Fonterra controls about 30% of the world’s diary exports. The company is owned by more than 10,500 New Zealand famers and has revenues in excess of NZ$16 billion.
Fonterra is also the target of the Dutch arm of Greenpeace.
Greenpeace’s beef with Fonterra is over the company’s use of palm kernel. The pressure group points out that the harvesting of the palm kernal fuels rainforest destruction and this leads to the removal of the endangered orangtans’ habitat.
To make their point, Greenpeace have paid for this video and advert.
In Pure Spirit
What do you think?
My concern is that people won’t see the connection between orangutans and milk.
Greenpeace has a microsite up at www.greenpeace.org.nz/fonterra.
The link is ridiculous. Palm Kernel is a waste by-product of Palm Oil production. If it wasn't sold as stockfood it would be burnt or dumped to rot. Demand for Palm Oil drives the production of Palm Oil and the growth of Palm Oil plantations not the sale of the waste by-product… Fonterra is being attacked simply because it is such a huge easy target in it's home country of New Zealand.
It did seem odd that the Dutch Greenpeace would be picking a fight with an operation in New Zealand. However, hasn't Greenpeace been on an anti-Palm Oil kick for a while. Just ask Nestle!
Not entirely true – they use are responsible for a lot of palm oil consumption too, and many of their products contain palm oil.
I think there being targeted because we are proud of our 'green' image and we don't want to see the foolish actions of one company destroy that.