Six activists from the Rainforest Action Network (RAN) have protested at the executive offices of US agribusiness and food giant Cargill.The activists on 5 May chained themselves to the staircase of the Lake office in a bid to get Cargill to change the way it sources palm oil.

“Cargill has been lying to its customers and to our community,” said activist Eric Nielsen. “We want CEO Greg Page to act now to stop Cargill’s destruction of rainforests before it’s too late.”

RAN said the protest comes in the wake of a damning report directly linking Cargill to rainforest destruction in Borneo. The report, the alliance said, documents “systematic failures by Cargill to comply with international palm oil standards and respect Indonesian law throughout its palm oil supply chain”.

“Cargill has destroyed an area of rainforest the size of Disney World in Borneo, endangering orangutans, polluting waterways and taking land and livelihoods from local communities,” said Leila Salazar-Lopez of RAN. “How unsustainable can a company be?”

The protestors chained blocked the entrance to the company’s executive offices, playing a recording of chainsaws cutting down rainforests and holding signs reading “This is the sound of your supply chain,” and “Mr. Page: Rainforest Destruction Stops with You”.

Cargill could not be reached for immediate comment.

just-food is the world’s leading portal for the global pre-packaged food and retail industries. Its daily mix of breaking news, views, analysis and research serves over 100,000 food executives each month. http://www.just-food.com/

Share