How Palm Oil, Colonialism, and Greed Have Endangered the World: Jocelyn Zuckerman on PYP 543
Channel: Sick to Fit | Plant Yourself Podcast
Date: 2022-12-19

I've known today's guest since 1977, when Jocelyn Zuckerman and I met in 7th grade at South Orange Junior High.

We were in most of the same classes for six years; three years in junior high and three years at Columbia High School. After going our separate ways, we reconnected a decade ago at a high school reunion.

I was fascinated to see that Jocelyn was working on really hard hitting, important investigative journalism around food and politics. Recently, her book, Planet Palm, was published, about how palm oil ended up in everything and endangered the world.

I bought it right away and asked Jocelyn if she'd agree to a conversation after I'd read the book, and she agreed. 

My admission here is that it took me a really long time to read the book - almost a year to finish it. And to explain why, I'm going to crib from a blurb on the back of the hardcover, by Ruth Reichl:

"Jocelyn Zuckerman has crossed the globe and looked back in time to show us how much the appetite for palm oil profit has cost us in human suffering, environmental degradation, and loss of biodiversity. This extraordinary work of investigative journalism will make you cry and gnash your teeth. It will fill you with rage. It's essential reading for everyone who wonders if their food choices matter."

I really got hung up with crying, gnashing my teeth, and being filled with rage. It was just more than I could handle, except a few pages at a time. And I just had to read it.

Jocelyn, on the other hand, had to live it, research it, and write it.

She traveled the world for years and years, unflinchingly telling this really important story. I am so thrilled that I finally finished it and that I got to have this wonderful conversation and reconnection with the author.