Say NO to palm oil and end deforestation

As a citizen, you can voice concern about deforestation for palm oil development and help to pressure companies, manufacturers and governments to take serious action. Below are a collection of current petitions and letter writing campaigns which need your support.

We shouldn't underestimate the impact of adding our voice to critical campaigns. Companies address their ties to unsustainable palm oil only when they can see it is an issue consumers care about, and one that could therefore impact their profit margins should they chose not to address their negative contribution. So make your voice heard!

The Big 20 Snack Food Companies:

Orangutans are gentle and intelligent animals, among humankind's closest kin. Yet they could become extinct in our lifetime, with only 60,600 wild individuals left. Rainforest Action Network are collecting 60,600 names to send to 20 snack food companies using conflict-palm oil in their products, one for every known wild orangutan remaining. We must hold these companies to account and push them to eliminate conflict palm oil from their products. Click here.

Starbucks:

Starbucks is the world's largest coffee retailer -- and a purveyor of palm oil linked to deforestation, extinction and human rights abuses. While other industry giants have committed to cutting conflict palm oil from their supply chains, Starbucks is ignoring this growing emergency and the concerns of its consumers. In 2013, facing public pressure, Starbucks announced that it would be sourcing 100% sustainable palm oil by 2015. That deadline has come and gone, and Starbucks needs to hear from us that we won't wait any longer for responsible palm oil. 

PepsiCo:

Another global corporate giant refusing to remove deforestation from their supply chain is PepsiCo -- one of the biggest producers of children's snacks. PepsiCo is a major conflict palm oil laggard, dragging its feet, refusing to admit it even has a problem. With a whopping 457,200 metric tons of palm oil used annually, PepsiCo has a huge impact on forests, people, wildlife and the climate. Tell PepsiCo you won't stand for deforestation, extinction or exploitation. 

Stop the Fires & Save the Forests:

Every year, blazing fires destroy forests and peatlands. Every year, thick smoke covers Indonesia and tens of thousands of people die prematurely from respiratory illness. These forest fires are a man-made crisis caused by some of the biggest palm oil and paper companies in the world. To ensure fires don't take off again as predicted for 2016, global pressure is required so that companies using palm oil take serious action. Join 22-year-old Indonesian student Rahmi Carolina in pressuring companies to act on Indonesian Government's new policy to stop the fires once and for all. 

Shut Down Surabaya Zoo:

The Surabaya Zoo in East Java is a hellish nightmare for the animals it houses. From a dead giraffe who ingested a beachball-sized wad of plastic wrappers to Sumatran tigers slowly starving to death in concrete enclosures, an estimated 15 to 25 animals die each month at Surabaya. There are also persistent suspicions that members of staff at the zoo are connected with illegal wildlife trafficking, supplying the zoo with animals who have been smuggled from their rainforest habitats that are being deforested for logging and palm oil development. This prison needs to shut down. 

Justice for Mowgli:

The Sabah Wildlife Department plan to release Mowgli, a 13-year-old orangutan who has been in captivity since he was 1 month old, into the Sepilok-Kabili forest. This poses a serious threat to Mowgli who has never learnt survival skills such as how to feed himself or build nests, as well as tourists visiting the area, as he is very habituated to humans. For years, Mowgli was forced to pose in photos with tourists and perform in shows at zoos. Instead of risking his life, those who have made financial profits from exploiting Mowgli should pay for his care in captivity.

http://www.saynotopalmoil.com/Whats_the_issue