Palm oil is used in many of the products we love but comes at a deadly cost to the magnificent creature otherwise known as the ‘red ape’.

The planet’s remaining orangutans desperately need our help - now more than ever!

Time is running out fast for these complex and highly intelligent creatures. Populations have sadly shown marked decline in recent years as a direct result of the logging of the forests and palm oil plantations. With only one out of six orphans lucky enough to be rescued, there are notably nearly 1000 orphaned orangutans living in cages and rehabilitation and rescue centres across Indonesia, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea, whilst illegal logging, drought and fires continue to destroy their habitat at an alarming rate.

Photos from Nyaru Menteng, an orangutan rehabilitation center located in Central Kalimantan near the city of Palangka Raya.

These countries have seen extensive and devastating logging and burning of rainforests in the last 10 years. According to the Palm Oil Action Group (POAG), Indonesia sets the world record for its rampant destruction of around 300 soccer fields an hour.

"The effects of the palm oil on orangutans and other endangered species such as Sumatran tigers, clouded leopards, endangered butterflies, rhinos and Asian elephants is quite severe....as palm oil plantations continue to take over, these animals lose their habitat and many are being pushed to the brink of extinction"

said Anasuya Claff, Australian Action Coordinator of POAG.

Once the palm oil plantation is in place, minimal biodiversity is left behind. Orangutans eat over 400 different foods from the rainforest, including fruits, insects, some barks, new leaves and shoots. They depend on the diversity of the rainforest for their survival. The saddest part is that there has already been so much land cleared that companies don't need to clear any more land, but they want the timber. Increasingly, a major issue is where to release the orangutans when they are ready – areas of safe rainforest are becoming smaller and smaller and few and far between. Once a palm oil plantation is in place, the orangutans become pests – but if they have had their habitat taken away from them, they see palm oil trees as food. This is why POAG are adamant that independently verified sustainable palm oil plantations are a must. However at present there are none.

According to the non profit organisation Rainforest Rescue, once the forest becomes degraded through the logging process, it is then deemed acceptable practice to clear the remaining forest for oil palm and other plantation crops. Palm oil is the world's second largest oil crop and it is made from the fruit of oil palm. Malaysia and Indonesia are the world's largest palm oil producers.

Palm oil is used extensively in food, body care and industrial products including ice cream, chocolate, biscuits, chips, margarine, crackers, cooking oil, toothpaste, soap, detergents and cosmetics. According to POAG, many of the big players use palm oil in their products, including Arnotts (e.g. Tim Tams), Woolworths Home Brand products, Unilever (e.g. Dove Soap), Smiths (eg. Doritos and Burger Rings), Goodman Fielder (e.g. Meadow Lea), Sarah Lee, Kraft, Kellogg's, Persil, Imperial Leather...the list goes on and on. Currently palm oil only has to be labelled 'vegetable oil' due to it being a vegetable based oil, leaving consumers unsure of what they are really buying.

There are alternatives to palm oil such as corn, canola, sunflower and peanut oil. However POAG claim that palm oil dominates the market because it has been very competitively priced, and in Australia it is difficult for manufacturers to purchase alternatives. "Soy bean oil is NOT an alternative as it is very difficult to determine if it has been sustainably produced, and it is a major contributor to deforestation in the Amazon" said Anasuya of POAG.

Not only does palm oil have an adverse effect on our health because it is high in saturated fat and low in polyunsaturated fat, but food manufacturers aren't required to label it. To add to this, millions of local farmers and indigenous peoples have been displaced by palm oil companies and the area is rife with corruption, with local councils giving permits away for land clearing. Another awful bi-product of palm oil plantation expansion is that the illegal trade in baby orangutans has increased dramatically, and according to POAG, it's estimated that for every baby that makes it on to the black market, five other orangutans have died (three mothers and two other babies).
The Australian Orangutan Project (AOP) is a non-profit organisation that supports many orangutan conservation groups. AOP believes extinction in the wild is likely to be 2010 for Sumatran Orangutans and 2015 for Bornean Orangutans. Through AOP you are able to adopt an orangutan for the small sum of $55 and help these infants survive. AOP also organises tours where you can see orangutans in the wild. Visit www.orangutan.com.au to find out more.

As the Australian Orangutan Project points out: "Protecting the orangutan also protects the surrounding ecosystem and myriad of endangered and exotic species....Saving the orangutan saves the forest!"
What can you do to help? There are numerous ways that you can help: by coordinating an action in your local area, helping at a stall, being a media liaison, spreading the word, donating to the campaign, or by writing a letter. At present POAG is organising a wave of peaceful consumer letter writing actions throughout Australia and is looking for volunteers to help organise and/or participate - email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or see the website - http://www.palmoilaction.org.au/pages/call-to-action.html - for more details.

written by: Grace Gutwein