The Indonesian rainforest is disappearing at an alarming rate — pushing species like the Sumatran tiger and orangutan to the brink of extinction.
Its a familiar story. The destruction has been going on for decades. But its no longer just the trees that companies are after. Its the land.
Many palm oil producers bulldoze Indonesian rainforest at a rate of acres an hour to make way for palm oil plantations. And that palm oil ends up in products from companies like Procter & Gamble, LOreal and Colgate Palmolive.
These companies share something else in common. All are part of an organization called the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) that could completely transform the palm oil industry by requiring its member companies to stop buying palm oil linked to rainforest destruction.
The CGF made big changes like this to protect the environment before, but only following public demand. To make this happen, we need to generate massive public pressure. Greenpeace is launching a campaign to do just that and and send 75,000 message to the CGF by December 10th.
Some of the CGF’s most well known members, Unilever and Nestle, recently made commitments to stop buying dirty palm oil. Just last month, even the makers of Nutella decided to end deforestation in their supply chains.
Making these commitments is a step in the right direction to saving the Sumatran tiger, the orangutan and all the amazing creatures that call the Indonesian rainforest home.
The palm oil industry has become the number one cause of forest destruction in Indonesia.
Palm oil is an important part of the Indonesian economy and is responsible for millions of jobs. It can and must make a genuine contribution to Indonesias development. What it cant do is destroy the future for its people, its wildlife and the global climate on which we all depend.
Backed by a growing movement of supporters demanding clean palm oil, we can push the palm oil industry to make that change. Its a strategy that we know works from experience. Thanks to people like you, this April the largest pulp and paper company in Indonesia committed to stop rainforest destruction.