What is palm oil?
Palm oil is obtained from the fruits of the oil palm. This originated in the rainforests of West Africa before it came to Asia in the 19th century. Nowadays, the oil palm is mainly found in Indonesia and Malaysia, where the tropical climate ensures ideal growing conditions.
The palm can grow up to 30 meters high and bears about 3,000 to 5,000 fruits. These are processed immediately after harvest due to their easy perishability. The pulp is separated from the stone kernels and pressed in so-called palm oil mills, which produces the orange-red palm oil.
The main importers of palm oil are located primarily in Europe and Asia, where it is mainly used in food, cleaning products, cosmetics, and as an energy source.
Why we don't use palm oil at Verival
The oil palm has many advantages. For example, it requires much less acreage for the same amount of oil compared to coconut, soy, or rapeseed. In addition, palm oil is versatile and is not only used in food but also in cosmetics and biodiesel.
Due to its easy handling and inexpensive production, palm oil is the most widely used vegetable oil in the world. Although it is cheap and practical, palm oil production has a serious impact on the environment. That is why all breakfast products at Verival, such as our crunchies , cereals and porridges, are 100% palm oil-free.
Species extinction
Due to the clearing of the rainforest, more animals are losing their habitat than ever before. Entire forests are lost to oil palm plantations, along with their inhabitants.
Especially in Indonesia and Malaysia, two of the world's most species-rich regions, animals and plants fall victim to the greed for palm oil. Animal species such as orangutans, elephants, and Sumatran tigers are displaced from their habitats by the cultivation of palm oil plantations and are threatened with extinction.
Land conflicts
The spread of palm oil plantations causes enormous problems: residents are often forcibly expelled from their villages. Many attempt to fight for their land, but usually have no chance. The palm oil business generates enormous profits, and corruption is therefore omnipresent.
In addition, palm oil plantations cause the soil to dry out completely. Traditional resources such as rice, fruits, and vegetables can no longer be cultivated due to the destruction of the soil. Farmers and their families are losing not only their source of income but also their basic food security. Ultimately, they are forced to work in the palm oil plantations to survive.
Working conditions
In the main growing countries of Indonesia and Malaysia, human rights violations such as forced labor and child labor are repeatedly observed. Hard work, inadequate protective clothing, inhumane working conditions, and wage slavery create a vicious circle from which workers find it difficult to escape.
Climate change
Although palm oil plantations require less acreage for the same amount of oil, they have the highest carbon footprint per acre. Rainforests and peat forests store a huge amount of carbon. As a result, enormous quantities of CO2 are released through slash-and-burn operations and the draining of peatlands. Indonesia is one of the largest CO2 emitters in the world due to deforestation.
For the cultivation of oil palms, fossil energy is also used for soil cultivation, fertilizers, pesticides, harvesting, and processing. Additionally, methane released from production residues is a potent greenhouse gas. Considering the entire life cycle of palm oil, its energy use is by no means environmentally friendly, and biodiesel is no longer as organic as it once seemed.
Fires
Due to the clearing of rainforests and the draining of wetlands, fires occur repeatedly during the dry season. These not only destroy the habitats of endangered species like orangutans and Sumatran tigers but also envelop entire regions in a toxic smog cloud.
Palm oil-free – organic products from Verival
Palm oil consumption has risen significantly in recent years. Nevertheless, more and more people are becoming aware of the negative effects of palm oil. However, entirely avoiding palm oil is not so easy. When visiting a supermarket, you would find palm oil in nearly every second product. Even if the proportion in a product is usually not very large, the total consumption of palm oil is unfortunately still very high.
At Verival, we make it easy for you to contribute to the environment at breakfast. That’s why all Verival breakfast products available on the shelves or online are guaranteed to be palm oil-free.
At Verival, we deliberately refrain from using palm oil and focus strongly on sustainability and environmental friendliness. Through careful use of the environment, energy, and resources, we aim to make an active contribution to environmental protection. Our crunchies , cereals , and porridges are therefore 100% palm oil-free. We also offer the oldest and first cereal ever – Bircher Muesli .
