Given its powerful position, some farmers have criticised British Sugar for not focusing research on the development of non-harmful alternatives to neonicotinoids and on the sustainable production of sugar beet more g enerally. In the end, thiamethoxam wasn’t used this year because the threat to the sugar beet crop was lower than expected. However, the issue hasn’t gone away. Rising temperatures caused by climate change mean that the aphids which carry the virus are more likely to survive the winter and the problem may occur again next year. McVitie’s dominates the UK biscuits market with a quarter of market share and six of its biscuits in the top ten by sales. British Sugar not only processes all sugar beet, it controls seed sales and funds UK research on the crop. Discussions about sugar often focus on its impact on public health, and in particular on childhood obesity. A levy on soft drinks has been in place for five years in the UK and has resulted in significant reductions in the amount of sugar in drinks and in consumers shifting to drinks with less sugar. Despite this, the levy hasn’t been extended beyond drinks, and biscuits manufacturers are currently merely encouraged to reduce sugar, with a target of 20%. For readers who prefer to avoid palm oil, below is a list of palm oil free biscuits. We’ve only included the companies that receive our best rating for palm oil or are entirely palm oil free, because we think it’s important to consider what the company is doing as a whole. Some other brands and most supermarkets also have palm oil free options. Palm oil rating and biscuits Brand (and palm rating)

But with biscuits commonly containing palm oil, cocoa and sugar – ingredients often associated with human rights abuses and environmental destruction – how ethical is what you’re munching? We take a look at these three ingredients and how companies are sourcing them. Palm oil is a cheap substitute for animal fats so the biscuits most likely to be palm oil free are the buttery ones like shortbread. Amisa* ( Windmill Organics) – All crispbreads and spelt crispbreads (apart from cheese and pumpkin), dark chocolate corn cakes and rice cakes. (All palm oil free, but owned by Windmill, which uses palm oil.)Once cooled, dip half of the biscuit in the melted chocolate and add sprinkles. Put in the fridge to chill until set. Both provide some financial and other benefits to producers who meet certain standards. This is significant because poverty and low cocoa prices have been identified as key factors in child labour. Fairtrade guarantees a minimum price to protect against low global market prices and also pays a premium which producers can invest in farm improvements and community projects. Rainforest Alliance does not guarantee a minimum price but recently introduced a premium, although it is only about half the size of that guaranteed by Fairtrade. Sugar production uses large amounts of land, and sugar companies have been linked to violent forced evictions of subsistence farmers across the world. Working conditions are poor, with low pay, long hours, and hazardous health conditions such as extreme heat.

What are the options if you wish to either avoid palm oil, or only buy biscuits with certified palm oil? Most other brands including supermarket own-brand biscuits scored a middle rating. However, Aldi and Spar received a worst. Yildiz is the owner of Pladis Foods (who own United Biscuits), whose brands include McVitie’s, Crawford’s, Jacob’s and Carr’s biscuits.Mrs Crimble’s ( Ecotone Group) – Vegan coconut macaroons, Oaty bakes with chocolate, vegan choc macaroons. Just eight companies received our best rating: Mr Organic, Lazy Day Foods, Island Bakery, Duchy Originals, John Lewis (Waitrose), Co-op, M&S and Ferrero (but not Burton’s which make most of its brands). The first four are small companies that provide products we considered to be environmental alternatives because they were vegan or organic. This doesn't mean they are without environmental criticisms though. Tax Avoidance

Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐤 Chocolate (23%) [Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Skimmed 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐤 Powder, Cocoa Mass, Whey Powder (𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐤), Vegetable Fats In Varying Proportions (Palm, Shea Fat, Sal Fat, Mango), Anhydrous 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐤 Fat, Emulsifier: Lecithins (𝐒𝐨𝐲𝐚)], Palm Oil, Sugar, Glucose Syrup, Raising Agents: Sodium Carbonates, Ammonium Carbonates; Flavouring, Cocoa Powder, Salt, Emulsifier: Lecithins (𝐒𝐨𝐲𝐚). Ethical Consumer’s cocoa rating requires companies who use cocoa to demonstrate that all their suppliers are certified by one of two voluntary certification schemes: Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance (which includes UTZ). The expandable tabs below shows the vegan biscuits made by the brands and supermarkets we have rated. It includes biscuits that are labelled as vegan by the brand or the shops which sell them as well as many which are not. Wheat Flour, Sugar, Vegetable Oils (Palm, Rapeseed), Cocoa Butter, Cocoa Mass, Skimmed Milk Powder, Fat Reduced Cocoa Powder 1.4 %, Whey Permeate (from Milk), Milk Fat, Raising Agents (Sodium Carbonates, Diphosphates, Ammonium Carbonates), Salt, Emulsifiers (E442, E476), Flavourings

Palm oil is widely used in many processed foods, including biscuits. Its mass production has been very damaging environmentally and been linked to workers’ and human rights abuses. The challenges remain as large as they have ever been. Poverty is still a daily reality for most smallholder cocoa farmers. Child labour is still rife throughout West Africa. Old-growth forests are still being cut down for cocoa production.”

Hill’s Biscuits – Chocolate creams, fruit shortcake, shortie, ginger nuts, lemon cream, ginger rings, orange creams, digestive creams, bourbon creams, ginger fingers, oaties, fig rolls, nice, fruit shortcake, rich tea. Sugar beet is grown in many parts of Europe including the UK. You might think, then, that it would provide an easy ethical alternative to cane sugar. Think again. Dublin 5.

Net Content

7 x 19.9g e

Storage

Store in a dry place.Those that did not meet the threshold for a middle scored a worst rating. This includes Yildiz, which owns Pladis Foods, maker of McVitie’s, Jacob’s, Carr’s, and TUC. In 2020, only 40% of palm ingredients used for its consumer goods globally were RSPO-certified. Yildiz also owns two processing plants that refine palm oil, and despite the issues being known for more than 10 years, as a processor only 3% of its palm ingredients were RSPO-certified in 2020. Associated British Foods (Ryvita) also scored a worst rating.