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Help orangutans and other Asian animals end the "Palm Oil Crisis"

The El Paso Zoo's Palm Oil Shopping Guide

Check out our Palm Oil Free Candy List - Be Sweet to Orangutans and Other Wildlife

El Paso Zoo Employee Travels to Malaysia and Indonesia
Read Press Release

What is palm oil?

Palm oil comes from the fruit of the oil palm tree (a tropical species that originated in West Africa but now grows as a hybrid in many parts of the world, including South East Asia, Central America and South America). Palm Oil is the most productive vegetable oil crop and yields more oil per hectare than any other major oilseed commodity. It is now found in at least four out of every ten supermarket products, including food, candy, and personal products. The world's consumption of palm oil is doubling every 10 years.

What is the problem?

On current trends, demand for palm oil is predicted to more than double by 2030 and triple by 2050. A 2007 United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) report identified oil palm plantations as the leading cause of rainforest destruction in Malaysia and Indonesia. Palm oil is produced from plantations that continue the practice of cutting down critical wildlife habitat to expand their plantations.

Palm oil expansion has gone hand in hand with social conflict. With millions of people depending on forests for their livelihoods, clearing natural forests to make way for monocultures leads to disputes and forces communities to change their way of life. In the last decade, nearly 80% of deforestation in Sumatra's peat swamp was driven by the expansion of oil palm plantations.

Palm oil can cause heart disease and is not recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

In Indonesia and Malaysia where 85% of the world's palm oil is produced, rainforests and peat swamp forests are being logged, cleared and burned to plant oil palm plantations. The ongoing destruction of these rainforest and peat swamp forest ecosystems is threatening the survival of the orangutan, as well as the Sumatran tiger, Asian rhino, Asian elephant, and hundreds of other species.

What is El Paso Zoo doing?

As advocates for wildlife, the El Paso Zoo believes the only way to save these species and forest habitats and slow the uncontrolled expansion of oil palm plantations is to reduce palm oil consumption, and therefore the demand for palm oil.

The El Paso Zoo is committed to avoiding or minimizing the use or sale of products that contain palm oil, and is working towards its ultimate goal - to be palm oil-free. Through the El Paso Zoo Conservation Fund, the El Paso Zoo supports wildlife conservation projects in Sumatra that help protect and conserve the Sumatran orangutan, Sumatran tiger, Asian rhino, Asian elephant and a range of other animal and plant species and their habitats. Current projects include The Tesso Nilo National Park and The Orangutan Information Centre in Sumatra Indonesia.

The El Paso Zoo has created the Palm Oil Shopping Guide designed to help consumers better understand what products contain palm oil and what products do not.

Join us!

The El Paso Zoo believes that every single person holds the power to save animals and their habitats. Make a difference one product at a time.

Answers to some common questions

Why should I write a letter?
One person's actions can make a difference. When people become aware of the plight of elephant, orangutans and other animals, they will demand change-just like in the 1980-90s when dolphins were being killed in tuna nets. Be one of the people to help get the word out. Learn more about what is happening to the rainforests in Indonesia by watching online the movie GREEN. DVD copies of this award winning film are available at the Zoo in the Safari Outfitters Gift Shop.

I e-mail a letter, or do I need to mail it?
Whether it is sent by mail or e-mail, the most important thing is to express your opinions and concerns. Letters are more effective than petitions, so please take the time to write a quick e-mail or letter if this is something you care about.

What should I put in my letter?
In a short, direct and polite way, ask companies that use palm oil (or palm kernel oil or palmitate) in the products they produce to:

Switch to another vegetable oil or CERTIFIED sustainable palm oil.
Label their products with that information.

To whom should I write?
Write to companies whose products you normally buy and whose products contain palm oil. See a list of companies using palm oil in their products below. To find the company addresses:

Utilize an Internet search engine like Google.

It is also a good idea to write to legislators and government officials at state and federal levels to inform them of this issue. Visit these political web sites for easy ways to find the right people:

www.congress.org - Congressional web site that enables you to enter your ZIP code (preferably with last 4 digits) to obtain a current list of district representatives (both state and federal)
www.house.gov - Official web site of the United States Congress
www.senate.gov - Official web site for the United States Senate

Companies using palm oil in their products
Look at packages in the store where you buy groceries especially cookies and crackers. Also, visit the Rainforest Action Network website for more information at http://theproblemwithpalmoil.org/
Making sure that palm oil is grown sustainably will only happen if consumers demand it. If you want to make a difference, call, write, or email companies who use palm oil today!

Some examples of companies to contact:
New York Style Bread
www.newyorkstyle.com
8 Nicholas Court, Dayton, NJ 08810
1-866-505-8351 		Eggo waffles
www.leggomyeggo.com
PO BOX CAMB
1-800-962-1413
 Hot Pockets-Calzone
www.nestleusa.com
Englewood, CO, 80112 USA
1-800-350-5016
Kellog's Raisin Bran
www.kelloggs.com
Battle Creek, MI 49016
 Stouffer's Lean Cuisine
www.nestleusa.com
Solon, OH 44139 USA
 Boost Energy Drink,(Nestle Health Care)
www.boost.com
Minneapolis, MN
55440 1-800-247-7893
Oreo Kraft
www.nabiscoworld.com
Kraft Foods Global Inc.
1-800-622-4726
 Chips Ahoy Kraft
www.nabiscoworld.com
Kraft Foods Global Inc.
1-800-622-4726
 Cheese Crackers, Albertsons
www.albertsons.com
Albertsons Inc., Boise, Idaho 83726
1-877-932-7984

Let the Zoo know what you did to help by registering on our website.

CRUEL OIL
How Palm Oil Harms Health,
Rainforest & Wildlife



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El Paso Zoo's Mission
Our mission is to celebrate the value of animals and natural resources and to create opportunities for people to rediscover their connection to nature.