#palmoilfree — Public Fediverse posts

Knowledge is power 📚🦉 #Research shows when #consumers 🛍️🛒are given clear information about #palmoil 🌴🪔 they will choose #palmoilfree products. Learn more about how you can #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🩸💀🙊🚫#Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://palmoildetectives.com/2022/06/06/want-to-avoid-palm-oil-you-need-a-palm-oil-free-label/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

Knowledge is power 📚🦉 #Research shows when #consumers 🛍️🛒are given clear information about #palmoil 🌴🪔 they will choose #palmoilfree products. Learn more about how you can #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🩸💀🙊🚫#Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://palmoildetectives.com/2022/06/06/want-to-avoid-palm-oil-you-need-a-palm-oil-free-label/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

Knowledge is power 📚🦉 #Research shows when #consumers 🛍️🛒are given clear information about #palmoil 🌴🪔 they will choose #palmoilfree products. Learn more about how you can #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🩸💀🙊🚫#Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://palmoildetectives.com/2022/06/06/want-to-avoid-palm-oil-you-need-a-palm-oil-free-label/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

Knowledge is power 📚🦉 #Research shows when #consumers 🛍️🛒are given clear information about #palmoil 🌴🪔 they will choose #palmoilfree products. Learn more about how you can #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🩸💀🙊🚫#Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://palmoildetectives.com/2022/06/06/want-to-avoid-palm-oil-you-need-a-palm-oil-free-label/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

How much of your #skincare 🫧🧼😶‍🌫️ routine contains #palmoil? If you brands like #Aveeno Johnson and Johnson and #Olay you're lathering #ecocide onto your face. Instead go #PalmOilFree 💡 and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife 🌴🪔🩸🤢🔥🚫 @palmoildetectives https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/11/palm-oil-free-skincare-products/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

Wash your hands knowing you're not using #palmoil 🧐🫧 ALL PALM OIL is linked to #ecocide and #deforestation. "Sustainable" palm oil is a big fat greasy #greenwashing lie. Go #PalmOilFree and #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🩸☠️💩💰🚜🔥🚫#Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/11/palm-oil-free-soap/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

The biggest lie you were never told: "Sustainable" #RSPO #PalmOil stops #deforestation. It doesn't! So avoid #snacks by #Mars #Kelloggs #Nestle all the big brands. Instead buy #PalmOilFree snack #food. Learn more 🌴🩸🤯🧐⛔️ @palmoildetectives #BoycottPalmOil https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/11/palm-oil-free-crisps-chips-and-snack-foods/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

The biggest lie you were never told: "Sustainable" #RSPO #PalmOil stops #deforestation. It doesn't! So avoid #snacks by #Mars #Kelloggs #Nestle all the big brands. Instead buy #PalmOilFree snack #food. Learn more 🌴🩸🤯🧐⛔️ @palmoildetectives #BoycottPalmOil https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/11/palm-oil-free-crisps-chips-and-snack-foods/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

The biggest lie you were never told: "Sustainable" #RSPO #PalmOil stops #deforestation. It doesn't! So avoid #snacks by #Mars #Kelloggs #Nestle all the big brands. Instead buy #PalmOilFree snack #food. Learn more 🌴🩸🤯🧐⛔️ @palmoildetectives #BoycottPalmOil https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/11/palm-oil-free-crisps-chips-and-snack-foods/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

The biggest lie you were never told: "Sustainable" #RSPO #PalmOil stops #deforestation. It doesn't! So avoid #snacks by #Mars #Kelloggs #Nestle all the big brands. Instead buy #PalmOilFree snack #food. Learn more 🌴🩸🤯🧐⛔️ @palmoildetectives #BoycottPalmOil https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/11/palm-oil-free-crisps-chips-and-snack-foods/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

The biggest lie you were never told: "Sustainable" #RSPO #PalmOil stops #deforestation. It doesn't! So avoid #snacks by #Mars #Kelloggs #Nestle all the big brands. Instead buy #PalmOilFree snack #food. Learn more 🌴🩸🤯🧐⛔️ @palmoildetect.bsky.social #BoycottPalmOil palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/11/p...

The biggest lie you were never told: "Sustainable" #RSPO #PalmOil stops #deforestation. It doesn't! So avoid #snacks by #Mars #Kelloggs #Nestle all the big brands. Instead buy #PalmOilFree snack #food. Learn more 🌴🩸🤯🧐⛔️ @palmoildetect.bsky.social #BoycottPalmOil palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/11/p...

Despite their chunky size, Lowlands Tree #Kangaroos 🦘 are able to leap many metres. They’re #vulnerable due to #palmoil and #hunting in #PapuaNewGuinea. Fight for them when you shop, go #PalmOilFree and #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🚫#Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/03/lowlands-tree-kangaroo-dendrolagus-spadix/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

The biggest lie you were never told: “Sustainable” #RSPO #PalmOil stops #deforestation. It doesn’t! So avoid #snacks by #Mars #Kelloggs #Nestle all the big brands. Instead buy #PalmOilFree snack #food. 🌴🩸🤯🧐⛔️ @palmoildetectives #BoycottPalmOil https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/11/palm-oil-free-crisps-chips-and-snack-foods/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

The biggest lie you were never told: “Sustainable” #RSPO #PalmOil stops #deforestation. It doesn’t! So avoid #snacks by #Mars #Kelloggs #Nestle all the big brands. Instead buy #PalmOilFree snack #food. 🌴🩸🤯🧐⛔️ @palmoildetectives #BoycottPalmOil https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/11/palm-oil-free-crisps-chips-and-snack-foods/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

The biggest lie you were never told: “Sustainable” #RSPO #PalmOil stops #deforestation. It doesn’t! So avoid #snacks by #Mars #Kelloggs #Nestle all the big brands. Instead buy #PalmOilFree snack #food. 🌴🩸🤯🧐⛔️ @palmoildetectives #BoycottPalmOil https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/11/palm-oil-free-crisps-chips-and-snack-foods/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

The biggest lie you were never told: “Sustainable” #RSPO #PalmOil stops #deforestation. It doesn’t! So avoid #snacks by #Mars #Kelloggs #Nestle all the big brands. Instead buy #PalmOilFree snack #food. 🌴🩸🤯🧐⛔️ @palmoildetectives #BoycottPalmOil https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/11/palm-oil-free-crisps-chips-and-snack-foods/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

The biggest lie you were never told: “Sustainable” #RSPO #PalmOil stops #deforestation. It doesn’t! So avoid #snacks by #Mars #Kelloggs #Nestle all the big brands. Instead buy #PalmOilFree snack #food. 🌴🩸🤯🧐⛔️ @palmoildetectives #BoycottPalmOil https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/11/palm-oil-free-crisps-chips-and-snack-foods/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

The biggest lie you were never told: “Sustainable” #RSPO #PalmOil stops #deforestation. It doesn’t! So avoid #snacks by #Mars #Kelloggs #Nestle all the big brands. Instead buy #PalmOilFree snack #food. 🌴🩸🤯🧐⛔️ @palmoildetectives #BoycottPalmOil https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/11/palm-oil-free-crisps-chips-and-snack-foods/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

The biggest lie you were never told: “Sustainable” #RSPO #PalmOil stops #deforestation. It doesn’t! So avoid #snacks by #Mars #Kelloggs #Nestle all the big brands. Instead buy #PalmOilFree snack #food. 🌴🩸🤯🧐⛔️ @palmoildetectives #BoycottPalmOil https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/11/palm-oil-free-crisps-chips-and-snack-foods/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

The biggest lie you were never told: “Sustainable” #RSPO #PalmOil stops #deforestation. It doesn’t! So avoid #snacks by #Mars #Kelloggs #Nestle all the big brands. Instead buy #PalmOilFree snack #food. 🌴🩸🤯🧐⛔️ @palmoildetectives #BoycottPalmOil https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/11/palm-oil-free-crisps-chips-and-snack-foods/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer

Olinguito Bassaricyon neblina

Olinguito Bassaricyon neblina

IUCN Red List: Near Threatened

Location: Colombia, Ecuador

Found in the Andean cloud forests of western Colombia and Ecuador, at elevations between 1,500 and 2,800 metres.

One of the cutest #mammals recently discovered is already at risk. With their bear-like faces, cat-like bodies, and lush tawny fur, the olinguito Bassaricyon neblina is an adorable button-nosed mammal of #Ecuador and #Colombia. They first made themselves known to the western world in 2006 in Ecuador and were officially described in 2013 and are considered ‘Near Threatened’ mainly from deforestation and forest clearing for #palmoil agriculture along with road building, infrastructure and gold mining throughout their range. Native to the misty cloud forests of the northern Andes, they are increasingly threatened by industrial agribusiness, palm oil plantations, and agriculture. Over 40% of their habitat has already been destroyed. Use your wallet as a weapon: always choose #palmoilfree products and be #vegan to help protect olinguitos and other species of the Andean Cloud Forest#BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

https://youtu.be/6_ir48JWkRI

#Olinguitos are button-nosed #mammals 😻🦦 of the Cloud Forests in #Ecuador 🇪🇨 and #Colombia 🇨🇴 Their lives are threatened by #goldmining 🥇 #meat 🥩and #palmoil 🌴 #deforestation. Help them! Be #vegan #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-bBX

Discovered not long ago, #Olinguitos are #bear-like tenacious survivors. Despite hiding well, their forests are rapidly disappearing for #palmoil and #meat agriculture. Help them survive! Be #vegan #Boycottpalmoil 🌴⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-bBX

Appearance & Behaviour

The olinguito is reminiscent of teddy bear and a domestic cat, with thick, soft, russet and tawny coloured fur, a short snout with a button-like nose, small ears, and a long fluffy tail used for balance in the treetops. Typically weighing under one kilogram, they are the smallest member of the raccoon family (Procyonidae). Nocturnal and arboreal, they live high in the forest canopy and are rarely seen. Solitary by nature, they are also reclusive and actively avoid human interaction.

Threats

Despite being classified as Near Threatened, there are no known large-scale conservation programmes or protected areas specifically designed to safeguard the olinguito or their habitat. Many of the forests where they live are under private ownership or are unprotected, leaving them at the mercy of logging companies, agribusiness, and illegal land grabs. Without legal safeguards and ecological corridors between forest remnants, olinguito populations will continue to decline unnoticed. Over 42% of their potential range has already been cleared or degraded for mining and agriculture.

Widespread deforestation of Andean cloud forests for agriculture, livestock, and infrastructure

Much of the olinguito’s Andean cloud forest habitat has already been cleared for cattle pasture, coffee plantations, and crop fields. This is especially concerning given the species’ limited elevational range and dependence on specific microclimates. Habitat loss fragments populations and prevents them from moving between forest patches, leading to genetic isolation and increased vulnerability. According to Helgen et al. (2013), 42% of the olinguito’s historical range has already been lost to agriculture and urban development.

Palm oil and timber plantations rapidly consuming native forest habitat.

Large swathes of cloud forest are being destroyed to establish oil palm and timber plantations. These monocultures are ecological deserts that offer no food or shelter for frugivorous mammals like the olinguito. Although oil palm expansion is often focused in lowland regions, it is encroaching into higher elevations in parts of Colombia and Ecuador due to market demand and land speculation. This spells danger for highland endemics like the olinguito, whose misty habitat is already shrinking.

Urbanisation and road development, fragmenting their canopy habitat

As human populations expand into previously remote areas, forest is cleared for roads, settlements, and industrial development. Even if some patches of cloud forest remain, roads cut through ecosystems, isolating wildlife and increasing mortality from vehicle collisions. Urban sprawl also brings dogs and other invasive species that can harass, predate, or outcompete native animals. The olinguito’s canopy-dependent, arboreal lifestyle makes it especially susceptible to the effects of fragmentation and edge habitat.

Climate change, which threatens the stability of montane ecosystems.

Cloud forests are highly sensitive to temperature and moisture changes. As global temperatures rise, the delicate balance of mist, rainfall, and cool air that defines this biome is shifting. Suitable habitat may move upslope, but mountaintops provide a limited refuge. Once a species is pushed beyond its climatic limit, local extinction becomes inevitable. The olinguito already lives at the uppermost altitudes suitable for its survival, making it dangerously vulnerable to climate-induced habitat contraction.

Geographic Range

Olinguitos live in humid montane forests between 1,500 and 2,800 metres in elevation in western Colombia and Ecuador, including forests near Medellín in Colombia and the Otonga Forest Reserve in Cotopaxi, Ecuador. This species occupies the highest known range of any member of the genus Bassaricyon. Though only officially recognised in 2013, museum specimens had been mislabelled for decades prior to that.

Diet

Despite belonging to the carnivoran order, olinguitos are primarily frugivores. They feed on cloud forest fruits such as figs, as well as insects, nectar, and occasionally small vertebrates like birds and lizards. Their faeces are said to resemble small blueberries due to their fruit-heavy diet.

Mating and Reproduction

Very little is known about the reproductive behaviour of the olinguito, but it is believed they produce a single offspring at a time. Females have one pair of mammae. Their solitary lifestyle and canopy-based habits make studying them in the wild extremely difficult.

FAQs

How many olinguitos are left in the wild?

No population estimates exist for the olinguito, but scientists agree numbers are declining. Habitat modelling shows over 60% of their potential habitat is already deforested or degraded, suggesting a significant threat to survival (Helgen et al., 2013).

What is the lifespan of an olinguito?

Captive individuals like Ringerl—an olinguito unknowingly housed in US zoos for years—lived over a decade. Wild lifespan is presumed to be shorter, but specific data are lacking.

What are the main threats to the olinguito?

The biggest threats are deforestation and habitat loss driven by palm oil plantations, agriculture, and urbanisation. These activities have destroyed over 40% of their cloud forest habitat (Helgen et al., 2013). Climate change is also a growing concern due to their dependence on cool, moist mountain forests.

Do olinguitos make good pets?

No. Olinguitos are solitary, nocturnal, and specialised to live in misty canopy forests. Keeping them as pets is cruel and contributes to wildlife trafficking. Their capture disrupts family groups and decimates populations. If you care about olinguitos, do not fuel demand—speak out against the pet trade.

Take Action!

Olinguitos are an emblem of the hidden biodiversity in the world’s cloud forests—ecosystems that are vanishing fast.

• Boycott palm oil and demand truly forest-free alternatives.
• Support indigenous-led agroecology and forest protection efforts in the Andes.
• Refuse meat and dairy that drives deforestation in Colombia and Ecuador.
• Never support zoos or exotic pet collectors that remove wildlife from their habitats. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan #BoycottMeat

Support the Olinguito by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

Helgen, K. M., Pinto, C. M., Kays, R., Helgen, L. E., Tsuchiya, M. T. N., Quinn, A., Wilson, D. E., & Maldonado, J. E. (2013). Taxonomic revision of the olingos (Bassaricyon), with description of a new species, the olinguito. ZooKeys, 324, 1–83. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.324.5827

Helgen, K., Kays, R., Pinto, C., Schipper, J. & González-Maya, J.F. 2020. Bassaricyon neblina (amended version of 2016 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T48637280A166523067. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T48637280A166523067.en. Accessed on 02 May 2025.

Lee, T. E., Tinoco, N., Allred, F. G., Hennecke, A., Camacho, M. A., & Burneo, S. F. (2022). Small mammals of Otonga Forest Reserve, Cotopaxi Province, Ecuador. The Southwestern Naturalist, 66(1), 48–53. https://doi.org/10.1894/0038-4909-66.1.48

NBC News. (2013, August 16). ‘Cutest new animal’ discovered: It’s an olinguito! https://www.nbcnews.com/sciencemain/cutest-new-animal-discovered-its-olinguito-6C10925572

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Olinguito. Wikipedia. Retrieved 2 May 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olinguito

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

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2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Santa Catarina’s Guinea Pig Cavia intermedia

Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus

Asian Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus

Marsupials thought extinct for 6,000 years found in West Papua

Gursky’s Spectral Tarsier Tarsius spectrumgurskyae

Sunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

Ultra-processed Foods: Trashing Health and The Planet

Our world is facing a huge challenge: we need to create enough high-quality, diverse and nutritious food to feed a growing population – and do so within the boundaries of our planet. This means significantly reducing the environmental impact of the global food system. Below is information about how you can identify ultra processed foods containing palm oil and other harmful ingredients in order to avoid them – for your own health and the health of the planet.

#Palmoil and #meat are ultra-processed unhealthy foods that are harmful to health and harmful to the planet. Here’s how to avoid them. Be #vegan for the animals, #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife

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Ultra processed foods containing #palmoil #meat and #dairy are harmful to health and linked to chronic disease and mortality. Here’s how to avoid them for environmental and #health reasons #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife

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There are more than 7,000 edible plant species which could be consumed for food. But today, 90% of global energy intake comes from 15 crop species, with more than half of the world’s population relying on just three cereal crops: rice, wheat and maize.

The rise of ultra-processed foods is likely playing a major role in this ongoing change, as our latest research notes. Thus, reducing our consumption and production of these foods offers a unique opportunity to improve both our health and the environmental sustainability of the food system.

Food agriculture is a major driver of environmental damage and ecocide

Agriculture is a major driver of environmental change. It is responsible for one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions and about 70% of freshwater use. It also uses 38% of global land and is the largest driver of biodiversity loss.

While research has highlighted how western diets containing excessive calories and livestock products tend to have large environmental impacts, there are also environmental concerns linked to ultra-processed foods.

The impacts of these foods on human health are well described, but the effects on the environment have been given less consideration. This is surprising, considering ultra-processed foods are a dominant component of the food supply in high-income countries (and sales are rapidly rising through low and middle-income countries too).

Our latest research, led by colleagues in Brazil, proposes that increasingly globalised diets high in ultra-processed foods come at the expense of the cultivation, manufacture and consumption of “traditional” foods.

How to spot ultra-processed foods

Ultra-processed foods are a group of foods defined as “formulations of ingredients, mostly of exclusive industrial use, that result from a series of industrial processes”.

They typically contain cosmetic additives and little or no whole foods. You can think of them as foods you would struggle to create in your own kitchen. Examples include confectionery, soft drinks, chips, pre-prepared meals and restaurant fast-food products.

In contrast with this are “traditional” foods – such as fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, preserved legumes, dairy and meat products – which are minimally processed, or made using traditional processing methods.

While traditional processing, methods such as fermentation, canning and bottling are key to ensuring food safety and global food security. Ultra-processed foods, however, are processed beyond what is necessary for food safety.

Australians have particularly high rates of ultra-processed food consumption. These foods account for 39% of total energy intake among Australian adults. This is more than Belgium, Brazil, Columbia, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico and Spain – but less than the United States, where they account for 57.9% of adults’ dietary energy.

According to an analysis of the 2011-12 Australian Health Survey (the most recent national data available on this), the ultra-processed foods that contributed the most dietary energy for Australians aged two and above included ready-made meals, fast food, pastries, buns and cakes, breakfast cereals, fruit drinks, iced tea and confectionery.

What are the environmental impacts?

Ultra-processed foods also rely on a small number of crop species, which places burden on the environments in which these ingredients are grown.

Maize, wheat, soy and oil seed crops (such as palm oil) are good examples. These crops are chosen by food manufacturers because they are cheap to produce and high yielding, meaning they can be produced in large volumes.

Also, animal-derived ingredients in ultra-processed foods are sourced from animals which rely on these same crops as feed.

The rise of convenient and cheap ultra-processed foods has replaced a wide variety of minimally-processed wholefoods including fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, meat and dairy. This has reduced both the quality of our diet and food supply diversity.

In Australia, the most frequently used ingredients in the 2019 packaged food and drink supply were sugar (40.7%), wheat flour (15.6%), vegetable oil (12.8%) and milk (11.0%).

Some ingredients used in ultra-processed foods such as cocoa, sugar and some vegetable oils are also strongly associated with biodiversity loss.

What can be done?

The environmental impact of ultra-processed foods is avoidable. Not only are these foods harmful, they are also unnecessary for human nutrition. Diets high in ultra-processed foods are linked with poor health outcomes, including heart disease, type-2 diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, cancer and depression, among others.

To counter this, food production resources across the world could be re-routed into producing healthier, less processed foods. For example, globally, significant quantities of cereals such as wheat, maize and rice are milled into refined flours to produce refined breads, cakes, donuts and other bakery products.

These could be rerouted into producing more nutritious foods such as wholemeal bread or pasta. This would contribute to improving global food security and also provide more buffer against natural disasters and conflicts in major breadbasket areas.

Other environmental resources could be saved by avoiding the use of certain ingredients altogether.

Demand for palm oil (a common ingredient in ultra-processed foods, and associated with deforestation in Southeast Asia) could be significantly reduced through consumers shifting their preferences towards healthier foods.

Reducing your consumption of ultra-processed foods is one way by which you can reduce your environmental footprint, while also improving your health.

Kim Anastasiou, Research Dietitian (CSIRO), PhD Candidate (Deakin University), Deakin University; Mark Lawrence, Professor of Public Health Nutrition, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University; Michalis Hadjikakou, Lecturer in Environmental Sustainability, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Engineering & Built Environment, Deakin University, and Phillip Baker, Research Fellow, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University, Deakin University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

ENDS

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

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2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

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Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

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Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

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Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

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The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

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How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

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3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

#BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #brandBoycotts #consumerBoycott #consumerRights #dairy #deforestation #diet #health #meat #News #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmOilFree #palmoil #plantBasedDiet #vegan #veganism