Popularity is a double edged sword
And it's as true for natural - plant based - ingredients as it is for celebrities.
A recent report from the UN highlights 12 wild plants whose rising popularity has led to devastating environmental and human rights issues. Those plants include: frankincense, shea, Brazil nut, juniper, licorice, baobab, argan, candelilla, pygeum, jatamansi, gum arabic, and goldenseal.
Another example is Palm Oil. Once the darling of plant based alternatives for its widespread application in food and cosmetics, its increased popularity has led to massive deforestation, habitat loss and climate related issues.
However, alternative oils like soy, rapeseed, and sunflower require up to 9 times more land to produce the same amount of oil and shifting to these crops would likely cause deforestation in other regions, such as the Amazon rainforest in South America.
Which I why I loved this alternative Sharon - a customer turned friend - shared with me. It's called 'palmless'.
It's made from yeast that's fermented much like 'kimchi' or beer, and like palm oil it has a variety of applications from food to cosmetics.
As you may know, we LOVE fermented, plant-based alternatives.
It provides the natural benefits without the associated environmental issues.
In the coming decades we need to find ways to feed our growing population without increasing emissions and decreasing forests. And I think fermentation is an EXCELLENT option!
What do you think? Too good to be true, or a genuine solution?
