Palm oil: how to approach a very complicated issue
If you've been watching 'Seven Worlds, One Planet' this evening, you will have seen footage of the effects of the palm oil industry on some of Asia's forest habitats. It can be very difficult to know what to do for the best if you're concerned about buying products containing palm oil, so here are a few suggestions from us.Three things you can do if you’re worried about palm oil.
Read the Statement in Support of Sustainable Palm Oil
Signed by over 40 organisations from across the globe, this statement clearly explains the problems with unsustainable palm oil and the steps being taken to clean up the industry. It also gives advice to help you make choices which will have the best outcome for orangutans, forests and people.
You can read the statement here. You may also be interested to read our other pages about palm oil – find them here.
Write to your favourite brands
Maybe there’s a snack you can’t imagine giving up, or just one type of shampoo that makes your hair feel healthy, but you’re not sure if they’re using sustainable palm oil. Why not write to them and find out? If the answer is ‘no’, or ‘we don’t know’, you can politely ask them to look into their supply chains and ensure the palm oil they use is grown without damaging forests, people or wildlife. If you need help with your wording, you can contact us on info@orangutans-sos.org.
Become a member of our community
Use the form below to join our mailing list. We can then send you occasional emails to keep you up to date on changes in the palm oil industry, and on the work we’re doing to address all the threats facing Sumatran orangutans and their forests. We work to protect orangutans, save forests and support people, and we’d love to keep in touch with you about our progress.
You can help protect Sumatra's Orangutans.