Orangutans threatened by Palm Oil Industry

June 29, 2008 in biodiversity, conservation, deforestation, endangered habitats, endangered species, environmentalism, sustainable development | 1 comment

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The Sumatran orangutan is listed as critically endangered. Currently there are less than 7,300 in the world. If their numbers continue to decline at the present rate, it is projected that the orangutan could be extinct in as little as five years – making it the first Great Ape to become extinct in the wild.

The primary threat to the orangutan is habitat destruction. The rain forests of Indonesia are being cut down in illegal logging operations and to make way for palm oil plantations. This conversion of habitat has dire consequences for the native wildlife, as well as for the indigeneous peoples. Further, the deforestation contributes to global warming.

Palm oil is used in food, but also widely in the cosmetics industry. It is a main ingredient in many soaps, including some of those produced by natural skin care companies. (Click here to read about the “Palm Oil Campaign” being sponsored and promoted by LUSH Cosmetics.)

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil met recently in Singapore to address these issues relating to the palm oil industry.

The World Wildlife Fund has projects in Borneo and Sumatra aimed at “effectively manag[ing] a network of protected areas, productive forests and other sustainable land uses to maintain the biodiversity and natural resources for the prosperity of the people who rely on them.” (Click here to read more about their work there.)

You can also “adopt” an orangutan through their website.

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  1. blue-green’s avatar

    blue-green on September 1, 2008 at 1:28 am

    Unrefined (Virgin) Palm oil does have excellent health benefits and is high in carotenes and tocotrienols. If you are going to buy palm oil for cooking, baking, or soap making, be sure to purchase it from a source that is ecologically friendly – one that is organic, sustainable, and preserves wildlife & rainforests.

    We recommend Tropical Traditions Virgin Palm Oil which is unrefined, certified organic, and produced from the tropical palm tree of West Africa (to which it is actually native) – and not South East Asia (to which it was later introduced and where the aforementioned unsustainable practices and habitat conversion are reeking havoc). In the tropical regions of Africa these palm trees grow wild.

    The source for Tropical Traditions’ palm oil has been grown and produced on small family farms for hundreds of years. Their palm oil source has been certified by the African Wildlife Society for preserving wildlife, and in 2002 was awarded in the World Summit for promoting sustainable agriculture. Child labor is not allowed, and they have a firm commitment to social values and the environment in West Africa.