What choices do we really have?
Take almond oil, for for example. It is a pure product with no ‘harmful’ additives and can be used neat for personal or culinary use. It has little flavour or smell and is packed full of goodness, which makes it ideal for these uses.
As it’s a nut oil, it would take a fair few almonds to make and thus, is not particularly cheap to use (compared to something like a petrochemical or large-scale commercially produced crop oil volume wise).
So for the few that may wish to use a natural product on their skin and are prepared to pay, almond oil is perfect.
What happens if everyone wants a bottle of pure almond oil in their bathroom? The few countries that produce it flatten their virgin land in favour of almond plantations. Bio-diversity suffers, habitats are transformed and populations become more fluid. Local, regional and international transportation use increase exponentially. Jobs are created and economies supported. Families and communities prosper. We now have a product on the scale of sunflower or canola oil.
All of which makes the product less of an option for the eco-conscious consumer who, if they really want to make a difference would really need a plot of land with some almond trees and a cold press…
