In response, a backlash against palm oil has developed: last April, the supermarket Iceland pledged that it would cut palm oil from all its own-brand foods by the end of 2018. In December, Norway banned imports for biofuel production.
But by the time awareness of palm oil’s impact had spread, it was so deeply embedded in the consumer economy that it now may be too late to remove it. (Tellingly, Iceland found it impossible to fulfill its 2018 pledge. Instead, the company ended up removing its branding from foods containing palm oil rather than removing palm oil from all of its branded foods.)
What lovely virtue signalling.
Banning Palm oil will make Malaysians and Indonesians poorer. Racist bastards.
Hey it’s their business but do wonder if their customers give that much of a toss. Didn’t they go organic at one point? Iceland could have been a british lidl but tried to be marks and sparks without the premium.
Very pragmatic. Maybe it’s time I shopped at Iceland again. Apparently they stock a rather good NZ Sauvignon Blanc too.
Coincidentally, the Food Programme on Sunday was about palm oil. All of the experts asked whether palm oil should be banned said something along the lines of “If you’d asked me 10-15 years ago, I’d have said yes because production was like the wild west. Now it’s far more regulated and sustainable, and replacing palm oil would increase ecological damage”.
Jumping on a band wagon just as it goes over a cliff isn’t wise.
Iceland is good at self-promotion.
Most of its stores were formerly called “Bejam”
Many moons ago a smaller company called “Iceland” with inferior customer service but a superior PR department made a takeover bid for Bejam: Iceland was smaller but it had a larger market capitalisation because it had a faster eps growth rate from a smaller base and its financial PR got its shares an unworthwise unjustified premium rating. Value-for-money and customer service in the former Bejam stores gradually declined in the period between the takeover and my last visit.
The “Efficient Market Hypothesis” is a hypothesis that has been disproved many times.
Iceland has gone a bit upmarket lately. Over the last two years, it’s increased its premium range ready meals. And expanded its offers of exotic fish and shellfish. I recommend it!
I’m supposed to give a shit about what Iceland thinks?
@JuliaM
+1
I’ve always found Iceland food to be good, often better & cheaper than Tesco etc
Oxygen and Dihydroxygenium have both been proven to be toxic and carginogenic, so any use of those substances must be Banned!!
oh, wait….