Snack Food Companies Face Scrutiny in Campaign Against Unsustainable Palm Oil

If you've ever eaten food from a box, bag or package, chances are it contained palm oil. 

 
Snack food companies are increasingly using palm oil for its low trans fat content in their products. But palm oil plantations are known for more than palm oil production. They're contributing to deforestation, animal extinction and human rights violations.

Indonesia is the largest producer and exporter of palm oil globally, and Malaysia accounts for more than 90 percent of exports to the United States. Both countries are known for their monopoly on palm oil production, and for the high volume of environmental and human rights abuses in palm oil production.

These abuses have prompted the Rainforest Action Network (RAN) to fight the palm oil plantations that they believe are perpetuating these violations. On September 12, 2013, RAN announced a new campaign to put an end to irresponsible palm oil manufacture.

It singled out 20 household snack food companies whose influence they believe can help incite the change needed. Called the "Snack Food 20," the selected companies include Campbell's Soup, Hillshire Brands, PepsiCo, Hershey, Kraft Food Group and more. 

"We have collected these 20 companies because they are global brands and household names and they have the influence and power to engage their supply chains and tell their suppliers that they want responsible palm oil," RAN communications manager Laurel Sutherlin told Truthout.

 "Right now, there [are] plans to continue to clear an area the size of Missouri by the Indonesian government if this isn't put into check," Sutherlin said. "It's really a severe crisis. You've got major human rights violations, land being stolen from indigenous communities, and child labor.  Also palm oil is probably the single leading threat to the survival of orangutans as a species. So we could see the orangutan go extinct in our lifetimes."


With the palm oil industry continuing to grow uncontested, RAN hopes consumers will take a stand and demand that companies make a change.

"Companies really do care what their customers think," Sutherlin said. "They put millions of dollars into their brand identity and reputation, so what we really need is for people to raise their voices and make sure that they're heard by these companies."