APP

This week saw the launch of new global campaign to stop KFC turning rainforests into trash, by cutting deforestation out of its supply chain.

All week Greenpeace activists have been taking the message to KFC while thousands of people around the world joined the revolt to end KFC’s secret recipe for rainforest destruction.

Yesterday we released a report exposing KFC for driving rainforest destruction and pushing tigers toward extinction. Sadly, KFC executives have responded by putting a big bucket of denial on their heads.

No matter what you think about fast food, you’ll no doubt agree that rainforests shouldn’t be trashed to make packaging destined for the rubbish pile. But that’s exactly what’s happening. Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) is supplying KFC with packaging products that are made from Indonesia’s rainforests.

This morning in Jakarta APP invited journalists to the launch of what it’s PR people grandly referred to as the ‘biggest announcement yet’ which would ‘reveal APP’s greatest commitment to natural forest protection as part of its sustainability program’.

A Guardian investigation has revealed that Asia Pulp and Paper has contracted the former EU trade commissioner Lord Peter Mandelson (aka The Prince of Darkness) as an advisor. Mandelson has an impressive address book but, as this case shows, little regard for how those he advises make their money. Clearly issues around illegality and the fate of Indonesia's rainforests don’t concern this particular Labour peer. 

Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), the pulp and paper giant behind the illegal timber scandal we exposed last month, has lost one of its largest international investors. In March we released evidence from a year-long investigation showing how illegal ramin was regularly identified at APP’s main pulpmill in Indonesia, Indah Kiat Perawang.  Eleven companies were named at the time as having links to APP and most, including Danone, Xerox and Mondi have acted to suspend any contracts with the APP. 

Danone has released a statement confirming plans to phase out supplies of paper and packaging products from Asia Pulp and Paper (APP). The statement, which you can read here also confirms that the company intends to develop a zero deforestation policy, which will cover all of the commodities it buys that could be linked to deforestation. Danone joins the likes of Nestle, Kraft, Unilever, Adidas and many more who have already dropped APP.

It is three weeks since we launched 'The Ramin Paper Trail' exposing that the logyards at APP’s main pulp mill in Indonesia are riddled with illegal ramin logs. We also released evidence showing that 11 companies, including Xerox, had rainforest fibre from APP in their products.