At Harry Gow, we recognise the impact our bakery production can have on our local environment but also how much the industry can impact areas overseas.
One ingredient we use which we are often asked about is palm oil. This is a versatile raw material used in many recipes by food manufacturers across the world. It provides a vital income stream for millions of farmers and communities who's livelihood depends on it across Indonesia and Malaysia.
It's important to not that although it props up many communities, palm cultivation is closely linked to deforestation and damaging change to the natural habitat of the orangutan. These species are endangered.
A huge 73 million tonne of palm oil produced every year. The UK uses 0.6% and 75% of the 0.6% is certified and sustainable. We use sustainably sourced palm oil in our products at Harry Gow. While some businesses attempt to strip palm oil from their products, we have to recognise that a considerable population of people rely on this industry and their economies would suffer if the use of palm oil suddenly stopped.
