Lever (credited for establishing oil-palm plants in the Congo). She writes that the story of palm oil is also the story of colonialism. This is a dark story involving armed gangsters and murderous executives as well as corrupt politicians.
Junk food
Planet PalmThis disturbing expose not only shows the current ills of the palm oil trade, but also makes unsuspecting consumers complicit with the corporate monopolization of a $65 Billion global business. This inconspicuous consumption has been made possible by trade liberalization, which has facilitated the cross-border sale of junk food by multinational corporations. Zuckerman explains that cheap oil has enabled the production of highly processed junk food, which is a part of the problem. Land that is planted with oil palm on the developing world’s 104,000 square mile is land that is being used to grow healthy foods. The author has traveled across four continents from Indonesia to Honduras to Liberia to India. She is not afraid to reveal disturbing evidence about the world’s most environmentally harmful product, something most people do not know.
It is a remarkable piece of investigative journalism. It will make the discerning reader look at the items in her kitchen and bathroom differently. It is crucial that consumers make informed choices to improve the situation. In 2019, half of the 212 ecodefenders who were killed in violence against palm oil interests were reported to have been killed. The palm oil industry is so closely linked to national economies (in Malaysia and Indonesia), that even governments are obliged to defend it.
This is a shocking move
There is nothing more shocking than the fact France was diplomatically forced by the Indonesian government to abandon plans for a palm oil tax in 2016. The Indonesian government had made clear that passing the law could lead to the execution of a French citizen currently being held in Jakarta on drug-trafficking and other charges.
Zuckerman gives a compelling account about the darkest undersides of late-stage capitalism. While it is clear that our food systems are in dire need of reform, it is equally important for consumers to speak out and demand greater transparency. She ends her article with an optimistic note. We can get rid of palm oils by using synthetic oil and convincing companies that they have no-deforestation policy in their production codes.
Planet Palm; Jocelyn C. Zuckerman, Hurst & Co, 1,606.
The reviewer can be an academic, researcher, or independent writer.
