My heart sank after reading about the Nutella-fueled disagreement between the French and Italian environment ministers last week. Essentially, the French minister criticized Nutella (an Italian product) for being a detriment to the environment. How could such a tasty substance be the cause of ecological concern? The answer lies in the ingredient that gives Nutella its irresistibly smooth texture- palm oil. This substance is extracted from the fruit grown on oil palm trees, and it’s used in numerous popular items such as shampoo, makeup and detergent.
What’s so bad about palm oil?
The high demand for palm oil has resulted in significant deforestation in places like Indonesia and Malaysia, leaving many endangered species of elephants, tigers, and orangutans without a home. Additionally, the World Wildlife Fund describes how palm oil manufacturing has deprived indigenous communities access to fertile land, pollution free air and clean water. On a global scale, cutting down mass quantities of oil palm trees limits the amount of carbon dioxide that is naturally removed from the atmosphere. Not sweet.
So, should I stop eating Nutella?
Don’t give up hope just yet. Ferrero, the Italian company that makes Nutella, is a part of a non-profit organization called the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). This means that Ferrero has pledged to “...produce, source and/or use sustainable palm oil certified by the RSPO” in the production of their goods. According to Ferrero’s most recent palm oil progress report, the company uses 100% segregated certified palm oil that is guaranteed to only come from plantations committed to transparency, conserving biodiversity, planting new oil palm trees and respecting communities affected by the industry. While this does not entirely negate the consequences of our global dependence on palm oil, it makes me feel a little bit better about the spoonful of Nutella I ate after dinner last night.
But what other options are out there?
While Ferrero seems to be taking a responsible and sustainable stance on palm oil, I commend those who want to indulge in dessert without consuming the substance at all. Luckily, there are many other delicious hazelnut spreads out there. This site provides 9 brands that offer a vegan, organic, palm oil free or reduced sugar alternative. Protecting the environment has never tasted so good.