Social and Environmental Impact of Palm Oil

Benefits of Red Palm Oil for Parrots

Simply put, red palm oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from the fruit of palm oil trees. It is one of the richest natural sources of carotenoids, compounds packed with cancer-fighting antioxidants. These carotenoids support cardiovascular health, aid in bone formation, improve resistance to infections, promote healthy eye tissue, assist in body tissue repair—and the benefits continue.

Parrots can obtain carotenoids from fruits and vegetables; however, red palm oil contains fifteen times the beta-carotene found in carrots. It also provides Vitamin E, Omega-3, Omega-6, and Vitamin A, making it a far more efficient and cost-effective source of these vital nutrients than a basket full of fresh produce.

The Environmental Cost of Red Palm Oil

Despite its benefits, the production of palm oil carries a heavy environmental and social toll. It contributes significantly to deforestation, particularly in Indonesia and Malaysia. This deforestation destroys the habitats of orangutans—the world’s largest tree-dwelling mammals—who rely on forest canopies for movement and survival. The clearing of forests not only endangers wildlife but also facilitates illegal poaching.

Moreover, the palm oil industry has been associated with unethical labour practices, including child labour. While we cannot single-handedly change these production methods, we can influence the market through informed consumer choices.

What Is Sustainable Palm Oil?

Avoiding palm oil entirely is nearly impossible given its widespread use in food and everyday products. However, the solution lies in choosing palm oil sourced from sustainable businesses. Sustainable palm oil balances profitability with environmental protection and social responsibility.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) collaborated with the palm oil industry to create the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), which promotes global standards for sustainable palm oil production.

The organic red palm oil I source is imported from West Africa and is sustainably extracted from organic palm fruit trees. It is essential that any palm oil you use, especially for your parrots, comes from certified sustainable sources.

A Poem for Reflection

I’d like to close this post with a poignant poem, created by Greenpeace and adopted by Iceland to support the removal of palm oil from its products. It beautifully captures the environmental impact of palm oil production:

There’s a Rang-tan in my bedroom and I don’t know what to do.
She plays with all my teddies and keeps borrowing my shoe.
She destroys all of my houseplants and she keeps on shouting “ooo!”
She throws away my chocolate and she howls at my shampoo.

There’s a Rang-tan in my bedroom and I don’t want her to stay.
So I told the naughty Rang-tan that she had to go away.
Oh Rang-tan in my bedroom, just before you go…
Why were you in my bedroom? I really want to know.

There’s a human in my forest and I don’t know what to do.
He destroyed all of our trees for your food and your shampoo.
There’s a human in my forest and I don’t know what to do.
He took away my mother and I’m scared he’ll take me too.
There are humans in my forest and I don’t know what to do.
They’re burning it for palm oil so I thought I’d stay with you.

Oh Rang-tan in my bedroom, now I do know what to do.
I’ll fight to save your home and I’ll stop you feeling blue.
I’ll share your story far and wide so others can fight too.
Oh Rang-tan in my bedroom, I swear it on the stars
The future’s not yet written but I’ll make sure it is ours.