I just got home from the Animal Rights 2009 conference in Los Angeles, where I had the pleasure of meeting with activists from across the country involved in a broad a variety of important issues. At RAN’s table, we had a display that many activists found disturbing – linking the palm oil in vegan butter-substitute Earth Balance with rainforest destruction that is driving orangutans to the brink of extinction (almost 90% of orangutan habitat has already disappeared).
Earth Balance’s parent company Ventura Foods is one of Cargill’s biggest customers. And Cargill is the largest importer of rainforest-destroying palm oil into the U.S. More than 300 activists signed a petition urging Ventura Foods to stop purchasing palm oil from Cargill until that company makes a commitment to end rainforest destruction for palm oil plantations. Let’s hope Ventura Foods listens and puts some pressure on Cargill to shape up!
Check out the pictures of 100 or so of these activists sending a message to Earth Balance!
