Companies that operate in this line of business might destroy the orangutans' natural home

Nov 5, 2011 08:28 GMT  ·  By

Everybody knows that fries cooked in palm oil are the best afternoon treat. Peanut butter also has a lot of fans and the same thing goes for Haribo, Pringles or Good Fellas Pizza. 

But the people who enjoy the taste of these products while also cherishing green values should know that the companies that operate on the market of palm oil don't really display an eco-conscious attitude.

Even thought they have launched amazing, profitable products throughout time, their actions have a great impact upon the environment.

Eco- groups affirm that the palm oil industry is responsible for destroying thousands of acres of woodland in several countries.

Maybe this doesn't come as a shock to most of their clients, but the story gets uglier.

Experts have reached the conclusion that the oil business also has a damaging influence upon the creatures which consider these surfaces their habitat, especially orangutans that will remain homeless if the process of deforestation continues at its present rates.

Biologists prove their affirmation by displaying alarming numbers. Apparently, the ecosystem had approximately 300,000 Bornean orangutans 20 years ago and now researchers say that only 45,000 creatures of this kind have managed to survive in these present conditions.

Orangutans are threatened to go extinct, taking into consideration that they give birth only once in 6 to 10 years. Furthermore, their breeding is challenged by the continuous change of their natural home.

Eco-organizations which are concerned about their fate are struggling to compel the industry to label their products.

Their new initiative gathered only a few signatures so far, but officials hope that this strategy will expand on a national scale, since palm oil products are very popular all across the Globe.

Officials from animal preservation groups state that people aren't really aware of how their purchase affects the ecosystem, due to the fact that manufacturers avoid to label their products.

Most of the palm oil-based treats are labeled as vegetable oil, and therefore companies don't give their customers the chance to minimize their impact upon the environment, by making responsible, eco-conscious choices.