As a leader in environmentally sound business practices, we at Follow Your Heart® are always mindful of the effect our company and our products have on the Earth. We strive to ensure that our products have a minimal impact on our natural environment by considering the environment as we develop our recipes and choose our suppliers. Because of our mindfulness of the impact of food production on the environment, we were alarmed to learn of the deforestation of thousands of acres of orangutan habitat in Borneo and Sumatra for palm oil farms.
Not only are orangutans unique, intelligent great apes, but they are a ‘keystone’ species for the rainforest, meaning that their survival is necessary for the health and survival of many other species and the ecosystem as a whole. While orangutans once had thriving populations throughout Southeast Asia, they are now endangered with a dwindling population estimated at 50,000-60,000. (1) With the current rate of deforestation, along with poaching and the illegal pet trade, orangutans could face complete extinction in as few as 20 years. (2)
Knowing the impact of Southeast Asian palm oil farming on orangutan survival, we made a commitment to never use palm oil grown in any area that could negatively impact orangutans. We do not use any palm oil from Indonesia or Malaysia, and only use palm oil from sustainable farms in Central and South America, which are not orangutan habitats. We use suppliers that are focused on sustainable farming and maintaining biodiversity as well as the quality of life of the farmers and their families. Our suppliers have not cleared any primary forest to create new agricultural developments and also work to restore rainforest habitats. We are committed to using palm oil from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms, and encourage other suppliers to seek certification in order to become an ingredient vendor for Follow Your Heart. Rainforest Alliance certification helps to ensure that the palm oil is produced in compliance with strict guidelines protecting not only the environment and wildlife, but workers and local communities.
For any information about this or any other aspect of our other products, please contact us at info@followyourheart.com.
To learn more about the Rainforest Alliance, you can visit their website at www.rainforest-alliance.org.
- Orangutan Population and Habitat Viability Analysis Report by the Captive Breeding Specialist Group Species Survival Commission of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). 20 October 1993.http://www.cbsg.org/cbsg/workshopreports/display.asp?catid=23
- Mayall, Hillary “Wild Orangutans: Extinct by 2023?” National Geographic News. Updated 9 March 2004.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/09/0930_030930_orangutanthreat.html
