Sabden Primary School
13th July 2010
WE CARE ABOUT THE FOOD WE EAT!
Morning
The Global Dimension – what we buy matters!
Introduction to Palm Oil, deforestation and the plight of the orang-utans – short video
Show orang-utan photos – pictures - orangutans
Our shopping basket: –
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Looking at the contents of a typical shopping basket – identify products that contain palm
oil, then try to find a more eco-friendly alternative (web research)
How do we know what we eat? Food labelling, vegetable oil – Sainsbury’s policy.
Writing ‘the happy orang-utan’ list (what not to buy!)
How do we persuade people to change? Who should we write to?
Local produce. QUIZ – Am I English? Am I in season? TASTING FRUIT/VEG
What is in the shops and where is it from? Mark on a world map where it’s come from, how far has it
travelled to get to us?
Compare exotic tropical fruits with local ones. We have a huge number of exciting fruits that have
been traditionally grown in the UK which many pupils won’t have tried e.g. unusual apples, pears,
plums, raspberry, blackberries damsons etc. What is in season?
Keep a food diary for a week – record what we eat. Which foods contain palm oil? Can we suggest
alternatives?
Other names for palm oil – some of them are very big! Get parents to help...
Cety alcohol
Dicetyldimonium chloride
Elaeis guineensis
E471
Isopropyl palmitate, octyl palmitate, potassium palmitate, retinyl palmitate.
Vit A Palmitate
Palmitic acid
Palm kernel oil
Palm kernelamide DEA and MEA
Palm oil
Palm olein vegetable oil
Steareth-2, Steareth-20
Sodium palm kernelate
Vegetable oil
At home:
Kitchen poster
Local:
The shops in Sabden/Read/Clitheroe
National:
Large supermarket chains
Step 1
Boycott any products that contain palm oil in their ingredients. Palm oil is widely used in processed
foods such as cookies , chips, margarine, and candy. It is also found in many household products
and cosmetics like detergent, lotion and lipstick. Boycotting such products keeps money from the
palm oil industry, helping to slow its takeover and destruction of rainforests.
Step 2
Spread the word. Talk to friends and family about boycotting products made with palm oil. Most
people haven't heard about the damaging effects of the palm oil industry on the environment and
animals like orang-utans. Raising awareness is one of the most important ways you can help. The
more people boycott palm oil, the more corporations will feel the pressure to stop using it.
Step 3
Write letters to companies that sell products with palm oil and make it clear that you are
disappointed in their choice to support a destructive industry. Ask them to consider alternative
options to palm oil, and tell them that you won't buy their products until they stop using it.
Step 4
Speak with grocery store managers or contact a chain's corporate headquarters about discontinuing
the sales of items made with palm oil. This can be difficult to accomplish, but it's worth a try. Most
people unknowingly support the palm oil industry when they buy these products because there are
so many of them. Removing the products completely could make a significant impact on the
industry.
Afternoon
Writing letters, poetry, stories
If I was an orang utan
Designing posters