A group representing the environment claimed that palm oil from an improperly cleared wildlife reserve in Indonesia may have entered their supply chains, prompting consumer brands Nestle and Procter & Gamble to launch an investigation.
According to the US-based Rainforest Action Network (RAN), citing dish images that it claims show deforestation in the area, trees within the constitutionally protected wildlife supply had been cleared to make way for palm oil estates over the past eight years.
The team shared images of the beautiful green areas of Indonesia’s Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve, which it claimed were covered in rows of fresh palm trees planted along its edges.
According to a report released on Monday ( Nov 11 ), some images, which RAN claimed were taken in a field investigation in February 2024, revealed that oil palm seedlings were planted inside the reserve on burned ground surrounded by fallen trees.
The animals supply, located in Aceh state in the north of Indonesia’s Sumatra beach, has lost 2, 609ha of woodland since 2016, with palm trees then growing on 645ha of the cleared area, RAN said.
Reuters was unable to independently confirm those findings.
Indonesia’s forestry ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
RAN said its investigation, conducted in September and October, had found fresh fruit bunches from the illegal plantations were sold to mills PT Global Sawit Semesta ( GSS) and PT Aceh Trumon Anugerah Kita ( ATAK), both of which supplied major brands including Procter &, Gamble, Nestlé, Mondelez and PepsiCo, according to the RAN report.
GSS and ATAK, which are located in remote areas, could not be reached by Reuters for comment.
Palm oil is typically obtained through intermediaries from Indonesian mills.
A Nestle spokesperson said it promptly engaged with its direct supplier regarding GSS to investigate RAN’s findings, adding that, by the end of 2023, 96 per cent of its palm oil supply was “deforestation-free”.
” Should there be a need to find remedies, we will take necessary action”, the spokesperson said.
Procter & Gamble immediately suspended sourcing from both GSS and ATAK, according to Procter & Gamble’s statement to Reuters.
Singapore-based Royal Golden Eagle Group (RGE ), Musim Mas and Indonesian firm Permata Hijau also sourced palm oil from GSS, RAN said.
Apical, an RGE unit, and Musim Mas said they were investigating RAN’s findings. Multiple email requests for comment from Permata Hijau, Mondelez, and Pepsi were not responded to.