Welfare of Animals in the Biodiesel and Biofuel Industry

Biofuel crop expansion — particularly for palm oil and soy — drives deforestation and habitat loss that devastates wildlife populations across tropical regions.

Key Facts

Palm oil expansion has destroyed over 6 million hectares of forest in Borneo and Sumatra since 1990
Orangutan populations have declined by over 50% in the past 25 years primarily from palm oil deforestation
Soy expansion in the Brazilian Cerrado is threatening giant anteater, giant armadillo, and maned wolf populations
RSPO-certified sustainable palm oil production prevents deforestation but is poorly enforced
Many airlines and transport operators have adopted biofuels that may use deforestation-linked feedstocks

Welfare Considerations

Biofuel expansion welfare harm is landscape-scale: entire ecosystems supporting thousands of species are converted to monoculture. Individual animals experience the trauma of habitat loss — displacement, starvation, conflict with humans, direct persecution as agricultural pests. Orangutans in burning forests are frequently killed or traumatically injured. Welfare responses at this scale require policy intervention — sustainable certification requirements, deforestation-free supply chain mandates, and consumer pressure on brands.

What You Can Do

Check products for RSPO-certified sustainable palm oil and choose sustainably certified brands
Support Rainforest Action Network campaigns for deforestation-free palm oil supply chains
Avoid airlines and transport that use palm oil-based biofuels without deforestation-free certification
Donate to Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation and Sumatran Orangutan Society