Easier Said than Done

Came across a letter to the Straits Times today, with the writer advocating consumer action to "stop the haze and save the orang utan". It argues that:

"Businesses have a broader community role these days than merely exacting the highest profit at the lowest cost. Sooner or later, the market always prevails.

As consumers, therefore, we can wield the biggest influence simply by using our immense purchasing power to select only products using palm oil from sustainable sources.

The regulatory authorities and supermarket chains are beginning to play a critical role in this by 'green labelling' products, enabling consumers to choose more environmentally sustainable palm oil products.

The chain reaction along the supply line then encourages manufacturers and supermarkets to procure sustainably sourced palm oil and its derived products.

Non-compliant palm oil suppliers are then forced to commit to sustainable practices, or risk going out of business."

Here are some examples of food products made with palm oil:

Pressurising companies could possibly work. For example, a guerrilla campaign by Greenpeace in 2010 made global food giant Nestle audit its supply chain and commit itself of environmentally friendly palm oil. However, given the wide variety of products made from palm oil (including cosmetics) changing patterns of consumption on any signficant scale will easier said than done. How many of us will think about the provenance of the palm oil used to produce that Kit Kat bar or instant noodles we're about to scoff down? Shifting consumer patterns toward non palm oil products will be even more challenging.

In any case, can there even be 'environmentally friendly' palm oil? Sounds too good to be true.