Leading manufacturers, such as Nestle and General Mills, as well as major companies like Morrison's and Tesco's unnecessarily use palm oil in a vast majority of their products. The primary issue with using palm oil is that it is one of the main causes of rainforest deforestation, and threatens the welfare of indigenous tribes and animals. Unchecked expansion has allowed palm oil plantations to jeopardize a multitude of diverse ecosystems, posing a threat to countless wildlife species, including the Sumatran orangutan, now on the brink of extinction. This mass destruction of rainforests and peatland is releasing globally significant quantities of carbon pollution into the atmosphere, making palm oil a huge contributor to climate change. The production of palm oil is also responsible for violations to human rights, as palm oil companies often forcefully remove Indigenous tribes and rural communities from their native lands.
The rainforests of Indonesia are among the most biodiverse on the planet, containing 10% of the world’s known plants, 12% of mammals, and 17 % of all known bird species. The threat from deforestation is massive; only half of the country’s original forests remain, with an estimated 2 million acres lost every year. If palm oil expansion continues, it not only threatens the planet in regards to climate change but additionally jeopardizes the lives of important mammals, birds and plants. All too soon the future generation will only be able to observe such animals and plants in protected areas, or, if the rate of deforestation remains consistent, in books and online.
