General Mills uses palm oil from plantations that destroy huge tracts of rainforests in Indonesia, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea. Palm oil is a common ingredient in General Mills brands and products, from Betty Crocker and Pillsbury to Nature Valley Granola Bars and Yogurt Burst Cheerios.
In the last five years, demand for palm oil by U.S. companies like General Mills has tripled, resulting in the clearing and burning of rainforests for palm oil plantations. This has put Indigenous and forest-dependent people in jeopardy, as well as endangered species like orangutans, Sumatran tigers and elephants.
General Mills must commit to sourcing only socially and environmentally responsible palm oil. Please send a letter to the CEO of General Mills, Mr. Kendall Powell, and let him know you don't want rainforest destruction in the General Mills products you buy!
I am concerned that General Mills brands and products like Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Nature Valley Granola Bars and Yogurt Burst Cheerios contain palm oil which is directly linked to rainforest destruction. Please help stop this destruction by making a commitment to source socially and environmentally responsible palm oil.
As you are aware, palm oil is grown on industrial plantations that severely impact the environment, forest peoples, and the climate. Palm oil plantations are one of the key causes of rainforest destruction and in effect, global warming. In Indonesia, over 20 million Indigenous and forest-dependent people are at risk from palm oil expansion, as well as endangered species such as orangutans, Sumatran tigers and Sumatran elephants. Currently, the Indonesian government plans to convert 18 million more hectares into palm oil plantations.
While General Mills has expressed concern about rainforest destruction for palm oil and begun to engage its suppliers, you must take stronger action to truly protect rainforests, communities and the climate, as other companies have done. General Mills must sever relationships with palm oil suppliers, such as Cargill, that are causing rainforest destruction, and make a commitment to source socially and environmentally responsible palm oil now. Until this is done, General Mills brands and products will be mired in controversy.
[Your comments]
I would like to continue enjoying my favorite General Mills cereals and snack foods knowing that they do not cause rainforest destruction. So please, be a leader in committing to socially and environmentally responsible palm oil in your brands and products.
