Dirty palm oil threatens communities and wildlife around the world. It's so pervasive that Canadian farmers are even using it to feed cows, as we learned during the recent "Buttergate" controversy.
But did you know that Canada's federal government has a big role to play in its rising consumption?
According to our research, there is a high risk we could get a lot more of it if a trade deal is approved with Indonesia — the largest palm oil producer in the world.
Why is this bad news? Fires and deforestation for palm oil plantations caused severe respiratory illnesses for hundreds of thousands of people in 2019 and have been linked to viruses like COVID-19 and diseases like malaria.
The industry's expansion is also a danger to 54% of all threatened mammals and 64% of all threatened birds globally.
Palm oil imports to Canada are already up a massive 400% since 2007. Any deal that opens the door to more of this destruction would be a disaster.
But you can do something about it.
Sign the petition to halt the trade deal. Tell the Minister of Trade Mary Ng to shut the door to dirty palm oil in this deal and instead support Canadian farmers choosing ecological alternatives.
