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Unilever Calls for Moratorium on Deforestation in Indonesia
By Sabina | July 21, 2008
This past April, Greenpeace activists launched a protest against Unilever for the production of palm oil, a primary ingredient in its soaps and shampoos. The activists, dressed as orangutans, were up in arms over the unsustainable development of palm oil plantations that has wiped out precious forest ecosystems in both Malaysia and Indonesia, rich in biodiversity, where orangutans and other animals live. These countries have among the highest deforestation rates in the world, due largely to the establishment of palm oil plantations. In Malaysia, the development of these plantations was responsible for 87% of the country’s deforestation between 1985 and 2000. Indonesia’s forests have been reduced by nearly 70% since 1950.
In May, Unilever, the Netherlands-based consumer products manufacturer, called for an immediate moratorium on deforestation in Indonesia, one of its principle producers of palm oil, and has announced its intention to have all of its palm oil certified sustainable by 2015. Even though decisions like these are rarely proactive and autonomous, and almost always spurred by grassroots activism, this decision is a monumental one and has secured an industry leadership role not only for Unilever, but for other companies that have joined the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)—L’Oreal, Lion Corporation and Ferrero.
As demand for oils grow in all forms of consumption—food, fuel, cosmetics—corporations must find new solutions for their extractive practices. Sustainable production will ensure not only better land management, but also equitable working conditions and respect for customary law, especially in regards to land rights issues.
Kudos Unilever!
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