Italy: FFC Writes to Regional Councilors to Stop Palm Oil Ban from Schools

In late July, the Marche Regional Council approved the 2017-2019 Public Education Plan. The plan included a recommendation, promoted by the Italian populist party Movimento 5 Stelle, that aims at banning palm oil from public schools and replacing it with other ingredients. FFC promptly reacted to the proposal and provided Regional Councilors with scientific evidences and arguments that explain why palm oil is not harmful.

FFC promptly reacted to a proposal passed in Marche Region, Italy, to ban palm oil products, such as Nutella from public schools and provided Regional Councilors with scientific evidences and arguments that explain why palm oil is not harmful.

The proposal was presented by the political party Movimiento 5 Stelle, and this attempt to ban products containing palm oil denies the critical spirit that public schools should nurture. FFC stand for the right of students to choose what to eat.

In late July, the Marche Region Council passed the 2017-2019 Education plan. The plan included the Movimento 5 Stelle’s recommendation to ban palm oil from goods sold in public schools and replace it with other ingredients. Movimento 5 Stelle provided no prove that palm oil is harmful. Likewise they have not provided any fact about ingredients that could be used to replace palm oil. It is clearly a discrimination against free competition.

Marche is the first Italian Region that bans palm oil. What does it mean? Simple. Kids and students, including college students, will not be able to buy products like Nutella.

We immediately reached out to all Regional Councilors, expressing our concern and presenting scientific facts confirming that:

• palm oil is not harmful;
• palm oil free products might have more saturated fats than products containing palm oil as demonstrated in our study;
• oil palm plantations are more sustainable than many other crops plantations;
• citizens and students must be free to choose what to eat. Schools must provide students with the right tools and knowledge to make free choices.

Marche Regional Councilors have now the scientific information and tools to make the right choice. They have to decide whether to support science and defend the right of students to make free choices or to follow the ideological prejudices promoted by Movimento 5 Stelle that discriminate palm oil and favor other ingredients.