Медицинская экология Контрольная

The sprawling oil palm plantations in Southeast Asia that produce most of the world’s palm oil have had a devastating effect on the rainforest and its wildlife. Palm oil, widely used in processed foods and cooking oils in Asia, Europe, and—to a lesser extent—the United States, also harms human health. Yet those effects are not broadly recognized in the countries that finance, import, and trade in palm oil. 

This report attempts to address that knowledge gap by reporting on some of palm oil’s chief environmental and health impacts. By so doing, it aims to: 

- raise awareness of the ravaging impact of oil palm plantations on the environment and the harmful effects of palm oil on human health 

- encourage food processors, consumers, government agencies, and international agencies to support the use of edible oils that are better than palm oil in terms of both human and environmental health. 

The report provides a brief description of palm oil’s promotion of heart disease; an overview of the palm oil trade and oil palm plantations as agribusiness; an assessment of the environmental impacts of oil palm plantations, with a focus on five endangered rainforest animals (the Sumatran tiger, Sumatran rhinoceros, Asian elephant, and Sumatran and Bornean orangutans); a snapshot of the U.S. market for edible oils; and recommendations for alternatives. 

Several environmental organizations have published major studies and investigative reports on the palm oil business and the dire condition of Indonesia’s forests, and the present report draws on those. Funding Forest Destruction looks at Dutch banks’ financing of Indonesian plantations; Oil Palm Plantations and Deforestation in Indonesia explores the role of Germany—and Europe more broadly—in oil palm agribusiness; Greasy Palms discusses the Palm oil is used, alone or with other oils, in an increasing number of foods. Cruel oil 2 ecological and social impacts of oil palm plantations in Southeast Asia; and The State of the Forest: Indonesia covers deforestation and a broad spectrum of forest issues in Indonesia.

Palm oil is an edible oil derived from the pulp of fruits of the oil palm (Elaeis guineensis). Palm oil is used around the world in such foods as margarine, shortening, cooking oil, soups, sauces, crackers and other baked goods, and confectionary products. Indeed, after soybean oil, it is the most widely used oil. It is highly versatile and can be substituted for hard animal fats (butter and lard); for soy, olive, or canola liquid vegetable oils; and for partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, which is a staple of the baking, fast-food, and other industries. 

In the United States, palm oil is used primarily in processed foods in which a solid fat is required. In many products, palm oil is used together with soy, canola, or other oil. In some foods, such as Nabisco Golden Oreos, Newman’s Own Organics Alphabet Cookies, or Devonsheer Classic Original Water Crackers, palm is the major oil or the only oil. 

Currently, the United States is a small market for (mostly Malaysian) palm oil compared to China, India, and the European Union. However, the palm oil industry expects major increases in sales to American companies as a result of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s requirement that by January 1, 2006, food labels list the amount of trans fat per serving. In 2004, that expectation began to be realized when U.S. companies imported about 50 percent more palm oil than the year before. The Malaysian palm oil industry—growers, processors, and the government— are aggressively publicizing the virtues of its product compared to partially hydrogenated soybean oil. Trans fat, which is created when liquid soybean oil is hydrogenated to create a more solid, stable form, is a potent promoter of heart disease. Trans fat raises LDL (“bad”) cholesterol in blood as effectively as saturated fat, and it slightly decreases HDL (“good”) cholesterol. In addition, trans fat appears to increase the risk of diabetes, impair cardiac rhythm, and have other adverse effects. Commendably, many food processors are seeking alternatives to partially hydrogenated oil so they can eliminate the trans fat from their products. Palm oil is highly attractive both because of its taste and cooking properties and because it is about one-third cheaper than soybean oil (partly because oil palm plants yield 10 times more pounds of oil per acre than soybeans). Unfortunately, palm oil, while not as harmful as partially Palm oil, while not as harmful as partially hydrogenated soybean oil, is still considerably less healthful than other vegetable oils.