Burnt Out Borneo
One of our nearest biological relatives, the Orang-utan, is facing extinction because of deforestation taking place to make way for palm oil plantations. Recent Greenpeace analysis and investigations confirm that expansion in these plantations is having a serious impact on the Orang-utans habitat.
Orang-utans depend on the dwindling tropical rainforests of Borneo and northern Sumatra, for food and nesting sites. In November 2007, after a two-year investigation, Greenpeace revealed how the world’s largest food, cosmetic and bio-fuel companies were driving the wholesale destruction of Indonesia’s rainforests and peatlands through increasing palm oil consumption. These findings were released in an 82 page report called Cooking the Climate.
In a follow-up report, Burning up Borneo, Greenpeace state that Indonesia has the fastest deforestation rate in any major forested country, earning itself a place in the Guinness World Records for the fact that it is losing 2 per cent of its remaining forest every year. The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) estimates that 98 per cent of Indonesia’s rainforest may be destroyed by 2022. The report links the majority of the largest palm oil producers in Indonesia to Unilever, who are believed to be the largest palm oil corporate consumer in the world. Approximately half of the company’s palm oil supply comes from Indonesia.
Orang-utan habitat 1930 - 2004, Copyright United Nations Environment Program
As Orang-utans and other animals lose their natural habitats to plantations for palm oil, they are deprived of their natural sources of food. In their mission to find further sustenance orang-utans can become ‘pests’ to the palm oil producers and so palm oil workers will commonly kill orang-utans to protect the crop. According to a report published by Greenpeace, at least 1,500 orang-utans died in 2006 as a result of deliberate attacks by plantation workers.”
Indonesia also holds the global record for GHG emissions from deforestation; this puts it in third place behind the USA and China in terms of total GHG emissions from human industry. If predicted expansion in palm oil plantations does take place then carbon dioxide emissions are set to rise by at least 50 per cent by 2030. The use of fire to clear forest areas is the greatest source of GHG emissions in the world. The procedure has been illegal in Indonesia since 1999, yet remains common practice among palm oil producers.
The analysis of maps, satellite data, and on-the-ground investigations by Greenpeace has mapped out how expansion of the palm oil plantations in Central Kalimantan is fuelling climate change and helping drive orang-utans to the edge of extinction. These investigations demonstrate how expansion into the Indonesian territory has in huge part been led by companies who are RSPO members and Unilever suppliers.
Unilever is the leader of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), whose members represent 40 per cent of global palm oil production and it is failing to use the power of its position to lead the palm oil sector toward sustainability.
The destruction of the island of Borneo is set to get worse. By 2030, the demand for palm oil is predicted to more than double that of 2000. To meet this demand, the number one producers, RSPO members and Unilever suppliers are expanding their plantation areas into the peatlands and forests of Indonesia. This expansion is often illegal (the use of fire to clear forest areas, among others) and in breach of RSPO criteria and principles, as well as bad for the climate and animals living in the area.
Unilever is implicated in the impacts of these expansions through growing brand platforms. These include Dove, Persil, surf Excel and Knorr, among others. They all use significant quantities of palm oil and its derivatives from companies operating in Indonesia.
Greenpeace investigations have found new evidence showing that it is Unilever’s own palm oil traders and producers (all RSPO members) who are leading the aggressive expansion of the sector, which results in the ruination of the last remaining orang-utan rainforest and peatland habitats. “As it stands, Unilever suppliers are driving species extinction, climate change through the significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions linked to deforestation and peatland destruction, and land conflict with forest-dependent communities,” claims the Greenpeace Burning Borneo report.
By failing to enforce and apply RSPO principles and criteria to both traders and producers, Unilever has failed to bring the rapidly expanding palm oil sector under control.
Greenpeace launched a campaign targeting Dove with a ‘cheeky’ campaign subverting their campaign for real beauty, by pasting images of orang-utans on the Unilever headquarters in London and on their factory in Liverpool, as well as on flyers, online banners and billboards across the U.K.
Due to the urgent nature of the crisis the only solution for regional animals, habitats and forest-dependant communities is a moratorium on palm oil expansion. Literally 10 days after the launch of Greenpeace’s campaign to protect Indonesia’s rainforest, Unilever agreed to support a moratorium.
According to the Greenpeace website the agreement with Unilever is now starting to take shape:
“This is just the first step in our campaign to get a moratorium on forest destruction in South East Asia in place within what we hope will be months. Unilever is supporting our call for a moratorium on the ground but even through they are the biggest buyer they represent only 3 per cent of the palm oil purchasers and the moratorium will need a lot more support from other companies before we see real change on the ground in Indonesia.” (http://www.greenpeace.org/)
Unilever have now (thanks to Greenpeace) taken up the challenge to lead the way by building up a coalition of allies to support a moratorium. This will put pressure on suppliers in Indonesia and hopefully save the rainforests from further destruction. This is a positive first step towards making significant alterations in climate change and saving the orang-utans from extinction. But the work is not over yet.
What can you (the consumer) do to help? A spokesperson from Palm oil Action says that as well as no longer purchasing products produced by Persil and Dove you can also help by demanding that companies label their use of palm oil, by writing letters to the government requesting they make labelling of palm oil compulsory and also urging supermarkets and manufacturers to stop using palm oil from destructive sources.
Get Involved!
Log onto www.greenpeace.org.uk, www.palmoilaction.org.au and see how you can make a difference or sign up to receive e-updates on all environmental issues.
Links & Resources:
BBC News - Film on Greenpeace demo at Unilever
Unilever - Company statement in response to recent publicity
United Nations Environment Program - Page detailing extent of deforestation in Borneo and links to the Programs work on the Island
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