Dear Friend,

You may have seen news reports of the link between New Zealand dairying giant, Fonterra, and the destruction of rainforests in Indonesia and Malaysia.

You can read the full story here and take action here

Here's a message from Suzette Jackson who went to Indonesia to investigate the story:

As a Greenpeace supporter, I thought you would like to know that your support has enabled us to expose this environmental crime.

Fonterra owns 50 per cent of RD1, which has formed a joint venture with Wilmar International - a palm company with a terrible reputation for destroying rainforests to make way for palm plantations.

In Indonesia and Malaysia, ancient forests are being cut and burned down in order to make way for palm plantations. This deforestation,and the burning of peat lands, are contributing in a major way to climate change. This is the reason that Indonesia is the worlds third biggest greenhouse gas emitter.

The destruction is also wiping out the habitat of endangered animals like the orangutan and the Sumatran tiger.

I have just returned from Indonesia, where I witnessed this first hand, and the evidence that we have gathered has enabled us to tell this story to New Zealand.

The growing demand for palm kernels as animal feed in New Zealand is a key contributor to the problem. Fonterra is using supplementary feed to drive the increasing industrialisation and intensification of dairying in this country.

You may have heard the claim this is just a by-product of the palm industry as if that made it acceptable. However, nothing could be further from the truth. The Malaysian Palm Oil Board describes palm animal feed as an important economic part of the palm industry. It is indefensible for Fonterra and New Zealand to have any involvement in this destructive trade.

That is causing major environmental damage, and our agricultural emissions are rising rapidly. Our clean, green reputation is at risk.

The importation of palm-kernel animal feed must stop. Please email the New Zealand Government as it needs to put pressure on Fonterra and help stop palm based animal feed being imported into New Zealand

Best regards ,
- Suzette Jackson