The palm oil industry holds a significant portion in the production of products used in our everyday lives. Many well known brands such as Nestle, Unilever, Kellogg’s,etc. are known to be contributors to this. In exchange for this is the destruction of  tropical rain-forests in Indonesia which form critical habitats for many endangered species and a lifeline for some human communities.The top three animal species at risk here are orangutans, Borneo elephants, and Sumatran tigers. The Orangutan Foundation International informs us that in 1990, there were 350,000 orangutans among the wild. Coming back to modern day, this number has drastically decreased to fewer than 50,000.

After the massive forest fires of 2015, the Indonesian government banned the planting of oil palms on burnt land and on peat. RKK, a supplier to Unilever – the pioneer of “sustainable” palm oil – was found guilty of arson.Palm oil companies are stealing land from local communities, destroying homes and clearing farms that have been in families for generations. These forests are also vital in regulating the Earth’s atmosphere, and are our strongest defence against climate change.

Approximately 2,000-3,000 Bornean orangutans were killed every year in the past four decades alone, representing a loss of more than 50% of the original population in just 40 years. At this rate of killing, orangutan populations could be reduced to extinction in the next 50 years.

Be part of the movement to put an end to the cruel “dirty” palm oil industry. Let us save our rainforests and those that inhabit it. We are the consumers of their products and it is their duty to listen to our voices that speak up for those that cannot.