Palm Oil is the Highest Yielding Energy-Producing Crop in the WorldFor over 24 years, Aloha Bay has been wholesaling gift and home decor items sourced first from Europe, then Asia and now includes Pakistan and Brazil. We always tried hard to follow business practices that are sustainable in the long run. We are aware of the impact we have on the planet, wildlife, neighbors, and global partners. This awareness shapes how we conduct business. By showing what we have accomplished so far, we hope to earn your support.
In the last decades, growing global demand for edible oils and bio-fuels has resulted in a tremendous increase in areas under oil crop cultivation, particularly soybean and oil palm. With the price of crude petroleum hitting record heights, soy and palm oil are being promoted as feasible sources for biodiesel, a renewable substitute for petroleum-derived diesel. The rapid expansion of both crops has resulted in the conversion of High Conservation Value Rainforests in South-East Asia and South America, including parts of the Amazon. As world production of soy and palm oil is expected to continue increasing at the current pace, there is a growing concern that this expansion would result in further reducing the rain forests. The habitat of many species, like the orangutan, could significantly diminish, endangering their survival. Bart travels to Asia regularly. With our business partners, Ping and Prananto, he has worked from the very beginning on ways to make sure that our palm wax originates predominantly from smaller, old-growth palm plantations, located around villages in rural Indonesia. We also choose to buy Aloha Bay has decided not to try and write our own articles about the pros and cons of palm oil production. Ever since we found palm wax to be the best candle wax, allowing us to make the most richly scented candles to date, we definitely have a vested interest! Instead, we have chosen to post third party peer reviewed articles from independent sources, which are self-funded, objective and then actually spend our time in the countries concerned. Unfortunately, public relations experts working for global agro-conglomerates have their own agendas, just as some environmental groups allow their judgment to be clouded by their desire for media coverage (resulting in hyped statements and over-simplification). Please browse the categorized articles selections on the left menu. For more articles go to the home page and click on the logos on the bottom right corner of the Aloha Bay home page. Comparative Advantages of Palm WaxWe Source Our Palm Wax from MalaysiaPALM, ANSWER TO THE SOY DILEMMA Talking About...Palm Oil — An introduction to palm oil's history, cultivation and extraction, practical uses and health benefits. Users Guide to Palm Oil — Palm oil as the healthy alternative to hydrogenated oils found in many processed foods becomes the popular agricultural choice for manuafacturers. The Soy Deception — The soybean industry is up to its old tricks, attempting to demonize the tropical oils. This time, the attacks are in the guise of environmentalism. Soy Is Not a Health Food — The mainstream media has got news for you these days: Overweight? Try soy! Hot-flashes? Eat soy! Blotchy skin? Rub on some soy! Lactose intolerant? Soy! Soy and Soil Pollutants — In 2009, 77.5 million acres was used for growing soybeans making it the United States' second largest crop. Unfortunately, such large-scale production can also result in large-scale pollution of the soil where the soy grows. Toxic Chemicals Banned in Organics but Common in "Natural" Food Production — Conventional food production depends heavily on the use of toxic chemicals and synthetic inputs in farming and food processing that pose potential threats to the environment, public health, and sustainability. Behind the Bean: The Heroes and Charlatans of the Natural and Organic Soy Foods Industry — With the continued marketplace shift toward eating organic, local, and sustainably produced food, more consumers are interested in knowing the story behind their food. This cultural shift represents consumers' desire to eat healthily, and to invest in environmental health, family farms, animal welfare, and, often, their own local economies. SUSTAINABLE ORGANIC FARMING No More Clearing — Only areas zoned for agriculture will be allowed to be converted for palm oil production as the Malaysian government prohibits forest clearing to protect biodiverse natural forests. Sustainable Palm Oil — With businesses accused of using Palm Oil sourced from illegal plantations, giant UK retailer makes policy to accept only certified sustainable palm oil. Soil Compaction — Soil compaction is a form of physical degradation resulting in densification and distortion of the soil where biological activity, porosity and permeability are reduced, strength is increased and soil structure partly destroyed. PLANTATIONS Palm Oil Production Concerns — Palm oil producer Ciranda details the susatainable palm oil production policies and practices with which his company leads. Brazil Palm Oil Project — By becoming oil palm farmers, Brazilian families become agents of sustainable socio-environmental development processes characterized by the growth of income generation and ecosystem conservation. Daabon Plantations — Daabon is one of the handful of palm plantations in the world that has vertically integrated the palm oil production from seeder to farming. Golden Hope Plantations — Named Malaysia’s 'Most Caring Employer', Golden Hope is a strong environmental advocate and a founder member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. United Plantations Efforts — United Plantation was the first to receive the world’s first certificate for the sustainable production of palm oil in Malaysia. RAINFOREST CONSERVATION Palm Oil Boycott — Is boycotting palm oil produced in Southeast Asia an realistic or effective approach to conserving the region's fast-disappearing rainforests? Soy Damage in Brazil — With a new variety of soybean developed by Brazilian scientists to flourish in rainforest climate, soybeans have become one of the most important deforestation contributors in the Amazon. California Fights Global Warming — California pledges financial assistance and technical support to help reduce deforestation in Brazil and Indonesia. Palm Deforestation: Truth or Fiction? — California The superior sustainability of the Malaysian palm oil industry is patently obvious, and it is clear that the Malaysian oil palm cultivation is superior to any large scale agriculture in the tropics or the temperate countries in terms of sustainability parameters. Soy and Rainforest Destruction — The world's largest rainforests are under siege. Tropical rainforests are being cleared at the rate of 14,000 acres per day. ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISM Greenpeace for Palm Oil? — Greenpeace's actions highlight the availability of more information concerning the origins of the products we use. Foundation Response to Greenpeace — The Palm Oil Truth Foundation examines attacks against palm oil as the oilseed crops of the industrialized west have a formidable competitor on their hands. BIOFUELS DEBATE Perils of Palm Oil — Palm oil is in many of the products we use in our daily lives as whale oil was in the past. Will giant retailers choose sustainable plam oil sources? Biodiesel Critical Assessment — A scientific debate has arisen concerning the true sustainability of biodiesel as compared to conventional petroleum fuel in regard to climate change. Biofuels and Climate Change — Can biofuels help save our planet from a climate catastrophe? Farmers and fuel companies certainly seem to think so. NON GMO GMO and Food Safety — Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are one of the most dangerous and radical changes to our food supply. Certified GMO Free — All of Aloha Bay's products are certified GMO free. UNFI is one of Aloha Bay's five distributors. GMO Super Weeds — Unfortunately for American farmers who rely on GM crops, it seems that some of the world's most invasive weeds are following nature's laws to the letter when it comes to competing with genetically modified soybeans and corn. CERTIFICATIONS Certifications — View the RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) certifications for Daabon USA as the distributor and Daabon Group as the grower / refiner guaranteeing the criteria for processing RSPO certified sustainable palm oil. |
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