As we leave this old year behind, I wish everyone who visits WFVM, a very happy and peaceful 2018
'In the walled garden'
illustration by granddaughter 'P'
Over the Christmas season our youngest Granddaughter 'R' has brought my attention to the excessive and increasing amount of Palm Oil that is being included in our diets along with many domestic items found in our shopping baskets.
As a result I aim to check all product labels carefully during the coming year to see what they contain. If they have Palm Oil in them, I will not purchase - you may be as surprised as I was at just how many items there are. The writing on the labels is tiny so I shall have to carry my little pocket magnifying glass which I use to identify silver hallmarks.
Palm Oil is a huge source of profits for multinational corporations, whilst at
the same time destroying the livelihoods of smallholders. It causes the displacement
of indigenous peoples, rainforest destruction and loss of wildlife; it is the main threat to the survivial of the orangutan population. These changes in our biodiversity are all the
consequence of our palm oil consumption.
Here are a few of the products which may have Palm Oil in them, and that is why I shall be looking carefully at their labels.
Here are a few of the products which may have Palm Oil in them, and that is why I shall be looking carefully at their labels.
Your granddaughters "P" and "R" are great. One for her amazing illustrating talent, I see immediately that this is your garden, the drawing and colours are wonderful and the other by her attention of unwanted contents in household products, a good thing that we all should pay more attention to.
ReplyDeleteWish you and yours all the best for 2018!
I know that you will agree with me Janneke, that our grandchildren are such a joy to us.
DeleteI agree with Janneke, a wonderful painting by your granddaughter and a serious warning to the palmoil products. Have a nice evening and a wonderful 2018!
ReplyDeleteThank you - I was very touched that all five of our grandchildren spent so much time making us both lovely gifts for Christmas. Two sisters made us lots of treats, biscuits, chocolates and sugared candypeel. Our grandson made us some Sloe Gin and a wooden jigsaw puzzle, 'P' of course did the illustraion of the garden and our other granddaughter made me some honey and milk handmade soap.
DeleteWishing you also a peaceful and happy new year. What a beautiful painting of your garden. I love that your grandchildren make gifts, so personal and delightful.
ReplyDeleteLovely to hear from you Patricia - I have been rather remiss at looking at blogs over the Christmas period so will pop over soon and see just how things have been for you in Canada.
DeleteIt is lovely having gifts made for us by the grandchildren which we do greatly appreciate.
Rosemary,
ReplyDeleteWishing you and your family a very happy, healthy 2018!
I will keep an eye out for palm oil! ;-) Thank you.
Hello Catherine - I knew about the palm oil of course, but did not realise just how extensively it is being used now. I have already begun checking my shopping and do not think that it will take me long to get to grips with what I feel happy to buy and what I shall be leaving on the shelves.
DeleteThanks for that information, I'll be on the look out for it.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you and your family.
There are many things on the list above that I do not buy anyway, but I think that I will know quite quickly the things that I will be leaving behind from my shopping basket in the future.
DeleteHello Rosemary, Happy New Year to you and your family. Your post was very timely, I have been noticing lately with concern the number of products here that contain palm oil, and have been thinking about cutting back. I always look carefully at the oils used in products, because some of them still contain lard!
ReplyDeleteYour granddaughter's painting is wonderful--it looks like a design for a tiled fountain, and I bet it would also work well in stained glass.
--Jim
Hello Jim - the mermaid is the one that sits in our garden pond, she used to have water tumbling out of her shell, but unfortunately the interior water channel broke.
DeleteOnce you have got to grips with the cereals, breads, biscuits etc that do not have palm oil in them then it is not difficult to become completely palm oil free. The choices without palm oil are fewer.
Gorgeous painting, the colours are joyous. I'm glad you've mentioned palm oil, I've been banging on about it for ages. I have yet to meet a person who knew about the terrible problems associated with it. I think it has a 47% saturated fat content, and as you say it's harvesting is causing huge damage. Once consumers became aware of hydrogenated fats and stopped buying products that contained them, producers looked for another cheap ingredient to replace them. I look at all food labels and its surprising that some so called higher end food stores like M&S have loads of products that contain palm oil, yet Lidl often doesn't. Anyway, I'll get down off my soap box now Rosemary to wish you a bright and happy 2018.
ReplyDeleteJean
I am pleased that this strikes a cord with you too Jean. I hadn't actually realised the extent of its use until my granddaughter told me. It has craftily and surreptitiously been included in so many everyday items without most people realising. It is very, very, easy to avoid altogether, and if most of us did that then the need for it would go away.
DeleteI am glad you finally explained about palm oil. I have been wondering about it but have found so many conflicting views. I think the fact that it destroys the livelihoods of small producers is on its own enough of a reason not to use it. I'll bear it in mind too.
ReplyDeleteOnce you have found products that you use regularly without palm oil then it is easy to to not use it. I now know which bread I can purchase, which biscuits and which cereals. As the weeks go by it becomes easier to not buy anything with palm oil in it. If we all did this then the large conglomerates would have to rethink their usuage of palm oil and the industry would end.
DeleteDear Rosemary,
ReplyDeleteWhat talented Granddaughters you have! I love the unusual color combination and artistry of her garden painting. Thank your Granddaughter for making us aware of the Palm Oil dilemma. I didn't know. Now will make every effort to avoid it.
I wish you and yours a wonderful and happy New Year.
Dear Gina - it was the same for me until my 15 year old granddaughter put me on the straight and narrow. Once you have checked a few items it becomes easier to know what to buy and what not to. Take care and have a good evening welcoming the new year.
DeleteReally nice illustration. Happy New Year and Best Wishes for 2018.
ReplyDeleteHave a good 2018 Bob - Lang may your lums reek
DeleteA beautiful drawing done by your talented granddaughter P. Your granddaughter R is being thoughtful about the environment. It's good to know that the young people care and we can learn from them. I do look at labels mostly to see what is contained in products that might be detrimental to my well being. Thank you for explaining about how large scale palm oil production destroys vegetation, animal habitats and the lives of farmers with smallholdings. Wishing you and your family a very happy new year 2018.
ReplyDeleteDear Linda - hope that 2018 is a happy and good year for you and your family. I have every faith in our young people that all will be safe in their hands.
DeleteLove the drawing, beautiful. I too will be on the look out for palm oil labels as well as avoiding as much plastic wrapping that I can this year. Wishing you and yours a happy new year. B x
ReplyDeleteDear B - I have very quickly discovered that it is much easier to avoid palm oil than I had imagined, that is once you have found the products that you use most frequently without palm oil.
DeleteYour granddaughter is so talented and her present to you so special. Thank you for making us aware about palm oil, it's amazing how many products it can be found in. Having a quick look on the internet there doesn't seem to be a comprehensive list anywhere of what items are palm free. I'm glad I make my own bread and museli, hopefully the plastic free items I will be buying in future will also be palm oil free. Wishing you and your family a Happy New Year! Sarah x
ReplyDeleteI think that the message is the more you make yourself the better Sarah. The products that need careful sourcing and reading of the labels are those products used in the bathroom, kitchen and household generally.
DeleteHappy New Year to you and all your family Rosemary, we do hope it's a wonderful one full of beautiful things and good health.
ReplyDeleteMust look on the labels for palm oil, it's not often we think of the people where these oils come from.
Similar here with wood-chip exporting, we still thankfully have plenty of our bush-land and National Parks with controlled wood-chipping.
Do we really need palm oil in our diets we managed perfectly well without it before.
DeleteA huge issue here too, many producers already stopped using palm oil and print it in big letters , wouldn't it be nice if we could just go out and buy food without fearing for our health . Wishing you wonderful and serene 2018 !
ReplyDeletePerhaps in time the message will get across to those manufacturers who are using it so prolifically. We need our rainforests to remain intact not only for our biodiversity but also for the sake of all the wild animals and humans who live there.
DeleteHappy New Year Rosemary. As stated by many, the drawing is so pretty....and I like that you have shared a message that we can all use. I find myself reading labels more and more. Maybe greedy manufacturing companies will get the message.
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed and with our imput may be the message will be received - we managed perfectly well without palm oil before.
DeleteHappy New Year! All the best in 2018! Love your granddaughter's artwork!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your retirement Debra.
DeleteHappy New Year!
ReplyDeleteA good 2018 to you William
DeleteHappy New Year to you and thank you for pointing out the issue with palm oil.....well done for taking a stand. xx
ReplyDeleteI am pleased that my granddaughter brought this to my attention Lyn.
DeleteSo glad that your post got positive feedback; I'll be writing more emails to companies questioning their use of palm oil. Maybe Cadbury's will finally answer my last email, only the sixth time of writing...I'm not giving up.
ReplyDeleteI love the painting too! :)
From R xx
♡
DeleteWell done to your granddaughter - and you - for raising awareness of the palm oil issue.
ReplyDeleteI am pleased that she has made me so much more aware of its insidious spread in our shopping trolleys.
DeleteI only just noticed this post and I'm most happy about the growing awareness. I've been a palm oil protester and boycotter a couple of years now and I've seen a turn to the worse during this time, which makes me furious. I do hope someone would start a global petition against its use. In fact, I hoped there would be one on Avaaz and indeed there is and I signed it immediately! But it's shocking there aren't more than a few thousand signatures yet. We must spread the word loudly! https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Global_leaders_attending_Paris_COP21_STOP_PUTTING_PALM_OIL_ON_OUR_PRODUCTS/?aemoDlb
ReplyDelete♡ thanks I will pop over and sign it.
Delete