The video shows how the palm oil industry is driving orangutans to extinction

Oct 15, 2013 20:11 GMT  ·  By

The video above was posted online a few days ago by the Rainforest Action Network (RAN), and is intended to raise awareness of how the palm oil industry is destroying orangutans' natural habitats and driving the species to extinction.

The video shows a 12-year-old deaf girl named Lena chitchatting with an orangutan named Strawberry via Skype. One thing leads to another, and Strawberry learns that Lena likes to eat peanut butter.

“Your food is destroying my home,” the orangutan tells the girl at this point.

Apparently, most of the palm oil used to make snacks and treats marketed in the US comes from plantations that used to be rainforests, but that have been converted into agricultural lands in order to support this industry.

As explained in the video, RAN asks that the general public urge food giants to make sure that the palm oil in their products does not come from deforested areas.

“While some companies are beginning to take steps to address their palm oil problem, none have yet adopted and fully implemented adequate safeguards to eliminate conflict palm oil from entering their supply chains and contaminating their products,” RAN explains on the official website for this campaign.

Furthermore, “Working together with our families, friends, and allies, we will hold these companies to account and push them to eliminate conflict palm oil from their products.”