A worker in a palm plantation area on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia.
Photo: AFP
Greenpeace says the supply chain of the Palmeira da Fonterra nucleus is contaminated by connections with deforestation in Southeast Asia, as new evidence highlights New Zealand’s main exporters to illegal plantations.
It has been found that two major Palm Kernel exporters to New Zealand obtain illegal operations kernel at the Indonesian Wildlife Reserve Rawa Singkil in Sumatra.
Greenpeace agriculture activist Aotearoa, Sinéad Deighton-O’Flynn, said illegal factories have made deforestation in the reserve, with terrible consequences for critically threatened wildlife.
“The Leuser ecosystem is a point of access to biodiversity. It is home to several critically threatened animals, such as oranguto, tigers and piglet elephants. But we also know that hundreds of hectares of this forest are reduced by palm trees, palm and palm and phenary and panties and forest.
Palm Kernel – A Palm Oil byproduct – is used as a dairy cattle ration in New Zealand, with two million tons being imported every year of Southeast Asia, making New Zealand the largest importer in the world of the palm nucleus, Deighton -o’Flynn said.
An investigation from the Rainforest Action Network in 2024 found 453 active hectares of illegal palm plantations operating in the Rawa Singkil reserve.
During this time, two palm product exporters to New Zealand – Apical and Musim but – bought the kernel of a factory that negotiated products grown in the Sumatra reserve, Deighton -o’Flynn said.
In addition, last month, a decree of Indonesian Forest Minister implied all five companies that export the Palmeiras kernel to New Zealand – Wilmar International, Viterra, Gar and Musim but and apical – on a list of 436 companies that operate palm plantations illegally in the Indonesia forest. Three companies were appointed by the ministry and two more negotiated with Mills on the list.
Fonterra is committed to making its supply chains cleaned deforestation by the end of 2025 – a Deighton -O’Flynn target said it will be impossible to prove because the palm core is difficult to return to the source.
“They are feeding their cows with tons of palm each year, some of which can come from the destruction of the tropical rainforest in Southeast Asia, which puts them into violation of their own deforestation policy.”
“Even if a small amount will end up in your supply chain, the whole thing is contaminated because you don’t know which cow ate you and which kitkat it is over.”
Deighton-O’Flynn said the only way to Fonterra ensure that New Zealand’s dairy products are to eliminate the use of the palm nucleus in all farms.
“These tropical forests that are being destroyed by palm oil and in the palm core do not house these amazing wildlife species, they are also one of our defenses against climate change.”
“I think the New Zealandes are really concerned about the impact of New Zealand, dairy products are having abroad, and I think they will be really concerned about their butter that are spreading in their toast is contaminated with the murder of Oranguatans and the destruction of the tropical rainforest in southeastern Asia.”
In a statement to RNZ, Fonterra’s sustainability director Charlottle Rutherford reiterated the company’s company to improve its supply chain.
“Fonterra is committed to the sustainable supply of palm products and is working with others to improve practices throughout the supply chain,” Rutherford said.
“Since learning allegations around sustainable supply, we have discussed with Agrifeeds our request for evidence that PKE supply meets its policy without deforestation, without peat, no exploration (NDPE).”
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