BOYCOTT CADBURYS

[whatpasswordtochoose]

Most of us buy too many products containing palm oil. It is difficult to work out what is palm oil free, so, for all of you feeling guilty about buying products made with palm oil I would suggest this simple action plan...
DO NOT BUY ANYTHING MADE BY CADBURYS.
There are so many other chocolate bars that you can buy so it really shouldn't be too painful.

@Melliphant - My post wasn't uncalled for. This is what I do for a living. Without outing myself I work in CR for a retailer and have converted all of our products to 100% RSPO certified palm oil. These sorts of posts make me so angry.

@whatpasswordtochoose - I don't have hate for you, I don't know you. I'm just angry that every single day I read sensationalist nonsense in the media that is picked up by people who then cry "palm oil is bad, don't buy anything with palm oil in" without doing any research or understanding the issues. I care so much about these things, it's why I do what I do. I genuinely think that if people understood the issues facing our planet we would be in a much better place. But people can't be bothered to do that, they just pick up on some little snippet of information, sensationalise it and promote it to the world. Sod the science, sod the unintended consequences. I don't think you understand how damaging this sort of thing is. It's so important people just do a bit of research.

So palm oil is good for the planet?

Or is it good for retailers who want to sell as much as they can and going cheap and stuffing everything full of a cheap oil is the best way to go?

I thought people would realise that they would have to source RSPO palm oil products.

Perhaps you should have thought out your OP better then, rather than singling out one company.

The problem is far more complicated than "boycott Cadbury's"

This was the first post I have made to Mumsnet. It will also be my last I imagine due to the vitriol.

You literally shouted at people not to buy Cadbury's because it contains palm oil but didn't bother to explain why

I rather than telling people what they should and shouldn't do, you could have posted your reasons for boycotting Cadbury.

I am happy to listen to anyone who provides a balanced argument, but shouting at people isn't the way to go about it.

What did you expect? That everyone would blindly say 'ok then, thanks'?

Of course it's mainly about stuffing everything full of cheap ingredients. RSPO is 10% about making solid progress towards sustainable palm oil, and 90% greenwash. It's better than non-RSPO, in the way that having your leg chopped off is better than having your head chopped off.

Or you could stop buying junk food that uses palm oil.

If you cook from scratch, don't use commercially produced margarine muck, eat cheap chocolate or bought cakes and biscuits etc, or ready meals, you don't need touch palm oil.

@Melliphant - what are you basing that statement about RSPO on please?

If you cook from scratch, don't use commercially produced margarine muck, eat cheap chocolate or bought cakes and biscuits etc, or ready meals, you don't need touch palm oil.

That's what I'm trying but it's still a real challenge to avoid it. Also, cosmetics and soap and medical products and what not.

Most chocolate companies use palm oil.

I'm with you OP, I boycott ALL products containing palm oil, and don't care if some of it is supposedly sustainable. My primary concern was the decimation of orangutan habitat and secondly, it makes everything taste of shit. Because of this I've reverted to making everything from scratch myself, such as bread, mincemeat for mince pies, sausage rolls, cornish pasties, cakes, biscuits etc.

Without outing myself I work in CR for a retailer and have converted all of our products to 100% RSPO certified palm oil.

While I applaud your actions in changing your own use of palm oil, this OP does rather smack of deriding a competitor in disguise. Be honest at least about your motives.

Ocado is quite good because the reviews on items tend to be lower if it contains palm oil. I’ve checked for stuff like peanut butter

Yes, I grow my own wheat and sugar beet, tomatoes and carrots and broccoli, have a cow and chickens and an avocado patch! In a developed free market economy nothing is really from “scratch”.

@StepawayfromGoogle - actually based on out of date memory, which a quick google(!)'s just corrected. Until recently they allowed deforestation for plantations, which is clearly not sustainable. They changed policy (after resisting for a long time) a year ago, but whether they can actually enforce it remains to be seen. They still allow use of Paraquat on crops amongst other issues, and allow suppliers to put palm oil in products instead of better ingredients and claim green credentials.

I'm slightly confused as to Cadbury's role in RSPO - they were a founder member and Mondelez are still members, but actforwildlife's list of acceptable suppliers doesn't include them (apart from cakes). Their well documented use of slash and burn plantations was enough to get them crossed off lists of acceptable suppliers, but doesn't stop them holding RSPO membership. Not impressive is it?

Yes, I grow my own wheat and sugar beet, tomatoes and carrots and broccoli, have a cow and chickens and an avocado patch! In a developed free market economy nothing is really from “scratch”.

Ah okay so do please tell us how palm oil gets into carrots, or wheat or your avocados. Love to know !

Sustainable palm oil provides work and injects money into economy of the countries where it's grown. It's not palm oil per se that is the issue.

@Jaxhog - I'm not the OP, I haven't derided anyone. My motivation is for people to understand sustainable palm oil and what it means.

@whatpasswordtochoose don't be so childish! Flouncing off in a huff because posters have questioned you. If you actually read all the responses properly you would see that most posters are agreeing that some stance ought to be taken with respect to palm oil. It is the unilateral directive to boycott Cadbury's that posters are questioning. For all we know you might work as PR for Nestle!!

I posted last week of my concern that Tesco's new range of Plant Chef meals all contain palm oil - and I thought this was a particular concern as it's a range of food aimed at vegans. My suggestion was that interested posters were to email Tesco and request an alternative oil be used. I have emailed them myself but had no response.

Cadbury Australia clearly has stopped using it dont know about the rest of the world but Australia Cadbury has

It's not palm oil per se that is the issue.

What is the issue?

What is the issue?

Broadly, deforestation.

Well, quite.

Deforestation because of the use of palm oil. So palm oil and the demand for it is the issue.

Sure, but the local economy wll adapt to whatever boycott you send its way and palm oil is better than most alternatives.

Bluntly, the best thing we can boycott is more humans.

Why is palm oil better than the alternatives? Because it's cheap and lets retailers make money?

It's certainly not the best for the planet or for health reasons.

And it makes everything taste greasy and plastic-y.