U.K. Supermarket House Brand To Stop Using Rainforest-Destroying Palm Oil

Palm oil may not be great for your body, as it's high in saturated fat. But it's generally considered to be terrible for the planet. The BBC notes that palm oil production "is said to have been responsible for about 8 percent of the world's deforestation between 1990 and 2008." Nevertheless, palm oil still exists in a multitude of products, almost half the products stocked by U.K. supermarkets "and can be found in everything from shampoos to biscuits, as well as biofuels."

There was a sign this week that the tide may be turning, as the BBC notes that the U.K.-based supermarket chain Iceland plans "to stop using palm oil in own-brand products by the end of 2018." It is the first U.K. supermarket chain to do so. Iceland was apparently convinced by Greenpeace canvassers that there is currently no way to produce palm oil without deforestation. The chain CEO told the BBC that the change will involve "an extra cost"—which, he notes, will not get passed on to the consumer—"but we think it's the right thing to do." Other grocery chains would be wise to take note.