Disney, PepsiCo, Bank of America, Ralph Lauren, Cargill, Goldman Sachs, General Mills — RAN has a nearly unparalleled track record of holding major global players accountable for the environmental and social consequences of their operations. We were an early innovator of this strategy, building global, highly successful “market campaigns.” But our goal is never to move one company — because together, we’ve moved entire corporate sectors.

RAN utilizes an “inside/outside” approach that exerts as much external pressure on the target as possible, while developing communication channels for high-level negotiations. These external pressure tactics include grassroots organizing, peaceful and newsworthy direct actions, aggressive and sophisticated traditional and social media campaigns, and “brand-jamming” campaigns that parody corporate identities — all of which is supported by solid environmental science, in-depth supply chain research and authentic relationships with communities directly impacted by destructive, profit-driven policies and practices.

Why do we go after some of the biggest corporations in the world? Because people and planet are more important than profits.

Corporate profits are the key driver for much of the environmental, climate and human rights crises we face today. From rainforest destruction to climate change, corporations are literally stealing Indigenous lands, digging up the Earth, tearing down trees and profiting while the rest of us pay the real price for their short term economic gains.

And too often, corporations are able to influence government policies at the expense of local communities. Frontline and marginalized communities face the most severe impacts of deforestation and climate change with the least amount of resources to cope and recover.

Our ultimate goal isn’t to shift just a single company: We’re campaigning to shift the policies and practices of entire industrial sectors.

Following the Money

Our strategy targets the biggest, most visible, most well known — and most difficult to move — banks and brands. Because we know if we move one, we can move many.

From satellite tracking to financial tracking, RAN performs in-depth and far reaching analysis of supply chains to connect the dots directly from environmental destruction to the doorsteps of the world’s biggest companies.

We do the research. We bring the facts. And then we bring the pressure — through the media, through protests, through petitions and phone calls, and through high level negotiations.

That’s why we follow the money.

Moving the Levers of Power

We identify a critical global problem, analyze the corporate actors, and target the biggest economic players — all in collaboration with local partners. By holding household names accountable, we can shine a light on issues like the destruction of rainforests to make way for soy production; or the grabbing of Indigenous lands for toxic pipelines; or the use of child labor to meet palm oil quotas. Our campaigns shift the public conversation and pressure bad actors to adopt and implement policies that respect human rights, protect our forests and climate, and save species from extinction.

When the industry leaders we target change their policies that often leads entire industries to follow.

Learn More about RAN's Mission and Values

Case Study: Palm Oil

RAN was one of the first organizations to ring the alarm about the threat of Conflict Palm Oil.

The demand for palm oil in snack foods and beauty creams has created a global forest disaster. Rainforests and peatlands are being burned and bulldozed across the globe to build palm plantations in order to produce the most widely used vegetable oil in the world. Labor rights are ignored on these plantations as cases of child labor and human trafficking grew. Indigenous land was stolen and communities pitted against each other through corporate proxies. Our climate change crisis has immensely worsened as carbon rich peatlands have been systematically drained and burned — releasing massive carbon bombs into the atmosphere. And species have been pushed to the brink of extinction as their last habitat was destroyed for short term profits.

RAN and our partners launched an ambitious market campaign to target and transform this industry. And after 6 years of relentless campaigning, we moved 16 of the world’s largest corporations to adopt responsible palm oil policies.

And in 2020, the biggest and most stubborn target, PepsiCo, finally agreed to new commitments on rainforest destruction and human rights protections.

Now that we have commitments from these companies we will be there every step of the way to make sure they follow through on their promises.

That’s how we create lasting, systemic change — but we can only do it together.

Campaigns like the palm oil campaign require deep research to track supply chains. Partnerships with activists who are from the impacted communities. Satellite data to follow deforestation patterns. And constant pressure and negotiation with corporate executives to hold them accountable.

You have the power to make all that happen. By supporting Rainforest Action Network, you can tell the biggest players on Wall Street that business as usual is over. Join us, and tell them: People and planet are more important than corporate profits.