Letter to Mr. Kempczinski, CEO of McDonalds

Willow Street 8465

San Helix, CA

Chief Executive Officer Chris Kempczinski

1 McDonald’s Plaza

Oak Brook, IL 60523

Dear Mr. Kempczinski,

I am writing to you as a college student, currently attending California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, regarding McDonald’s use of palm oil in various products. Palm oil can have very negative effects to the environment, including deforestation, an increase in climate change, and habitat loss, which is why I am urging you to reduce the amount of palm oil used in your companies’ food products.

The primary reason palm oil can be so harmful to the environment is that tropical forests need to be cut down in order to harvest it. “About 90% of the world’s oil palm trees are grown on a few islands in Malaysia and Indonesia” (“World n.d.). These islands contain very biodiverse tropical forests that need to be removed in order to make space for palm oil plantations. Many endangered animals, such as species of elephants, rhinos, and tigers, are losing their habitats because the tropical forests are being cut down. Palm oil plantations also produce a lot of waste: "2.5 metric tons of effluent for every metric ton of palm oil…” (World, n.d). Once this waste is released, it runs down the soil and into freshwater, leading to both soil and water pollution. Additionally, a common method to clear out trees in the tropical forest is to burn them down. “The burning of forests releases smoke and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, polluting the air and contributing to climate change” (World, n.d). Even if the trees are cut down instead of burned, it will still increase the effects of climate change. Tropical forests are very important because they absorb a greater amount of carbon from the atmosphere than they emit. If these trees are cut down, less carbon in the atmosphere will be absorbed, which will contribute to climate change, a big problem for generations to come. Research shows that, “…our planet’s average temperature could be between 2 and 9.7°F warmer in 2100 than it is today” (Herring, 2021). We need to start doing something now to prevent climate change before it’s too late. Limiting the amount of palm oil used in McDonald’s food products is a great way for you to help and will also reduce pollution and preserve the habitats of many endangered species.

Numerous different oils exist that can be used as an alternative to palm oil. Rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, soy bean oil, coconut oil, and black seed oil will affect McDonald’s food products in a similar way that palm oil does. Although using some of these oils may present new challenges, they are much better for the environment. For example, sunflower oil is, “hygienically extracted from organically grown and cultivated sunflower crops produced and processed as per NOP/ NPOP standards, making it a healthier choice for the planet” (Chowdhary 2020). Another alternative, coconut oil, is, “procured using traditional methods and comes packed with antioxidants as well as antibacterial and potent medicinal properties” (Chowdhary, 2020). Instead of using a product that comes from clearing tropical forests, you can help the environment in a significant way by using one of these alternative oils in McDonald’s food products.

McDonald’s is one of the most popular and well-known fast-food-chains nationwide, with over 37,000 locations in lots of different countries. Serving more than 69 million customers daily, McDonald’s can play a very significant role in helping the environment (Wikimedia Foundation, 2021). Even a very small reduction in palm oil can have drastic effects on the environment because so many people eat at McDonald’s every day. I am urging you to either replace palm oil with an alternative source or to reduce the amount of palm oil in certain products. By doing this, you will help save endangered species living in tropical forests, reduce pollution, and impede the effects of climate change. No matter how small the change may seem, decreasing the amount of palm oil used in McDonald’s food will help the environment in a major way. Please reach out to me if you would like any additional information on this topic. Thank you for your time and consideration; I look forward to hearing back from you soon.

Sincerely,

A concerned student

Works Cited

Chowdhary, C. (2020, February 6). Skip the forest-destroying palm oil; go for these awesome alternatives instead. The Better India. Retrieved November 1, 2021, from https://www.thebetterindia.com/213817/palm-oil-healthy-alternatives-vegetable-oil-planet-damage-deforestation-climate-change-lifestyle-char01/.

Herring, D. (2021, October 26). Climate change: Global temperature projections. Climate Change: Global Temperature Projections | NOAA Climate.gov. Retrieved October 31, 2021, from https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-global-temperature-projections.

Wikimedia Foundation. (2021, October 29). McDonald's. Wikipedia. Retrieved November 1, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonald%27s.

World Wildlife Fund. (n.d.). What is Palm Oil? Facts about the palm oil industry. WWF. Retrieved October 31, 2021, from https://www.worldwildlife.org/industries/palm-oil.