Originally published at: Indonesia is banning export of palm oil, and prices are skyrocketing | Boing Boing
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The orangutans will be pleased.
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I’ll have to switch to elbow grease then…
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Palm oil has been disastrous for deforestation in Indonesia and elsewhere. But alternatives are likely to be even worse. What we’re really seeing here is that we’ve reached the limits of what the planet can sustain. Indonesia’s protectionism is a logical response to that. We’re going to have to consume less.
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I have the sneaking suspicion that a situation dramatic enough to justify an export ban just might…expedite…proposals to increase supply as well. Unless everyone involved thinks things will blow over fast enough that the additional capacity will no longer be needed by the time it is ready.
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well… we can just switch to sunflower oil, right? 
Ukraine and Russia produce most of the world’s sunflower oil and the war is disrupting exports, said Edible Oils. The company, which packages oil for 75% of the UK retail market, is ramping up supplies of other oils for shoppers.
Meanwhile, manufacturers of foods that contain sunflower oil, like crisps, oven chips and cereal bars, are reworking their recipes.
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Soya oil?
Better idea.
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Just consume less works better for sectors other than food.
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I don’t want to “like” your comment, because I have a sneaking suspicion you’re correct. In any case, it won’t do anything to slow down the industry.
But perhaps it could encourage companies to stop using it? (I doubt it, because consumers mostly don’t seem to care, and it is an incredibly useful oil from the manufacturers’ perspective.)
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Personally I really liked the partially hydrogenated JIF peanut butter from my youth.
For food, it translates into wasting less, given that we currently waste nearly half of all our food in N. America.
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But what does palm oil in Indonesia have to do with Russians in Ukraine?
Supposing your question is serious and honest:
Vegetable oil prices are increasing since the pandemic, the war in Ukraine exacerbated this. Indonesia wants to stabilise the domestic market, first banned exports of refined olein and then changed that to a blanket ban.
If the population can’t get oil on the local market, then the situation might become seriously unstable, both socially and politically. And an unstable Indonesia is something noone wants.
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Follow-up:
Worth the read!
Sidenote: Mr. Fry seems to be the everywhere in the media in regard to oil right now.
I wonder if this is due to journos chuckling “hehe, he’s aptly named, let’s interview him”.
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