GOODBYE PALM OIL, HELLO METSCHNIKOWIA PULCHERRIMA

The University of Bath is conducting come exciting research which could halt much rainforest destruction.

Green do-gooders are getting very excited about a little known yeast called Metschnikowia pulcherrima, which when put in the right growth conditions can produce an oil with almost identical properties to palm oil. 

Palm oil seems to be everywhere. It is a common ingredient in food and cosmetic products worldwide, and can be found lurking in products ranging from lipstick to cookies and shampoo to instant noodles. Even the hardline environmentalist would struggle to avoid it. 

But why has this seemingly innocent oil stirred up such a controversy? 

Palm oil is a basic source of income for many farmers in South East Asia, Central and West Africa, and Central America. It is so popular because it produces up to 10 times more oil per unit area than soyabeans, rapeseed or sunflower. 

Worryingly large areas of tropical forests and other ecosystems with high conservation values have been, and are still being, cleared to make room for vast monoculture oil palm plantations. This is destroying critical habitat for many endangered species, including rhinos,  elephants and tigers, and has resulted in large scale soil erosion and pollution. 

As if this wasn't disturbing enough, the expansion of palm oil plantations has lead to the eviction of many forest-dwelling peoples.

So lets hope that palm oil has met its match, and soon such a socially and environmentally dangerous oil will be a horror of the past. 

A DECEPTIVE CHEERIO TO GMO'S

BREAKING NEWS: General Mills now only use GMO-free oats in Cheerio's. 

As opposed to the non-existent GMO oats.

General Mills latest marketing ploy loudly declares their use of 'GMO-free' oats in an attempt to  attract the less astute but nevertheless good-willed environmentalists and health foodies. 

But the truth behind their newly plastered anti-GMO cereal boxes is that oats have managed to stay clear of Monsanto's meddling, mainly due to money.

Despite the much-loved oat packing in an impressive load of nutrients, they are an unproductive crop to harvest when compared to corn or soybeans. According to the USDA, the average revenue per acre of oats was a mere $245. Whereas corn and soybeans steam ahead with a revenue of $1,073 and $596.

This, amongst other reasons, makes oats an unattractive victim/subject for genetic engineer's. Developing genetically engineered seeds is expensive business, and there simply are not enough oat farmers or farmed oats to make this endeavour profitable.

Such empty anti-GMO claims made from General Mills divert attention away from the steps they could be taking to be true environmental custodians, such as sourcing their ingredients organically.

WOMEN DIGGING FOR VICTORY

Fighting gender inequality will have far reaching positive consequences, even helping to feed the world's hungry.

When asked to envisage a 'farmer', most of our minds seem to conjure up images of a round-bellied tweed-wearing man with a Welsh accent, or else a cowboy-booted Texan rancher sporting a disproportionately wide-rimmed hat.

So it may come as a surprise that ladies in fact make up 43% of the world's agricultural labour force. Our stereotypes clearly need some re-tinkering.

Yet women don't have equal access to agricultural resources to make their work more productive, and this is causing the agricultural sector to be inefficient According to Oxfam 66% of the world’s work falls on women’s shoulders, yet they only earn 10% of the world’s income.

The FAO estimates that closing the gender inequality gap could increase women's yields by 20-30%, lifting 100-150 million people out of hunger.

Empowering women is a necessary step towards solving poverty and food insecurity. Lets make it happen!

WHY BRITS DON'T GIVE EHOUGH TO CHARITY

This weeks Metro revealed that doing good deeds for others makes 60% of us feel good about ourselves. Yet ironically, this nation has comparatively poor stats for charitable giving.  

The UK average annual charitable donation is £147.84 – less than a tenth of the USA average charity giving per head. Furthermore, a study by New Philanthropy Capital reveals most Brits don’t see giving to charity as a duty.

It has been suggested the lack of information provided by charities largely contributes to our stinginess.

Reluctance to donate is often explained by widespread distrust in charities as being poorly run and inefficient mechanisms for channelling our hard earned money to where it’s needed.  

To combat this prejudice, charities must provide donors with more evidence of their impact, and greater explanation of how donations are used. Studies show 10% of mainstream donors and 13% of rich donors would give more if charities provided better information. The effect would be a £665m annual boost to charities.

Alternatively, trust can be restored through charity evaluators such as GiveWell. GiveWell seeks to identify outstanding charities that are proven to be cost-effective, scalable, and transparent.

GiveWell could present a vital tool for improving the UK’s current shameful lack of charitable generosity. 

THE POOR PERSONS GUIDE TO ETHICAL SHOPPING

I’m a student. I live in London. Rent is through the roof. I work as a volunteer. 

It suffices to say that my bank balance is rarely in positive figures. 

Yet, ethical and responsible shopping still remains an achievable must for me.

It is a common misconception that responsible consumerism is a costly endeavour.

Whilst true that some organic and fair-trade products have bumped up prices, a little rummaging and research proves that we can all aspire to be responsible consumers, even on the breadline.

Allow me to share some of my secrets...

1) DITCH THE CAR/BUS, DON SOME COMFY WALKING SHOES.

One of the most simply yet effective ways to help the environment (and your waistline).

Walk to the shops instead and you will save money at the pump/on your oyster card! 

2) REDUCED SECTION - A BARGAIN HUNTERS PARADISE

Supermarkets often drastically cut the prices of food nearing it’s sell-by-date.

This is therefore the perfect place to rummage for the otherwise more expensive organic cuts of meat and fair trade produce.

This also stops perfectly edible food from ending up as waste in landfill sites.

3) CUT THE MEAT

Environmentally meat is a highly inefficient food source, and often more expensive than plant-based protein sources.

Shockingly, rearing meat accounts for 8% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions. 

I know that to the devout carnivore, a vegetarian diet can be about as appealing as a cold shower on a Sunday morning, but try at least cut down on meat, and make sure that all meat on your plate comes from a responsible source. Alternatively, companies like Quorn are making some pretty convincing meat substitutes, so you won't have to cancel your traditional sunday roast. 

4) THINK LOCAL

Why not pop down to your local greengrocer or butchers, instead of the boring been-there-before mainstream supermarket?

Supermarkets put the squeeze on producers to provide their products at the lowest cost, which leaves them on the breadline. Paying a fair price for produce means a living wage for small-scale producers, and does not necessarily mean paying a higher price at the till.

Your local greengrocers or butchers are more likely to firstly source their products in a fairer way, and secondly, unlike supermarket foods, they are often grown/reared locally. 

5) PACKAGING

Food does not need to be wrapped like some elaborate Christmas present. 
Avoid over-packaged products, especially when it can't be recycled. This means less waste ends up in landfills.

Also, bring your own bags along. Many supermarkets now offer points reward schemes for doing this, so you’ll be saving pennies as well as the environment.

6)…FINALLY, GROW YOUR OWN!

There’s nothing more satisfying than biting into a juicy tomato bought about entirely by your own TLC. There’s no need to rent an allotment, just seed up some pots, stick them on windowsills/roofs/garden, remember to water them every now and again, and watch your hard work and patience materialise into deliciously fresh treats!

THE OBESITY PREJUDICE

Children dislike fat people, apparently.

Studies have shown that children as young as 4 reflect our cultures negative attitudes towards obesity by rejecting those who are overweight. 

In experiments with more than 100 UK primary school pupils aged four to seven, investigators from Leeds University found that children voiced negative views about a fictional book character called 'fat Alfie'.  The children rejected ‘Fat Alfie’ as someone less likely to get invited to parties, and crucially someone they would not choose to be friends with. Overall however, they voiced positive attitudes towards a ‘wheel-chair-using Alfie’.

Cultures condition our prejudices at a shockingly young age. Children reflect a culture’s attitudes towards body image before they’ve even learnt to tie their shoelaces.

What should we learn from this experiment?

Protests against advertisers who use borderline anorexic models to sell their products tend to focus on teenage girls as those most vulnerable to mental harm. But is this too late? Are we crucially overlooking the group most susceptible to harm by advertising?

Social and cultural norms, often dictated by mass media bombardment, clearly become ingrained at a far earlier age than we often assume. Campaigns to protect children from advertising tend to target that of an explicit or sexual nature. The famous campaign, receiving channel 4 coverage, ‘Stop Pimping our Kids’ focuses on how our mass media causes a premature over-sexualisation of children. This approach is too narrow. Children in fact often do not understand the sexual connotations in the media, but what they crucially do understand is body image. Our culture’s obsession with unattainable thinness becomes imprinted in children at an age far younger than is generally assumed, thus paving the path for unhealthy eating habits to be formed later on.

Media has a strong influence on the very young in society. In light of this we must implement advertising regulations to protect our children.

THE MEAT PARADOX

Why does a nation so fond of its bacon-butties and steaks find the thought of horsemeat so drastically shocking?

I must admit, I’m a little confused. Surely meat is meat, right? Be it from a cow, pig, horse, or even a dog, an animal has nevertheless gone through the same process of being reared, slaughtered and butchered for the same sole purpose of reaching our dinner tables. Why is there then such a strong emotional connection to a horse over a cow?

Is it a labelling scandal? Perhaps part of the outrage is caused over a breach in trust. The fundamental dishonesty of selling something not written on the tin is wrong. But this explanation doesn’t go far enough. The fact that Heinz tomato ketchup contains celery extract I think is unlikely to cause such an uproar as the "horse meat scandel". No, there is something far deeper and specific to meat going on here.

Let me firstly give you some background to my perspective.

I’m a vegetarian. I have been since the age of 7 when I first saw lorry loads of animals being carted off to an abattoir from the farm next-door to where I live. I’m not wholly against eating meat though. Far from it in fact.

But two things about meat eating really do set me on a rant.

Firstly, the welfare of the animals we eat.

I respect meat-eaters sourcing food from animals given a long, happy life and killed in the most humane way possible. Compare this free-range farm life to one in the wild where food is often scarce and death most likely a painful event bought about by disease or predators. I know which one I’d prefer. Sadly though, the vast majority of farm animals endure torturous and miserable lives. In my opinion, mal-treatment of animals like this removes the right to consume them.

Secondly, facing up to what we do.

I have little patience for those who would run screaming from an abattoir, yet the next day would order a Big Mac without a second thought. Meat-eaters need to accept responsibility for the consequences of their food habits, rather than turning a blind eye.

 So what’s my view on the "horsemeat scandal"?

The discovery of horsemeat in much of our everyday food is making the unthinking meat-eater question the provenance of meat in a way that hasn’t happened before. Some have even decided to ditch meat altogether, and others are getting more picky by opting for the more highly regulated sources instead.

To be honest I am pleasantly surprised by the fact value burgers contain 0.04% meat, albeit from a horse. Cost cutting in meat production means much of the cheap meat on our supermarket shelves contains cuts that would make the average consumers squirm with disgust. Eyeballs, intestines, chemically ground bones, ears … I could go on.

I hope this scandal isn’t the end of it.

There is a gulf of knowledge about what goes into the meat we consume.

If scandals like this bring about more consumer awareness, questioning and boycotting, then I’m all for a bit of meat cross-contamination.

It can only be a good thing.