palm oil

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil was set up so you could buy palm oil without fueling deforestation. So why does it look like Duta Palma, an RSPO member, is destroying the Indonesian rainforest?

Plantations, like this eucalyptus one in Sumatra, are gradually replacing Indonesia's rainforests (c) Beltra/Greenpeace

Laura Kenyon from our Making Waves blog explains how money intended to protect forests could actually encourage deforestation.

Norway and Indonesia are about to make history. A US$1bn forest protection deal between these two countries could help set Indonesia on a low-carbon development pathway and become a positive model for the rest of the world. It could clearly demonstrate that lowering carbon emissions to address climate change does not mean sacrificing economic growth and prosperity. What's more, this prosperous low-carbon development does not need to come at the expense of Indonesia's natural forests and peatlands.

But this deal is at risk. Today we released a report - Protection Money - which outlines how the deal is in danger of being undermined, unless action is taken to protect it from notorious industrial forest destroyers in the palm oil, paper and pulp sectors.  There is a potential that international money intended for the protection of Indonesia's forests and peatlands could end up being used to support their destruction.

Some great news to start the week - the spoof KitKat video we made to protest Nestlé's use of palm oil has won an award. Our German colleagues entered it into the viral video strand of the 26th Berlin International Short Film Festival, and it scooped Best Viral! Thanks to everyone who watched, shared and took action off the back of this video - its success is down to you.

Nestlé has, of course, since taken steps to divest its supply chain of palm oil and paper products from Sinar Mas and so has joined the growing ranks of companies who refuse to do business with a group which is wantonly destroying Indonesia's rainforests.

So while the message of this video is no longer applicable, we're still chuffed to have won the award. And it was damn good fun to make.

Helen Buckland, UK director of the Sumatran Orangutan Society, reports on developments at the recent Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil meeting...

It's no secret that the palm oil industry is responsible for massive deforestation in Indonesia, but it's now gone some way towards acknowledging the value of rainforests and how vital they are for conserving endangered species, including orangutans.

With so little habitat remaining in Sumatra and Borneo, it is vital to preserve even degraded forests to ensure the survival of orangutans in the wild.