Palm oil is a globally traded agricultural commodity that is used in 50 percent of all consumer goods, from lipstick and packaged food to body lotion and biofuels. Demand for palm oil in the U.S. has tripled in the last five years, pushing palm oil cultivation into the rainforests and making this crop one of the key causes of global rainforest destruction.
Approximately 85 percent of palm oil is grown in the tropical countries of Indonesia, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea (PNG) on industrial plantations that have severe impacts on the environment, forest peoples and the climate.
North American food and agribusiness companies like Cargill and General Mills purchase from, operate, and own many palm oil plantations in Southeast Asia, making our corporations a powerful force in the palm oil market and rainforest destruction.
RAN is actively working to stop the destruction of rainforests by using grassroots pressure, corporate engagement, and non-violent direct action to encourage companies and their customers to stop producing, trading and purchasing palm oil that destroys rainforests.
