Hey Kit-Kat, orangutans need a break too!

Household brands including Kit Kat, Flora and Dove soaps have been linked to the mass destruction of Asian rainforests for palm oil plantations. The millions of acres ear marked for clearance include some of the last habitats of orangutans and other endangered species such as clouded leopards and sun bears. Soaring global demand for palm oil – now at 41m tons a year – has already seen the destruction of about 20m acres of rainforest in Malaysia.

Another 25m acres have been destroyed in Indonesia. It has also made Indonesia the world’s third largest producer of greenhouse gases, emitted by decaying peat and vegetation exposed by the clearances. Next month halting rainforest destruction will be top of the agenda at the global climate talks in Poznan, Poland, aimed at agreeing limits on greenhouse gas emissions. A report will warn that 50m acres have been earmarked for clearance in Indonesia alone. In Britain few consumers are aware of the scale of such destruction.

A survey found 75% of consumers knew little about palm oil even though it is found in nearly half of all cosmetics and processed foods. Palm oil’s popularity is due to its low production costs and versatility. Cosmetics manufacturers use it to meet consumer demand for natural ingredients. There is also a fledgling but potentially huge market for palm oil in biofuels.

Manufacturers, who also include the makers of brands such as Olay, the beauty products group, know that consumer awareness is growing fast – and increasingly fear a backlash. This week they are sponsoring two events to try to “green” their public image.

More: Have a break, have a Kit Kat – and wreck rainforests @ Times Online

Orangutans pic: orangutans-sos.org

Sumatran orangutans are critically endangered! Habitat loss and poaching are pushing them towards imminent extinction. Every MINUTE, every DAY an area equal to six football fields of Indonesian forest disappears!

Please visit http://www.orangutans-sos.org

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Nestlé UK response to Greenpeace Report

March 17, 2010

We can assure you that Nestlé UK does not buy palm oil from the Sinar Mas Group for any of our products, including Kit Kat.

We do purchase palm oil from Cargill and we have sought assurances from them about their supply chain. Cargill has informed us that Sinar Mas needs to answer Greenpeace’s allegations by the end of April. They have indicated that they will delist Sinar Mas if they do not take corrective action by then.

Nestlé recently undertook a detailed review of its supply chain to establish the source of its palm oil supplies and we have made a commitment to using only “Certified Sustainable Palm Oil” by 2015, when sufficient quantities should be available.  As an important step on that journey, a number of Nestlé markets, including Nestlé UK, have already purchased Green Palm certificates, the certificate trading programme designed to help suppliers tackle the environmental and social problems created by the production of palm oil.

For more information please call the Nestlé UK Press Line on 0208 667 6005.