Welfare of Wild Animals Affected by Oil Palm Expansion
Oil palm expansion across Southeast Asia, West Africa, and Latin America destroys rainforest habitat for orangutans, sun bears, pygmy elephants, and thousands of other species.
Key Facts
Oil palm has replaced over 15 million hectares of Southeast Asian rainforest since the 1990s
Orangutans, Sumatran tigers, and Borneo pygmy elephants are among the most severely affected by oil palm expansion
Animals surviving in oil palm monocultures face starvation, crop conflict, and lethal retaliation from plantation workers
RSPO certification requires no deforestation of primary forest but covers only a fraction of global palm oil supply
Palm oil appears in approximately 50% of supermarket products, creating enormous consumer leverage
Welfare Considerations
Oil palm expansion is one of the largest drivers of wildlife welfare harm globally. Orangutans whose forest is cleared starve in the monoculture that replaces it. Elephants who enter plantations are killed. Sun bears who den in remaining forest fragments are trapped. The individual welfare consequences of habitat destruction at scale are staggering. Consumer leverage is real: palm oil appears in half of all supermarket products, making purchasing choices a direct connection to this welfare harm. Supporting deforestation-free palm oil and reducing palm oil consumption overall are concrete actions with measurable welfare consequences.
What You Can Do
Choose products with certified deforestation-free palm oil or palm oil-free formulations
Support campaigns for mandatory deforestation-free palm oil in food and cosmetics supply chains
Donate to organizations rescuing and rehabilitating wildlife orphaned by palm oil expansion
Advocate for forest protection legislation that prevents primary forest conversion for palm oil