Hello 👋,
There are fewer than 13,000 Sumatran Orangutans left, with only 800 Tapanuli Orangutans. Their rainforest habitat in Indonesia is shrinking drastically, with more than 80% of orangutan habitat in Borneo being destroyed in 20 years. Orangutans are burned, killed and injured in the destruction of their rainforests. Those who survive lose their homes, and risk starvation due to the loss of their natural foods. Some orangutans raid palm oil plantations looking for food, and then get shot or killed with stakes by plantation owners.
Palm oil is also rife with human rights abuses. Child labour is sometimes used on palm oil plantations, sometimes with no safety equipment and many hazards, such as falling branches, exposure to chemicals and heavy lifting. One child said "The hardest thing is to gather the loose fruit because they are heavy. My hands hurt and my body aches." Workers are forced to work in order to meet ridiculously high targets. One maintenance worker said "I have rheumatism and my knee joints hurt... The foreman yells at me if I don't meet the target. I have to work through the pain otherwise the foreman will count me as only working for half a day if I don't meet the target." There is gender discrimination in the palm oil business, too. Women are sometimes hired only as casual daily workers, being denied permanent employment, and the social security benefits, such as health insurance and pensions. Palm oil workers are also exposed to air pollution from forest fires, and toxic chemicals in weedkillers, pesticides and fertilisers.
Palm oil is a big business in Indonesia, but this could be replaced with a new, more ethical and even more economic industry. Also, we will boycott Indonesian companies, products and tourism until ALL unethical palm oil production and sale is banned completely, so banning the sale and production of palm oil is in the best interests of Indonesia, its people and its Government as well.
We will keep bombarding you with messages until these changes are made!!!!!
Thank you 😊.
