AIBU to do all my Christmas shopping at Iceland in protest at this ruling?

[LordEmsworth]

Iceland's "political" Christmas ad not allowed because it informs viewers of the effects of deforestation for production of palm oil

Highlighting destruction of the environment really shouldn't be seen as a "political end", surely?

They have spoiled my chocolate.

I'm moving on to a cup of cocoa instead!

On the downside, I'm on a diet and now I want mince pies, you rotten posters.

I’m with Step, it’s an emotive issue and people often don’t bother to look into the facts. These reports by company/supplier are a good place to start with your research:
www.greenpeace.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/9fb0ba4a-palm-oil-scorecard-final.pdf
palmoilscorecard.panda.org

@Birdsgottafly Of course I agree with you that it's never just about cost. But it still costs a certain amount to produce ethical food and I fail to see how that is possible at bargain-basement prices. I wouldn't buy Waitrose own-brand either for what it's worth. Any brand - high or low-cost - needs to be able to prove its ethical credentials so that customers can make informed choices.

I also agree with you about the need to consume less processed food, for what it's worth.

Palm oil is a problem because demand is so high, there is insufficinet authorised palm oil to go around. The high demand is driving the illegal sources. Because it’s cheap.

@Birdsgottafly - I appreciate that RSPO need to tighten up on their certification and monitor better on an ongoing basis.
The problem that you have in places like Borneo is that the rainforest is already destroyed. So the few pockets that remain are not substantial enough to support significant orangutan populations. Even if human activity ceased tomorrow it would never regenerate into rainforest because the species mix is gone forever. It's heartbreakingly sad. But the alternative of using other oils creates its own problem in the significant extra land resources needed to create it. It's not black and white.
Wholeheartedly agree that we should be eating less processed food though.

Their mulled wine and £1 mince pies are the best of what's available on the high street I did a taste test of my own last year and Iceland came out top! Over M&S, Waitrose, Lidl (although they were good)...

I'll be going to iceland too.

I have never been to Iceland. Maybe I'll start!

Iceland actually do some really great food, and basics like frozen veg, French Fries and the like are no different to the frozen veg you get anywhere else. I love their desserts as well.

YANBU at all. Palm oil is a big problem but it's in lots of food-stuffs these days. Too many people aren't bothered about it either.

I would definitely shop there if there was one nearer than 20 miles away! (and they don't deliver here, I asked) I have started avoiding ALL palm oil, even if it is claimed to be sustainable etc etc, as surely our continuing to buy products made with it means that the deforestation continues as producers do not see any decline in demand ... please correct me if I'm wrong but that's the way I see it! Recently stopped buying Linda McCartney sausages as all their stuff now has palm oil. Does not says sustainably produced, but nevertheless not what one would expect from this brand name. More about increasing profit/decreasing costs I would think.

I’d like to think there’s such a thing as sustainable palm oil but having lived somewhere that’s been hit hard by palm plantation and seen some of the issues with the government there I would be cynical that any standards are enforced at all.

StepAwayFromGoogle - Sadly, new RSPO palm oil plantations result in deforestation of huge areas when there are large grasslands that could be used instead. It's not quite the sustainable option we're being led to believe it is.

What birds said. The "sustainable" palm oil industry is corrupt.

Best to avoid it altogether if you can.

I hardly eat animal products but when I do I dont buy from any of the supermarkets whether Iceland or Waitrose. There's no way animal products sold on that scale can be made in a way that's acceptable in terms of welfare or environmental impact.

If you want that, you need to buy from a specialist you've researched properly (and I don't mean your random local high at butcher who is often not much better) and expect to pay about 4 times more than you would in a supermarket.

High st not high at!

Also - if anyone knows of any sustainable, ethically as possible produced cheese I'd love to know!

@Rhiannon13 - do you know why the grasslands aren't being used? I admit I'm a bit out of touch with latest developments. But I've worked with RSPO and I'm really surprised they would sanction the conversion of more rainforest. There should be a moratorium on that, with existing plantations converted to RSPO where possible.

I’ve never really shopped there much before, my local one is a bit of a nightmare to get around with a pram but I think I might try their online deliveries for a Christmas shop nearer the time! Well done Iceland, I hope others follow suit removing palm oil from their products

How on earth is a verifiable statement of fact political?

I'd shop at Iceland if I could but the nearest one to me is over half an hour away and the up their arse people that live in my area associate the shop with benefit scroungers and think it's very downmarket.
They can bugger off because if they actually investigated Iceland's ethics then they might learn something.

It's an excellent shop for budgeting and getting decent food. I should campaign to get one built near me

We don't have an Iceland, but I'll certainly be looking into options.

Was at a zoo recently (I know!), and was shocked and disgusted to see a sign on the orangutan area.

Bornean orangutans have recently had a change in conservation status, going from 'endangered' to 'critically endangered'

From 1973 - 2010, 39% of Bornean forests were lost due to logging, palm oil plantations and habitat degradation. It is estimated a further 37% of orangutan habitat will be converted to plantations by 2025.

Due to these reasons, we sadly expect orangutans will be extinct in the wild in the next 15 years.

15 years. What are we doing?

Is it really worth it?

I assume it's deemed political because the original source of the animation is Greenpeace, which is itself a political pressure group. If Iceland had made their own video on the subject it would have been fine even though they removed the Greenpeace logos from the video.

Iceland delicert

Deliver

surely there is no way Iceland food can be ethical at the prices that they charge? Ok no palm oil is one thing, but really cheap food is doing something bad, somewhere surely.

I think its cynical bollocks nicking a video from Greenpeace. They've got lots of coverage now without having to pay the astronomical tv fees!