I've been compiling a list of multinationals that seem to laugh at the excessive deforestation in order to make more money for their shareholders. First, we all know that deforestation is part of the problem with climate change. Secondly, yes, I am aware that corporations must make profits in order to exist...but at what cost to the well-being of the Earth, its population and the disappearance of orangutans? This is maddening! It reminds me of the proverbial story of the scorpion and the frog, I am sure you are all well versed with this cautionary tale.
Like most of you I get email alerts from a variety of eco sites such as Grist, Greenpeace et cetera. This last one, from RAN, broke the camel's back, so to speak. Rainforests are home to roughly 50% of the world's species, making them an extensive library of biological and genetic resources. In addition, rainforests help maintain the climate by regulating atmospheric gases and stabilizing rainfall, protect against desertification, and provide numerous other ecological functions. So what do we do? We destroy them, of course.
RAN released a report last Wednesday called Cargill’s Problems with Palm Oil, accusing the agribusiness giant of destroying rainforest in Borneo, not complying with international standards on palm oil, and operating two "undisclosed" palm oil plantations in Indonesia. Naturally, Cargill has denied all allegations, saying it works with well-respected non-governmental organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund and Flora and Fauna International to help support sustainable development of palm oil in Indonesia. What do they take us for?
Even Cargills website says no:
"RAN claims Cargill has cleared rainforests and primary forests. This is categorically untrue, we do not operate any undisclosed oil palm properties."
Around 90% of the global supply of palm oil comes from Indonesia and Malaysia, and this has come at a horrifying cost. The forests of Borneo and Sumatra are being burned to the ground to make way for palm oil production. Where does it end up? Well, the list is long: margarine, soups, beans, pasta, ketchup, sauces, chocolates, cream cheese, oven chips, biscuits, cookies, cosmetics, and of course it's being increasingly used in biodiesel.
A little more digging and these inconvenient charts appear:
and this one, which tells a sad story:
Meanwhile, six RAN protestors chained themselves to the staircase of the Cargill’s executive office in Minnesota on Wednesday in protest at the company’s sourcing of palm oil:
“Cargill has been lying to its customers and to our community,” said Eric Nielsen, a local activist who took part in the protest. “We want CEO Greg Page to act now to stop Cargill’s destruction of rainforests before it’s too late.”
The globe’s two biggest food firms, Nestlé and Kraft, have launched internal investigations after a Greenpeace report claimed both purchase palm oil from Indonesian company PT Smart whose parent group Sinar Mas allegedly engages in widespread illegal deforestation and peatland clearance in Indonesia. I reported this in a diary titled The Palm Oil Atrocity, last December.
General Mills too is facing accusations that the palm oil used in its food products is sourced unsustainably, and is strongly linked to deforestation in Southeast Asia.
General Mills is a huge company. They make a large range of food products, from Cheerios to Yoplait yogurt. But a certain ingredient they use in large quantities is contributing to mass deforestation in Indonesia and Malaysia- countries where endangered species like orangutans, certain elephants and rhinos, bonobos and many more wonderful creatures live. These are mega-diverse habitats that are being destroyed for palm oil.
Kelloggs has a novel approach to this dilemma: their spokeperson is on record as saying: "Once sourcing sustainable oil is available at financially and logistically feasible volume, we will move to sustainable palm oil." In the meantime more species will disappear.
Northern Foods, the makers of Goodfella's Pizza, said from January 2010, 60% of the 19,000 tonnes of palm oil it uses annually will be from sustainable sources.
Proctor & Gamble said it is committed to buying only sustainable palm oil by 2015 for its range of products that include beauty and household items including detergents, shampoos, hand and body cleansers, soap and colour cosmetics.
Unilever, under severe pressure from Greenpeace said it is now the industry leader in purchasing GreenPalm certificates to encourage sustainable palm oil growth (they cancelled the £20 million annual contract after learning that Greenpeace was about to publish a dossier of evidence).
Wrigley also aims to source only 100% sustainable oil by 2015 for use in its chewing gum, including Wrigley's Extra.
To recap, 20% of global warming is due to deforestation. Along with the many ecological benefits and resources trees provide, they also sequester carbon dioxide (CO2), the primary greenhouse gas, from the atmosphere and help reduce global warming, while they produce oxygen. You'd think this is an important figure, one that should ban limit these giant corporations from cutting down more of our lungs!
There's a very good eco site, Mongabay, that has catalogued the deforestation over the last few years, and I have to warn you that it's not for the faint-hearted :
each day at least 80,000 acres (32,300 ha) of forest disappear from Earth. At least another 80,000 acres (32,300 ha) of forest are degraded.
And last month France’s Group Casino has pledged to remove palm oil from all its own brand products, starting with 200 by the end of this year, for environmental and health reasons, and use only certified sustainable palm oil in non-food products. Way to go!
Additionally KFC & Cadbury chocolates have moved away from the palm oil and replacing it with canola.