Wednesday night at Rose Cafe, Professor Robins lead a discussion about fats. I half-expected a nutrition talk on good fats versus bad fats, but was pleasantly surprised that our discussion centered on something completely different, that is, the history of fats and the ecological implications of their use. What stood out to me was how various types of fats gained and lost popularity over time as a function of evolving popular opinion surrounding nutrition standards, largely driven by company politics and profit. For example, saturated fats were invalidated in the past as companies switched to using trans fats, and now the standard is that trans fats are “bad” and, coconut oil, a saturated fat, is even touted as a “health” food. Palm oil, due to its versatility, is making a comeback as well.

When a student asked Professor Robbins which fats were “good” and “bad”, he was hesitant to apply this label on any one fat, as opposed to what the media would like to ingrain in your mind, “saturated, unsaturated, trans, monounsaturated, omega-3s..” To Professor Robbins, there are only ecologically good fats and ecologically bad fats. Plant-based fats are probably a more sustainable replacement for animal-based fats, yet large-scale production requires large amounts of land, therefore contributing to deforestation. However, some plant-based fats are much more efficient to produce: palm tree oil yields much more oil per acre, meaning a lower cost of labor and land, compared to coconut oil.

When I think about fats, the production and global supply chain that brought the fat to be in my food, and the implications of their use on the environment is not the first thing to come to mind. Although my consumption habits will probably not change by much, I do appreciate how now I am more conscious about the role fats I consume on a daily basis play in the global market.