The Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium strives to only purchase products that use certified sustainable palm oil to help save orangutans and all animals affected by non-sustainable palm oil farming.
From pretzels and hamburger buns to soaps and window cleaners, the Zoo is consistently clearing out items containing unsustainable palm oil from its inventory and seeking companies that will provide alternatives or orangutan-friendly, sustainable palm oil products.
Palm oil, a form of edible vegetable oil obtained from African oil palm trees, is a key ingredient used in many of our household products, from lotion to shampoo, and in many foods.
Unsustainable palm oil production results in massive deforestation, rapid biodiversity loss and significant greenhouse gas emission. In the last decade, close to 80% of deforestation in the Sumatra peat lands was driven by the expansion of non-sustainable palm oil plantations costing orangutans and other endangered wildlife valuable habitat they need to survive.
Certified sustainable palm oil comes from plantations that have made a commitment to produce palm oil in a way that minimizes its impact on wildlife, indigenous people and the planet. The good news is oil palms can be grown without destroying rainforests and — if grown sustainably – palm oil can be the best choice for vegetable oils because oil palms produce 4-10 times more oil per acre than other crops.
Here’s how you can help!
- Use Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s new palm oil shopping guide app.
- Support companies who are members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).
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