Demand for palm oil as an ingredient in many products has led to mass logging and uncontrolled burning in Sumatra, Borneo and other South-East Asian Countries, to make way for palm oil plantations.
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Deforestation for palm oil is a serious problem affecting numerous species including elephants, rhinos, tigers, orangutans and bats.
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Many animal and plant species are killed in the process. Deforestation for palm oil also destroys crucial habitats and reduces biodiversity. As habitats are destroyed, surviving animals are more likely to come in to contact with humans, potentially causing conflicts.
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With hundreds of unique bat species in Southeast Asia, it is extremely important to make all efforts to protect these biologically rich areas.
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You can make a difference every day by choosing products with sustainable palm oil. We recommend using products with the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil or Green Palm logo.
According to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil “Sustainable palm oil is produced according to a set of environmental and social criteria defined by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). These 8 principles and 39 practical criteria have been in place since 2008 and define the sustainable production of palm oil. They ensure that fundamental rights of previous land owners, local communities, plantation workers, small farmers and their families are respected and fully taken into account, that no new primary forests or high conservation value areas have been cleared for palm oil production since November 2005, and that mills and plantation owners minimize their environmental footprint. When properly applied, these criteria help to minimize the negative consequences associated with conventional palm oil cultivation.”
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Make a difference every time you shop, download the Sustainable Palm Oil Shopping Guide App:
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More resources on this topic, including shopping guides:
Green Palm - http://greenpalm.org/
Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil - http://www.rspo.org/
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Palm Oil Crisis page - http://www.cmzoo.org/conservation/palmOilCrisis/
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