Good vs Bad Palm Oil: Is There a Difference?

Palm oil. It's been a bit of a buzz word in recent years. There's shared Facebook posts demonising brands, people who sing their hatred of palm oil from the rooftops - and there's even information on palm oil plastered on the walls of the orangutan enclosure at Taronga Zoo. 

But what's the truth? Is there such a thing as good palm oil and bad palm oil? 

I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to claims as I don't like to believe anything I hear in the media before researching it myself - and the same goes for palm oil. I wanted to find out what was actually going on with the palm oil trade and what it means for our world. 

Around 50% of foods sitting on grocery store shelves around the globe contain palm oil. It's in our packaged foods, shampoo and conditioners, soaps - even lipstick and cosmetics. Sure that's not good news for wildlife, right?!

Wrong... well... sort of wrong. You see, there is such a thing as "good" palm oil - good meaning sustainable - and sustainable meaning  the production processes do not destroy rainforests and ecosystems or cause air pollution (which further increases the risk of extinction for creatures living in that environment). "Good" palm oil also benefits local communities with fair working conditions. 

Unfortunately, only 17% of the 74+ million tonnes of palm oil consumed around the world is from these "good" sustainable sources. The Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) are trying to change that though - and they are already starting to see change!

The RSPO trademark movement is gaining momentum with 13 countries currently listed with RSPO certified producers and many companies choosing to use only RSPO certified palm oil in their products. 

RSPO are trying to inspire change through social media with their #GoodBadPalmOil social media campaign - and they asked Jesse and I to jump on board. As a couple with a heart for the developing world and the people and creatures who live there, we couldn't say no. 

Palm oil doesn't just affect animals. It affects our sponsor children and their families and it affects our world as a whole. 

When we have the opportunity to share our voice and opinion with the click of a single button, I don't know why anyone wouldn't want to get involved to inspire change.

So what can you do? 

1. Learn more about Palm Oil here.
2. Say yes to sustainable palm oil and share it with your friends on social media to help spread awareness of RSPO's campaign.
3. Buy products from RSPO certified companies (find a list here)

How do you know when a product uses RSPO certified palm oil? Look for the symbol! In Australia, RSPO members include Arnotts, Coles, Woolworths, Jurlique, McCain, Nuttelex and so many more.  We ALL have a choice - and we also have the opportunity to put pressure on the industry to change. 

 

But tell me, do you ever think about where the ingredients in your food come from? 

    

   

As always, this post was written entirely by us, though it was created in partnership with RSPO. We're passionate about inspiring positive change in the world and for us, a blog post like this is one little effort that has the potential to make a difference. We'd love you to support us by sharing this post and sharing the love with our friends at RSPO. 

How to Pack an Operation Christmas Child Shoebox for Less than $15

Tweet

I know you might not be thinking about Christmas yet, however, we wanted to share a little bit of Christmas spirit today as we share one of our favourite annual traditions. 

You see, both Jesse and I were really lucky as children. We celebrated Christmas with our family, opened presents with great big smiles and went to bed with full tummies - but not all of the kids in the world are so lucky. 

Operation Christmas Child is one of our favourite charity initiatives as it not only gives gifts to children in need - but also shares the greatest gift of all with them; the Gospel and the knowledge of God's unconditional love for them. 

Each year Jesse and I excitedly await the arrival of OCC boxes at our church and the same day we pick them up, you'll find us at our local shopping centre pushing a trolley full of gifts that we can't wait to pack away. 

But whilst we love packing shoeboxes each year - my heart also aches when I hear people tell me that they won't even consider it. Often times it's that people are too busy, however, one reason I have heard from many people in the past is that Christmas time is expensive and they just don't have the extra money to spare. 

And that's why I wanted to share this post with you. Christmas time may be expensive, however, there's no excuse to skip out on sharing joy this Christmas when you can do it for less than $15. Now, don't get me wrong! I'm not telling you to be cheap when giving with this post, I'm simply trying to show you that just a little bit from you can mean the world to someone in need.

So let me tell you How to Pack an Operation Christmas Child Shoebox on a Budget - and share our favourite gift ideas! >>

25 years of Red Nose Day - 28 June 2012

 A little break from my usual blog posts to raise awareness and talk about a very important day and event happening tomorrow in Australia.

Tomorrow is SIDS and Kids Red Nose Day, the major fundraiser for SIDS and Kids held annually. SIDS and Kids is dedicated to saving the lives of babies and children during pregnancy, birth, infancy and childhood and also work to support bereaved families. 

 I feel that SIDS and Kids is one of those charities that are incredibly important. Their areas of focus include education, research, national awareness campaigning, advocacy, fundraising and bereavement support. While I personally have had no experience with SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) I know of so many heartbreaking stories of people who have. 

As a child, I had a giant bear (I mean, over 1.5 metres tall and wide) called Theodore who every year got a Red Nose Badge for his vest, so I've always known about Red Nose Day and as I got older I understood what it meant. 

I don't have a child yet, but I know that I will in the future - and research through organisations like SIDS and Kids save millions of lives. The funds raised through Red Nose Day go towards providing vital services and programs in the community such as; 

- Free ongoing bereavement support to families and the community following the sudden and unexpected death of a baby, infant or child

- Education on how to reduce the risk of SIDS and fatal sleeping accidents to thousands of parents, carers and health professionals 

- Research into the causes and prevention of sudden and unexpected death of babies during pregnancy, birth, infancy and childhood. 

SIDS and Kids Safe Sleeping

SIDS and Kids' safe sleeping program is evidence-based and recommends you; 

- Sleep baby on the back from birth, not the tummy or side

- Sleep baby with head and face uncovered 

- Keep baby smoke free before birth and after

- Provide a safe sleeping environment night and day

- Sleep baby in their own safe sleeping place in the same room as an adult care giver for the first six to twelve months

- Breastfeed baby if you can 

How can I support Red Nose Day?

-  Order Red Nose Day products online 

- Buy a Red Nose or Red Nose Merchandise from your local shopping centre or someone in your community

- Follow on Facebook or Twitter and find out more about how you can help!

Tomorrow I'll be back with Friday Favourites and expect some delicious recipes and goodies this weekend!