WHAT ARE WE DOING?

The Palm Oil Action Group is coordinating a wave of consumer letter writing actions right across Australia. And we need YOU!

Our aims – to raise consumer awareness about Palm Oil and why we need to use alternatives; to see compulsory labelling of Palm Oil so that consumers are able to make informed decisions about the products that they buy and to see Palm Oil removed as the staple ingredient in so many of our products.

There are numerous ways that you can help, either by coordinating an action in your local area, helping at a stall on the day, being a media liaison, spreading the word, donating to the campaign or just by showing up and showing your support by writing a letter on the day.

To join our helpers list or to stay in touch with the actions please email anasuya@palmoilaction.org.au.

WHY NOW?

Palm Oil plantations are currently devastating South East Asia, destroying indigenous villages and pushing Orangutans in the wild to the brink of extinction – but it doesn’t have to be this way! The only reason that this devastation continues is because people are not aware of what is happening, think that something is already being done, and don’t understand how small actions on their part can make a huge difference.

And this is why the Palm Oil Action Group’s ‘Wave of Consumer Letter Writing Actions’ right around Australia was born.

See our Action Invitation here.

WHY WILL THIS WORK?

Consumer Pressure Works! Consumer Awareness Works! Never underestimate the power of the dollar!

We are pressuring those companies that can make a difference NOW!

KFC as they can stop using Palm Oil to cook their products (it’s bad for the Orangutans and it's bad for us) and Woolworths, as they have already phased Palm Oil out of their Select products and are making noise about phasing it out of their Homebrand products - but they need to know that people really do care. We also believe that they need to 'walk their talk' in relation to sustainablility and use their considerable corporate power to pressure their suppliers to take Palm Oil out of their products – after all, you can’t say you’re sustainable if you stock unsustainable products!

This type of consumer action has already been incredibly successful in Europe - with Asda (among others) publically pressuring their suppliers to only source Sustainable Palm Oil. As there is currently no independently verified Sustainable Palm Oil that we can find – click here for more info - in the short term we want to see Palm Oil use reduced dramatically..

And so, as concerned Australian citizens and human beings, we are following Europes lead in our own, typically Aussie, way.

WHERE AND WHEN?

That all depends on you! We are currently looking for enthusiastic volunteers to get the ball rolling.

We ran an action in The Northern Rivers in December (see photos here) and it was wonderful to see the public's reaction and the sense of achievement that the team had. If you want to be a part of these exciting actions then please email our Campaign Co-ordinator, Anasuya Claff, or click here for details of those actions already scheduled.

our objectives

Encourage importers, food manufacturers and other companies who are currently using palm oil to implement a range of positive initiatives regarding its use such as to:

Investigate and implement the use of substitution alternative oils from ecologically and socially responsible sources until such time that sustainable palm oil can be guaranteed;

Implement policies to ensure the labeling of products containing palm oil;

Be proactive through the RSPO, to develop and follow a certification process for sustainable palm oil, and/or pursue certainty of sustainability through other means.

Urge the Australian and NZ Governments to:

Implement policies to ensure the labeling of products containing palm oil;

Work for a certification system for sustainable palm oil, and to regulate to prevent the import of non-certified palm oil;

Support the Indonesian, Malaysian and Papua New Guinean governments in their efforts to halt forest destruction. through strategic support and aid.

Encourage individuals, as consumers, to:

Take action on this issue by raising their concerns with retailers and manufacturers who use palm oil;

Use our resources and ideas to do this;

Spread the word and get active - people power creates change.