Big food's greenwash won't save Orang-utans frompalm oil death

Dr Kaye said: "The Australian Food and Grocery Council is using spin to deflect community concerns about the destruction of native rainforest in South East Asia.

"Their announcement that the AFGC have signed up to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) will do nothing to protect indigenous peoples, threatened species or native rainforest.

"RSPO is little more than a facade to cover the destructive activities of the industry in Indonesia and Malaysia. "There is much illegal land clearing in these countries. In Indonesia the involvement of the military has also led to serious human rights violations.

"Palm oil producers that have signed the RSPO have been flagrantly engaged in illegal and destructive clearing practices in Kalimantan.

"This destruction of native rainforest is wiping out habitats for many rare species, including the orang-utan and the Sumatran tiger.

"Australia's big food companies are trying to dodge their responsibilities in order to maintain a supply of cheap palm oil, even if this means death and destruction for the orang-utan.

"Their peak body, the Australian Food and Grocery Council, has been left with blood on their hands with this latest episode.

"The members of the Australian Food and Grocery Council would be better served by promoting the use of substitutes for palm oil in their products," Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455