Food and cosmetic manufacturers are allowing the public to indirectly fund the genocide of Orangutans and the burning of their natural habitats in Indonesia by importing and distributing Palm Oil that is unregulated and uncertified by the RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil).

The real impact of unsustainable palm oil has been hidden from the public for too long by some of the worlds biggest brands who know that if the public were aware of the damage caused, they would be boycotted.

For brands to include unsustainable palm oil in their products without clear indication of the origin of its contents should be illegal - consumers have the right to know what’s in their food and cosmetics.

We believe that every brand using unsustainable palm oil should be legally obligated to mark their packaging with a symbol; and by signing this petition you can help reinforce this change and make it a reality.

By empowering consumers to make more informed purchase decisions, we can reduce the import and sale of unsustainable palm oil that is contributing the destruction of some of the most biodiverse forests in the world and take a big step in preventing the extinction of the Orangutans and the other endangered species that inhabit the forests.

Today we invite you to join us to fight back against the most irresponsible brands. With your help, Symbols For Peace want to bring a much stronger public awareness to this most urgent crisis. Join the Symbols For Peace campaign and send a message to these companies that no amount of palm oil is worth the life of these precious animals or the significant environmental damage that the slash and burn deforestation is causing.

We want the Unsustainable Palm Oil Symbol to be internationally recognised as a symbol of resistance across the globe. By raising the profile of this symbol by marking the offending products for all to see, we can send a message to the most destructive brands that unsustainable, destructive palm oil will no longer be tolerated.

We stand by these statements:

Anything less than 100% certified sustainable Palm Oil across a companies entire product range is not good enough.

For brands to claim that they will reach 100% sustainable within a FEW YEARS is not good enough. The survival of the Orangutans and the protection of the environment depend on us and them taking action TODAY.

Goals:

To instigate the introduction of a universally recognised packaging symbol onto ALL commercially available products that contain unsustainable palm oil.

This petition is to be delivered to:

The UK Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Michael Gove MP

The Chief Executive of the UK Food Standards Agency Jason Feeney

Director General of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) Dr Monique Eloit

The European Commission's Director-General for Environment Daniel Calleja Crespo

Here’s how you can go a step further after signing this petition:

Download your own free-to-use SYMBOL FOR UNSUSTAINABLE PALM OIL here. and become an active member of the Symbols For Peace campaign by distributing it in any way you can think of.

The download also contains valuable information on the Palm Oil crisis and information on brands to mark and brands to encourage.

TWITTER: @symbolsforpeace

"The name "orangutan" is derived from the Malay and Indonesian words orang meaning "person" and hutan meaning "forest." What a tragedy it would be to let this precious "person of the forest" vanish from the face of the Earth forever. But if we all have the will and determination to step up and prevent that from happening, I do believe we still can." - Alan Knight, ecowatch.com

"Fire is a tool in this part of the world, and every year Indonesian farmers burn down wild forest to make room for more pulpwood, rubber plantations and palm oil. But last year was different. The fires fed on peatland raged beyond control, consuming the timber that burns so easily in the country’s dry season. Indonesia became Hell on Earth, with satellites showing the length of the country swaddled in smoke. Borneo and western Sumatra, the worst-hit areas, glowed like embers. Acid haze poured over the borders and into Malaysia and Singapore and Thailand." - Pierce Nahigyan, planetexperts.com

“Boycotting is a powerful tool to implement change and to push companies and governments to amend practices. But before you boycott you must know what change you’re trying to achieve and what the alternative option is.” Boycotting palm oil may seem like a simple solution, but switching to another oil would likely displace biodiversity issues. Consumers can drive more positive change by asking brands to use certified sustainable palm oil." - Libby Malcolm, Huffington Post