00:00:01
The oil palm is treasured by some for
its high yield and easy cultivation.
00:00:05
Its fruit is the source of one of the
world's most important raw materials.
00:00:12
But the palm oil
boom comes at a cost.
00:00:15
Monocultures
destroy nature.
00:00:17
The consequences for biodiversity
and the climate are devastating.
00:00:22
The solution can’t
be deforestation!
00:00:25
Palm oil can be found in
countless products in supermarkets.
00:00:29
It's cheap and
easy to process.
00:00:31
It’s commonly used
in baked goods too.
00:00:34
It's everywhere
and it's hidden!
00:00:37
All around the world,
00:00:38
people are re-thinking
the production of palm oil.
00:00:46
I’d like to hand over a world
00:00:48
to future
generations that’s worth living in.
00:00:50
And if biotechnology helps achieve
that, then I'll use it to that end.
00:01:12
It's 6 a.m., and
Ludovic Gerboin
00:01:14
has been mixing and kneading
dough for hours already.
00:01:18
The artisan baker honed his
craft in France and Germany.
00:01:22
His bakery doubles
as a laboratory.
00:01:25
Here he invents new
and original treats
00:01:28
such as his trademark baguette
made with algae - the "alguette.”
00:01:35
It's important that people
note - this is a natural product.
00:01:39
Making something like this with
simple ingredients makes me happy.
00:01:51
And over the past 12 years, he's
been making a lot of customers happy
00:01:55
here in the village of
Moosinning outside Munich.
00:01:58
Gerboin's unconventional concoctions
and use of regional ingredients
00:02:03
have won the hearts
and palates of locals.
00:02:05
His “alguette”
is a big hit.
00:02:11
We've tasted
everything.
00:02:13
Whenever there’s been something
new, we’ve tried it - as one should!
00:02:17
Nevertheless, at
the end of every day,
00:02:20
Gerboin is faced with a
problem familiar to many bakers:
00:02:23
Piles and piles of
unsold, leftover bread.
00:02:26
Some of it can be used as
breadcrumbs or mixed into doughs.
00:02:30
Throwing out the
bread is a last resort,
00:02:32
due largely to the
financial component.
00:02:35
Both the ingredients and the
energy costs for baking are expensive.
00:02:39
Germany's food and
agriculture ministry
00:02:41
estimates the nation’s bakeries
00:02:43
produce more than 600,000 tons
of surplus baked goods per year.
00:02:47
Packed onto a column of
trucks bumper to bumper,
00:02:50
they'd cover the distance
from Frankfurt to Munich.
00:02:52
And there's another issue
that bothers Ludovic Gerboin
00:02:55
the use of palm oil in
pastries and cream fillings.
00:03:01
We probably need 10
kilos of palm oil per week.
00:03:04
It's everywhere
and it's hidden,
00:03:06
so you don't realize
all the products it's in.
00:03:12
It’s time to grind up the stale bread,
and Thomas Brück has come to help.
00:03:17
He’s a professor of
biotechnology who has spent years
00:03:20
working on creating an
alternative to palm oil.
00:03:23
And he might well
have found a solution
00:03:26
that addresses both of
Gerboin’s predicaments.
00:03:29
His idea is to turn leftover
bread into cooking oil.
00:03:39
We met because my daughter and
his daughter attend the same school.
00:03:42
As an artisan baker, Ludo has
always faced certain challenges.
00:03:48
We got to talking one
time, and he asked me
00:03:50
if I had any innovative
new ideas for his bakery.
00:03:55
I gave it some thought and
mentioned our new yeast oil.
00:04:01
He said he used a lot
of palm oil for baking
00:04:05
and that while there
were alternatives,
00:04:08
most of them were very expensive
00:04:10
and didn't deliver
the results he wanted.
00:04:17
The professor's resourceful idea
was to turn the finely ground bread
00:04:22
into cooking oil harvested in
the lab, rather than the field.
00:04:25
I'll take this with me and a
week and a half from now,
00:04:28
I'll bring back
the product.
00:04:32
Perfect.
00:04:38
Every morning on the
island of Borneo in Indonesia,
00:04:42
Imam Ghozali ventures into
the jungle to bring breakfast
00:04:45
to rescued
orangutans.
00:04:47
The animals have suffered
amid the palm oil boom.
00:04:50
They face displacement
and poaching.
00:04:57
But here at Samboja Lestari,
an animal rescue center,
00:05:01
they have a safe refuge.
00:05:03
Bornean
orangutans are an endangered species.
00:05:06
They need an intact
rainforest to survive.
00:05:09
But all around the sanctuary,
their habitat is being destroyed.
00:05:16
We are grateful
for this place.
00:05:18
We have a duty to conserve
the forest for the future
00:05:22
so that not just the
orangutans but also our children
00:05:25
can continue
to live here.
00:05:29
These baby orangutans
were luckily rescued in time
00:05:32
discovered in the
jungle with no parents.
00:05:35
Unable to fend for themselves,
they now have human guardians.
00:05:40
Once they're old enough, they'll
be released back into the wild.
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Ruby is having
trouble adjusting.
00:05:48
She's now two years old but still
physically weak
00:05:52
and scared of humans.
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So Imam Ghozali always
approaches carefully, and with a mask
00:05:58
to reduce the risk of transmitting
infections to the animals.
00:06:09
We found her on an
oil palm plantation.
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She likely fell victim
to land-clearing.
00:06:19
She was still very small
when we came across her.
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Orangutan mothers don't normally
leave their babies on their own.
00:06:27
So we think her mother
must have been killed.
00:06:33
Ruby's plight is one shared
by many other animals.
00:06:36
Experts estimate that the
orangutan population on Borneo
00:06:40
now numbers
only a few 10,000
00:06:43
having plunged by
three quarters since 1950.
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In that same period, Borneo
lost over half of its forested area
00:06:52
the orangutan's
natural habitat here.
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The culprits:
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logging, mining, and the rapid
expansion of oil palm plantations.
00:07:01
These alarming developments were
a wake-up call for Sulastri Rahmawati.
00:07:06
Although her oil palm
plantation is small,
00:07:09
she wants to make
a big difference.
00:07:11
Today, she's talking
to other local farmers
00:07:14
about the devastating
impact of deforestation.
00:07:17
Perhaps you’ve seen
an orangutan before?
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They are a
protected species.
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If you see one, please
don't hurt or shoot it.
00:07:29
Hunting them
is not permitted.
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Her audience here in
Kongbeng is learning
00:07:35
how to manage their
plantations more sustainably.
00:07:38
Sulastri is effectively the
quality-assurance manager
00:07:41
for this cooperative.
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The group’s common goal is to
obtain the “RSPO certification.”
00:07:50
It's awarded by the "Roundtable
on Sustainable Palm Oil"
00:07:53
for meeting sustainable
environmental and social standards.
00:07:57
Recipients need to have a proven
commitment to a range of principles,
00:08:01
including no felling
of primeval forests,
00:08:04
minimizing their use of
chemical pesticides and fertilizers,
00:08:09
and no slash-and-burn
agriculture.
00:08:12
Smallholder Tugen tells Sulastri
about the common practices here.
00:08:17
Oftentimes, the soil is
sprayed with weedkillers
00:08:21
in order to contain
overgrown grass.
00:08:24
But those toxic chemicals
come with consequences
00:08:27
local farmers
did not expect.
00:08:35
The oil palms
stopped producing fruit.
00:08:42
The branches
were broken.
00:08:46
And we could see that the trunks
became really hard on the inside.
00:08:56
With the reduced harvest
came a reduced profit,
00:08:59
and the realization that
something had to change.
00:09:03
As a result, farmers here are
working toward more sustainability.
00:09:07
And earning RSPO certification
00:09:08
means the prospect of
increasing their income
00:09:11
another
worthwhile reason.
00:09:16
And the trees can provide
far more than just oil.
00:09:20
Markus Matuschka von Greiffenclau
is seizing this potential.
00:09:26
It feels great.
00:09:27
A lovely product with a nice
color - and a really fresh smell.
00:09:32
The product earning his praise is a
new raw material - made from waste.
00:09:47
Thailand is the world's third
biggest producer of palm oil.
00:09:50
But every harvest also generates huge
quantities of "empty fruit bunches"
00:09:56
traditionally seen as waste
and disposed of accordingly.
00:10:00
But that surplus material
from palm oil production
00:10:03
is precisely what interests
the German businessman.
00:10:06
His company recycles
the fibrous fruit husks
00:10:09
turning them into the raw material
for a new type of packaging material.
00:10:13
He and a team of
experts spent a long time
00:10:16
devising the complex
production process
00:10:19
with a lot of
trial and error.
00:10:21
It took 12 years to set
up a production chain
00:10:24
that was both sustainable
and economically viable.
00:10:29
Greiffenclau found the ideal partner
00:10:31
in the Thai Eastern
Pulp and Paper company.
00:10:34
It was while reading an
article about paper shortages
00:10:36
that he had the idea of creating a
raw material from oil palm waste.
00:10:44
Everything you buy
online needs packaging
00:10:46
but where do the raw
materials come from?
00:10:48
That was our
starting point.
00:10:53
Here the plant waste
is further processed.
00:10:55
The empty fruit bunches
00:10:57
are loaded onto
a specially developed conveyor washer.
00:11:00
Next, the fiber bundles
are further separated.
00:11:05
The individual plant fibers provide
the basis for the new commodity.
00:11:10
They’re hollow, light,
and easy to reprocess.
00:11:13
In a process lasting several
hours, they are boiled,
00:11:16
then washed again
and separated again
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until all that remains
is a soft plant pulp.
00:11:22
And after a 22-hour drying process,
the result is a crumbly material.
00:11:34
Other companies then use the product
to make paper and cardboard products
00:11:38
that are water-proof,
printable, and compostable.
00:11:49
This is at the
sophisticated end.
00:11:51
In Japan they have very high
standards when it comes to packaging.
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I’m proud that our
material is being used there
00:11:58
for high-quality
packaging like this.
00:12:02
We've developed a material
that works.
00:12:04
And that's great.
00:12:09
It’s a win-win
situation.
00:12:10
The oil palm waste
is put to good use,
00:12:13
and it’s a source of
income for local farms.
00:12:19
A key ally in the
idea's development
00:12:21
was an entrepreneurial
family in Thailand.
00:12:24
Sineenuch Kokanutaporn
has already won a major award
00:12:27
for sustainable
management.
00:12:29
What we are doing with
Mr. Markus and this project
00:12:33
is help us to create the sustainable
value chain from my current business,
00:12:40
so that the farmer can earn
more and generate more income.
00:12:49
Our business, this one, is
also to bring the sustainable
00:12:54
into the palm oil
industry in Thailand.
00:12:56
We receive lots of
support because Thailand
00:12:59
wants to be at the forefront
of sustainable agriculture.
00:13:04
There are plans to build
several more factories
00:13:07
to produce the
new raw material.
00:13:09
Greiffenclau and his
partners grant licenses
00:13:12
for their innovative technology only
to sustainable palm oil producers.
00:13:20
And Greiffenclau is continually
perfecting the production process
00:13:24
which inevitably involves
troubleshooting issues
00:13:27
with new machinery.
00:13:30
We thought we were done - but we still
have to make further improvements.
00:13:35
It will probably cost
us two working days.
00:13:40
There's also the issue
of employee safety.
00:13:42
I need solutions that
have no loose ends.
00:13:53
Meanwhile, at the Technical
University of Munich,
00:13:56
Thomas Brück is investigating
whether leftover bread
00:13:59
can become a genuine
substitute for palm oil.
00:14:08
That one’s pretty
good - this one isn’t.
00:14:12
No.
00:14:14
Turning organic waste
into cooking oil is an idea
00:14:17
that the researchers here have been
working on for over seven years now.
00:14:21
Dr. Mahmoud Masri is a
constant source of ideas.
00:14:25
The principle is the
same as with fermentation
00:14:27
using yeast to bring about a chemical
conversion,
00:14:30
just like with brewing beer.
00:14:34
Bread is a fantastic raw material
because it dissolves so easily.
00:14:39
If we humans can dissolve
starch and proteins for food,
00:14:42
then microorganisms
definitely can.
00:14:47
After the leftover bread has
been ground into a powder,
00:14:50
special enzymes are added to break it
down into sugar and other compounds.
00:14:56
Next, yeast cultures are
introduced to feed on the sugar
00:15:00
and form an oil
inside the cells.
00:15:02
The oil is extracted, sent to the
bakery, and used to bake bread.
00:15:06
A prime example of
a circular economy.
00:15:09
There’s
not much oil
00:15:11
It’s only day one.
00:15:13
But there is
that drop of oil.
00:15:15
True...
00:15:19
And the black
vesicles?
00:15:21
Concerning.
00:15:22
But let's see
00:15:24
And it’s also unusual that
they’re all in the division phase.
00:15:29
We subjected the cells to
especially stressful conditions.
00:15:33
They don't look
very healthy.
00:15:34
We’ve seen them in
better condition before!
00:15:38
These are the oil
droplets inside the cell
00:15:41
and two days later, they
have a 90 percent saturation
00:15:45
exactly the right
point to harvest them.
00:15:49
“Harvest” in
this case means:
00:15:51
dissolving and extracting the
oil-enriched cells
00:15:54
to produce cooking oil.
00:15:56
In three days, the team
can produce up to 70 liters.
00:16:00
It’s very thick.
00:16:03
The palm oil substitute now goes
back to baker Ludovic Gerboin.
00:16:08
He’s going to try baking with the oil
that was produced from his stale bread
00:16:12
and is very curious to see
how the results will taste.
00:16:24
Sulastri Rahmawati
has been up since 2 a.m.
00:16:27
She has
a lot to do.
00:16:29
Before heading out to the plantation,
she takes care of her four children.
00:16:34
Her income goes
towards feeding her family.
00:16:42
Palm oil is an integral part
of people's lives in this area
00:16:45
in big and
small ways.
00:16:51
Of course, palm oil is
really important for us.
00:16:55
It has a positive impact on
our society, myself included.
00:17:01
It helps our
economy.
00:17:07
Also the products,
like this cooking oil,
00:17:12
are really useful
in our daily lives
00:17:17
And if it were gone, I can't imagine
how we would make do without it.
00:17:25
Her plantation earns her the
equivalent of 200 euros a month.
00:17:29
While the cost of living is
relatively low in Indonesia,
00:17:32
that's only just enough
for her to make ends meet.
00:17:35
Sulastri is aware of the
problems that the plantations
00:17:38
cause for both
humans and nature,
00:17:40
but the oil is central to
many people's livelihoods.
00:17:44
There is no real alternative
to the controversial plant.
00:17:52
Soybean-farming, for example, would
require a far higher number of plants
00:17:57
and a lot
more land.
00:18:04
Producing one ton of palm oil requires
just over a quarter of a hectare
00:18:08
but it takes two hectares to
produce a ton of soybean oil.
00:18:12
That’s almost eight
times as much space.
00:18:14
But there is a way forward:
00:18:16
sustainable
farming practices on the land
00:18:19
already in use, without the
need to clear more rainforest.
00:18:24
Among the people pushing
for this change is Ade Cahyat.
00:18:28
He works as a project leader for
Germany's main development agency,
00:18:31
GIZ.
00:18:33
He’s working to help local
producers meet RSPO standards.
00:18:39
So being certified doesn't
mean that everything is perfect,
00:18:42
as you can
see here.
00:18:44
But this certification process not
only helps them to getting there,
00:18:52
but also connects them with other
smallholders with the same objective.
00:18:59
So they can talk to each other,
they can learn from each other.
00:19:03
At least this is
the best way.
00:19:05
It's not perfect,
I understand,
00:19:07
but it is the best that we
can see at the moment.
00:19:10
RSPO certification does
not mean a green eco-label.
00:19:15
What it does is ensure small but
important adjustments to the system.
00:19:19
It’s also a way to motivate
people on the ground
00:19:22
to voluntarily do
more for conservation.
00:19:28
Today, Sulastri is getting
insights from Ma Inun,
00:19:32
another smallholder
from a nearby cooperative.
00:19:35
The mother of eight is
eager to earn the certification
00:19:38
and hopefully
increase her income.
00:19:40
The death of her
husband a year ago
00:19:43
means that she's dependent on
her oil palms to support her family.
00:19:47
Chemical fertilizers or
pesticides aren’t in her budget.
00:19:55
I used to grow vegetables
and raise livestock.
00:19:58
That's when I started
using only organic fertilizers.
00:20:03
When my animals didn’t produce enough,
I bought some extra goat manure,
00:20:07
for example.
00:20:11
I don't really use
any chemicals.
00:20:21
The cows grazing under her oil
palms keep the grass and weeds short
00:20:25
in addition to providing milk
and a natural zero-cost fertilizer.
00:20:30
Sulastri Rahmawati and Ma
Inun are among the 5 million
00:20:34
smallholders worldwide who are
dependent on the palm oil industry.
00:20:38
Together this
group of farmers
00:20:39
produces almost 40%
of the global output.
00:20:43
Ma Inun used to make a living from
vegetables,
00:20:46
cocoa plants, and livestock.
00:20:48
But she didn’t
earn enough,
00:20:49
so she turned to the more
profitable palm oil production.
00:20:53
As a gardener she knows a
variety of ways to save money
00:20:56
such as producing
her own plant fertilizer,
00:20:59
from whatever ends up in the
compost. And she has a special trick:
00:21:03
Brown sugar.
00:21:04
It activates the bacteria
and accelerates the process.
00:21:07
Her fertilizer is produced at
low cost and with no chemicals.
00:21:11
A sustainable and
affordable solution.
00:21:15
Sulastri is impressed, and will be
introducing the idea to her cooperative.
00:21:19
The hope is that the
smallholders will finally
00:21:21
be able to get
RSPO certification.
00:21:26
Just a few days later, Sulastri
has come to the cooperative's office
00:21:30
to compile the work
schedules for the coming week.
00:21:33
She's now received
the long-awaited news
00:21:36
that all the hard work of the
last two years has paid off.
00:21:39
The group was granted
RSPO certification!
00:21:44
It wasn't easy for the farmers
to understand everything.
00:21:48
We had to explain
the programs every day
00:21:50
and tell them what
they need to do
00:21:51
and what this will mean
for them in the future.
00:21:53
But we showed that getting
the certification is possible!
00:22:00
What Sulastri and her cooperative
do with that endorsement
00:22:04
will also have an impact
on the future of the rainforest.
00:22:10
Over in Thailand, Markus
Matuschka von Greiffenclau
00:22:13
and his team have worked tirelessly
to get the new machine operational.
00:22:18
They ended up making and welding
on brackets for the pressure pipes.
00:22:26
It still needs
insulation.
00:22:28
It heats up
quite a bit.
00:22:29
So next comes
full insulation
00:22:31
then we'll be back to
20-hours-a-day operation.
00:22:35
And just in time.
00:22:37
There’s considerable
interest in his raw material,
00:22:40
so he needs everything
running smoothly.
00:22:52
With the growing
buzz in Southeast Asia,
00:22:55
the factory in Thailand has a steady
stream of high-profile visitors.
00:22:59
Among them is the country's biggest
producer of disposable paper towels.
00:23:04
The owner is here
in person today,
00:23:06
accompanied by 20 of his most
senior managers and engineers.
00:23:14
The company promptly signs a
contract to buy the material in bulk,
00:23:18
together with the
relevant licenses.
00:23:20
The many years of
work are really paying off.
00:23:23
She asked if
you are happy.
00:23:25
Oh, yes.
00:23:26
Well, I think now what we are
doing is in the eyes of the customers
00:23:33
and in the eyes
of the world.
00:23:35
So now, I think
it's a beginning.
00:23:38
Plus we're making a
change for the better.
00:23:40
Making money
is one thing
00:23:42
but then doing it in a way
that brings real benefits,
00:23:44
including for people who don't
have anything to do with the paper.
00:23:47
The forests
are preserved.
00:23:48
It feels great!
00:23:54
After creating a raw
material for the future,
00:23:57
the next step for
Greiffenclau and his partners
00:23:59
is to expand into other countries
00:24:01
and
there are already interested parties.
00:24:07
Back in Germany, baker
Ludovic Gerboin and his daughter
00:24:11
are experimenting
with the new oil.
00:24:18
The last few months have
been full of change for Gerboin.
00:24:21
A shortage of qualified staff meant
he had to close down his bakery.
00:24:26
He’s pivoted to working as a
product developer and test baker.
00:24:30
13-year-old Amandine shares her
father's passion for innovative baking
00:24:34
with both the new yeast
oil and the superfood algae.
00:24:46
It tastes slightly nutty
00:24:48
but not like sea and salt.
00:24:51
It tastes
really good.
00:24:55
And the lab-produced oil
works nicely in the pastry cream.
00:24:59
It’s easy to incorporate
and tastes good.
00:25:06
You can use it for a ganache
00:25:08
or a glaze
and for all kinds of bread products
00:25:12
like rolls and pretzels and
even loaves of bread too.
00:25:20
You could use it for any kind of
dough normally made with butter.
00:25:26
Amandine has a creative streak
herself,
00:25:29
and is fascinated by new ideas
00:25:32
like the yeast oil.
00:25:34
She's even designed a t-shirt
illustrating the entire cycle:
00:25:38
saving the rainforest and orangutans
with the help of some smart solutions
00:25:43
and a lot of
leftover bread.
00:25:49
I drew the picture.
00:25:50
There's a baker, and this illustration
shows that nothing gets thrown away.
00:25:56
And if you think about
it, it's a good alternative
00:25:58
and could really
make a difference.
00:26:03
We need to transform
the whole system.
00:26:05
We need a better world
- for her children too.
00:26:08
Bit by bit, we can change things
because it can’t go on like this.
00:26:15
The yeast oil passed the tests
conducted by the artisan baker,
00:26:19
and is in no way
inferior to palm oil.
00:26:22
Professor Thomas Brück
is eager to spread the idea
00:26:25
and pays a visit to
pastry chef, Alfred Dorsch.
00:26:28
Ludovic Gerboin is also
there to provide practical tips.
00:26:35
Hello!
00:26:37
Like most bakeries, Dorsch has a
lot of leftovers come closing time.
00:26:41
How about a more
sustainable setup
00:26:44
instead of throwing out
all that expensive bread?
00:26:46
The yeast oil could
offer an alternative.
00:26:52
In fact, we're now cheaper compared
to conventional vegetable oils.
00:26:57
Take palm oil:
1,500 euros per ton.
00:27:01
And right now, our price
is probably 1,000 euros.
00:27:13
It basically tastes
like regular fat
00:27:17
without any
aftertaste.
00:27:20
I would have done it myself
had the idea occurred to me!
00:27:25
Feeding surplus bread
back into the cycle
00:27:28
is not just good business
for local bakeries.
00:27:30
Major chains generate food
waste on a massive scale
00:27:33
and have now also
discovered the savings potential.
00:27:39
We're also talking to
large industrial bakeries
00:27:42
with 60, 80 or 100
tons of leftovers.
00:27:46
They get return deliveries
from numerous supermarkets.
00:27:52
And it doesn’t
stop there.
00:27:53
He’s also had interest from
food retailers across Europe.
00:27:57
The new cooking oil
fashioned from leftover bread
00:28:00
could be a viable
alternative to palm oil
00:28:03
and in the process help
to conserve our rainforests.
