Ask Nestlé: Why won't it act now to stop buying corrupt palm oil?

Palm oil producer REPSA is linked to human rights abuses and environmental destruction in Guatemala. And companies like Nestlé -- which buy palm oil from REPSA -- aren’t doing enough to stop it.

Nestlé’s business with REPSA will not be cut off until September -- seven months from now. That means that for most of 2018, Nestlé will continue to sell products produced with palm oil it knows is watered with corruption.

Comments

Dear Nestlé,

I am SO glad you’ve finally decided to end your ties with REPSA, the Guatemalan company that earned global infamy in 2015 when it was linked to the toxic spill in the Rio Pasión; the company alleged to have a hand in the kidnapping and murder of indigenous land defenders; the company whose executives are in hiding as they face arrest orders for corruption. It’s nice to see you take responsibility for your role in this mess.

But I don’t understand why you plan to continue doing business with this company until September 2018. Surely charges of corruption and bribery against REPSA executives are grounds for breaking your contract with the company, effective immediately?

Your customers do not want palm oil linked to corruption, conflict, and ecocide. Not for one more day.

So, what gives? Are you looking for other companies to fill your supply from Guatemala? Are you worried your snack food production will grind to a halt? Do you have profits to put in the pockets of your shareholders?

I see where your priorities are. The Pasión River in northern Guatemala continues to suffer from the 2015 ecocide. Indigenous leader Rigoberto Lima Choc continues to be dead, and his killer remains free. And the people of Guatemala continue demanding an end to industrial palm oil production that has devastated their forests and waterways. And you continue to stock supermarket shelves with corrupt palm oil and to line your shareholders’ pockets with ill-gotten gains.

Give me an answer, Nestlé: How much corrupt palm oil can I expect to see in your supply chain this year? I’d like a public statement on your website explaining the business logic for why you can’t simply cut out REPSA’s conflict palm oil, now.

Thanks so much, Nestlé.

First name

Last name

Email address

Zip code

Alerts about ways you can take action

Friends of the Earth Action Activists

By submitting this form, you are signing up to receive updates and alerts from Friends of the Earth and Friends of the Earth Action. You may unsubscribe at any time.