Palm Oil Increases Deaths of Baby Macaques

In Peninsular Malaysia, a new study published in Cell Biology by a team led by Dr Anna Holzner of German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig has found that infant mortality rates among wild southern pig-tailed macaques are alarmingly high due to frequent visits to oil palm plantations.

These plantations expose the infants to increased risks from predators, human encounters, and harmful agricultural chemicals, potentially affecting the development and survival of infant macaques. The study, conducted in collaboration of international researchers, observed that prolonged exposure to these plantations during infancy triples the likelihood of death.

The study suggests that pesticides used in agriculture could cross the placental barrier or be transmitted through breastmilk, impacting fetal development and health. This significant research underlines the urgent need for eco-friendly agricultural practices to protect wildlife and human communities near plantations. Take action and join the movement to and every time you shop!

: in Current Biology finds infant pigtailed visiting ＃palmoil plantations 3 x more likely to die young from poisoning. Agricultural chemicals are detrimental to infant ＃primates 🌴🔥⛔️ https://wp.me/pcFhgU-7aa

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It’s not just 🦧🧡 countless animals are at risk from 🐵🐒 A in Cell Biology finds babies 3 x more likely to die from palm oil . Help them and ! 🌴🩸 @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-7aa

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Anna Holzner, Nurul Iza Adrina Mohd Rameli, Nadine Ruppert, Anja Widdig (2024): Agricultural habitat use affects infant survivorship in an endangered macaque species. Current Biology, DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.002. Media release published by German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv)
Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 8th January, 2024, read original.

Study reveals link between frequent plantation visits and infant mortality in wild southern pig-tailed macaques in Peninsular Malaysia

Frequent visits to oil palm plantations are leading to a sharp increase in mortality rates among infant southern pig-tailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina) in the wild, according to a new study published in Current Biology. In addition to increased risk from predators and human encounters, exposure to harmful agricultural chemicals in this environment may negatively affect infant development.

In wild populations, infant survival is crucial for determining individual fitness and for maintaining viable populations in changing environments. For primates, agricultural areas adjacent to tropical forest habitat can be a mixed blessing: While crop plantations can provide easy access to food, they also come with increased exposure to various hazards, which is likely contributing to reduced infant survival in several wild primate species. 

Exposure to palm plantations increases infant mortality

In a long-term collaboration between Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Leipzig University (UL), and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVA), researchers set out to investigate potential links between frequent visits to oil palm plantations and the particularly high infant mortality they observed among wild southern pig-tailed macaques in Peninsular Malaysia. In a habituated study population in this region, 57% of all infants born between 2014 and 2023 died before the age of one – a rate that far exceeds mortality rates reported in other wild primate populations.

For almost ten years, the researchers followed two groups of macaques living in a mosaic of rainforest and oil palm plantations. They found that prolonged exposure to oil palm plantations during infancy tripled the likelihood of infant mortality. This key finding could be explained by increased encounters with predators and humans, and potential exposure to harmful chemicals such as pesticides in this environment.

“Some of these risks are relatively clear: infant macaques are more likely to fall prey to feral dogs that roam in the plantations in packs or to be captured by humans and sold illegally as pets,” explains Dr Nadine Ruppert from USM, who established and leads the field site. “But the potential long-term effects of the pesticides used to manage the monocultures on mammalian wildlife are much less obvious and very poorly understood.” 

Palm oil plantations increase risk of infant death for Southern Pig-tailed Macaques
Palm oil plantations increase risk of infant death for Southern Pig-tailed Macaques
Palm oil plantations increase risk of infant death for Southern Pig-tailed Macaques
Palm oil plantations increase risk of infant death for Southern Pig-tailed Macaques
Palm oil plantations increase risk of infant death for Southern Pig-tailed Macaques
Palm oil plantations increase risk of infant death for Southern Pig-tailed Macaques

Pesticides may affect foetal development

The study also found increased infant mortality rates when mothers gave birth for the first time or when there was a long interval between two consecutives births, which contradicts studies that report increased mortality when the interbirth interval is shorter. The accumulation or uptake of pesticides in the mother’s body may play a key role: “The literature suggests that certain harmful substances used in agriculture can cross the placental barrier and be passed on to the unborn offspring. We also know that certain fat-soluble molecules can be passed on through breastmilk,” says lead author Dr Anna Holzner (iDiv, MPI EVA, UL and USM). “Accordingly, the longer the chemicals accumulate in the mother’s body, the more they could influence foetal development during pregnancy and also during lactation.”

Pollution run-off in an RSPO member palm oil plantation in Sumatra. Craig Jones Wildlife Photography
Pollution run-off in an RSPO member palm oil plantation in Sumatra. Craig Jones Wildlife Photography

The study highlights the urgent need to address anthropogenic threats to animals in agricultural landscapes. “We know that the use of pesticides in agriculture has led to drastic declines in insect populations, so chemical analysis is essential to understand the effects of pesticides on mammalian wildlife,” says Professor Dr Anja Widdig (UL, MPI EVA and iDiv), senior author and leading PI in this iDiv Flexpool project. “Our findings underscore the critical need to implement environmentally friendly cultivation practices that minimise the risks to wildlife populations and also to people living near plantations.”

Anna Holzner, Nurul Iza Adrina Mohd Rameli, Nadine Ruppert, Anja Widdig (2024): Agricultural habitat use affects infant survivorship in an endangered macaque species. Current Biology, DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.002. Media release published by German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv)
Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 8th January, 2024, read original.

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Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Global
South America
S.E. Asia
India
Africa
West Papua & PNG

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

Lying
Fake labels
Indigenous Land-grabbing
Human rights abuses
Deforestation
Human health hazards

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

Read more
WHO Bulletin on Palm Oil: Deforestation and Extinction
WHO Bulletin on Palm Oil: Deforestation and Extinction
WHO Bulletin on Palm Oil: Deforestation and Extinction
WHO Bulletin on Palm Oil: Air Pollution and Health

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Sulu Hornbill Anthracoceros montani

Sulu Hornbill Anthracoceros montani

Critically Endangered

Extant (resident)

Philippines

The Sulu Hornbill is one of the rarest birds in the world. They are large and almost entirely black except for a white tail, with a thick black bill, a black casque, and black skin around the eye. Males have pale eyes, females have brown eyes and a smaller casque. These striking birds are native to the Sulu Islands, possibly now only found on Tawi-Tawi due to hunting and palm oil deforestation throughout their range. In 2018 there was only a few dozen left. Help their survival and

Critically endangered Sulu 🦜🦚💚are one of the rarest birds in the world – hunted for their casques and close to from . Help them when you shop 🌴🪔🧐🔥⛔️ @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2024/02/11/sulu-hornbill-anthracoceros-montani/

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The rarest black beauty of them all is the critically endangered Sulu 🦜🕊️😻 native to The 🇵🇭. These intelligent birds deserve to bec protected, use your wallet and 🌴🩸☠️🤢🔥🚫 @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2024/02/11/sulu-hornbill-anthracoceros-montani/

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The Sulu hornbill — “tawsi” in the local language — is endemic to the Philippines, occurring only on islands in the Sulu Archipelago between Mindanao and Borneo. It is the sole member of the Bucerotidae family within its area and was described as widespread and abundant at the time of its discovery in 1880. Since then, the population has crashed.

Today, the only viable breeding population of the Sulu hornbill known to exist is found on the small island of Tawi-Tawi, where a mere 100 square kilometers (close to 25,000 acres) of suitable forest remains, according to the IUCN. The total global population is estimated to be about 40 individuals.

Mongabay
Sulu Hornbill Anthracoceros montani threats
Sulu Hornbill Anthracoceros montani
Sulu Hornbill Anthracoceros montani
Sulu Hornbill Anthracoceros montani threats
Sulu Hornbill Anthracoceros montani
Sulu Hornbill Anthracoceros montani
Sulu Hornbill Anthracoceros montani
Sulu Hornbill Anthracoceros montani
Sulu Hornbill Anthracoceros montani threats

Threats

In 2019 it was reported that only 27 mature individual hornbills are still believed to be alive in the wild making it one of the most endangered animals in the world.[5]

Wikipedia
  • Large-scale deforestation: of their habitats on Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Sanga-Sanga.
  • Deforestation for palm oil
  • Deforestation for rubber
  • Mining activities in the areas where they live.
  • Human persecution: for target practice, especially due to high gun ownership in the past.
  • Hunting: the harvesting of young hornbills for food.
  • Pet trade: the collection of the species for trade.]
Sulu Hornbill Anthracoceros montani threats
Sulu Hornbill Anthracoceros montani #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife
Sulu Hornbill Anthracoceros montani threats
Sulu Hornbill Anthracoceros montani threats

Habitat

Sulu Hornbill live in primary dipterocarp forests, often on mountain slopes, possibly due to forest loss elsewhere. Occasionally, they travel over a kilometer to visit isolated fruiting trees. They need large trees for nesting. Their diet mainly consists of fruit, but they sometimes eat small lizards and insects.

Diet

Their diet mainly includes fruit, occasionally they may also eat small lizards and insects.

Support Sulu Hornbills by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

BirdLife International. 2020. Anthracoceros montani. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T22682447A178062684. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22682447A178062684.en. Accessed on 23 February 2023.

 Sulu hornbill Wikipedia article – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulu_hornbill

Sulu hornbill on Animalia.bio – https://animalia.bio/sulu-hornbill

Sulu Hornbill Anthracoceros montani threats
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1. Join the on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags .

Join 3,176 other subscribers

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

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UK Pressuring Forests For Palm Oil and Beef

Short version

Urgent call to action! 🌍 ’s heavy use of & fuels global . Demand stricter regulations & transparency. Make every purchase count and , learn more: https://wp.me/pcFhgU-78V

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The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) in the UK has raised serious concerns about the country’s consumption of soy, cocoa, palm oil, beef, and leather and its importation of global deforestation from these commodities.

Despite the UK government’s announcement that it would certify these commodities as “sustainable” for UK markets, the EAC criticises the lack of a clear timeline and weak loopholes that could enable deforestation to continue.

The report highlighted that the UK has a higher consumption footprint per tonne compared to China. The EAC urges the government to close these gaps, enhance legislative frameworks, and develop a global footprint indicator to illustrate the UK’s deforestation impact and set reduction targets. Additionally, the report emphasises the need for more transparency in funding and meaningful inclusion of indigenous peoples in all deforestation negotiations.

Campaign groups like Global Witness and Friends of the Earth underscored the dire consequences of deforestation, including the alarming statistic of one environmental defender being killed every other day.

The UK’s role in global deforestation is fuelled in part by British banks. As the world experiences the intensifying effects of climate change and deforestation – comprehensive action is essential to truly safeguard forests and combat climate change.

Take action against deforestation by using your wallet as a weapon in the supermarket, be for the animals and and . Learn more

Media release originally published in the Guardian as ‘Deforestation effect of UK consumption unsustainable, say MPs’ on 4th January, 2024. Read original


EAC chair Philip Dunne said this “should serve as a wake-up call to the Government”.

It comes after the Government announced that four commodities – cattle products (excluding dairy), cocoa, palm oil and soy – will have to be certified as “sustainable” if they are to be sold into UK markets.

The Government, which plans to gradually incorporate more products into the regime over time, has yet to provide a date for when the legislation will be introduced.

The committee said it is concerned this lack of timeline and its phased approach does not reflect the necessity of tackling deforestation urgently.

The report said: “The failure to include commodities such as maize, rubber and coffee within this scope does not demonstrate the level of urgency required to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030.”

The EAC, which outlined a series of recommendations in the report, urged the Government to address these gaps and strengthen the existing legislative framework to ban businesses from trading or using commodities linked to deforestation.

It also called on ministers to develop a global footprint indicator to demonstrate the UK’s deforestation impact to the public and set a target to reduce it.

The committee said it heard concerns there is a lack of transparency over how planned investments into nature and climate programmes – including £1.5 billion earmarked for deforestation – will be spent and called for more clarity from ministers.

The UK's hunger for palm oil, soy and beef (2)


The MPs said they were also alarmed to hear from campaign group Global Witness that one person is killed every other day defending land and the environment.

They said support for indigenous peoples to participate fully in negotiations on deforestation activity is critical.

To fulfil its commitment to put environmental sustainability measures at the heart of global production and trade, the EAC repeated its calls for sustainability impact assessments to be conducted for all future trade agreements.

Mr Dunne said: “UK consumption is having an unsustainable impact on the planet at the current rate.

Deforestation fire in the Amazon by Brasil2 on Getty Images

“UK markets must not be flooded with products that threaten the world’s forests, the people whose livelihoods rely on them and the precious ecosystems that call them home.”

Chair of the committee, Philip Dunne MP



“There is little sense of urgency about getting a rapid grip on the problem of deforestation, which needs to match the rhetoric.

“Countries all around the world contribute to deforestation and the international community of course needs to do much more to tackle deforestation.”

He added: “To demonstrate genuine global leadership in this critical area, the UK must demonstrate domestic policy progress and embed environmental and biodiversity protections in future trade deals.”

“The findings are clear, the UK will not reach net zero while British banks continue to fuel, and profit from, rampant deforestation of our climate-critical forests overseas. The Government will miss the global deadline to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030 unless it acts now.”

Alexandria Reid, senior global policy adviser at Global Witness, who gave evidence to the inquiry.



Kate Norgrove, executive director of advocacy and campaigns at WWF, said: “Despite some progress, this report shows that the UK Government needs to do much more to save our forests, which are one of our strongest allies in the fight against climate change.



“Every hectare of forest we lose takes us closer to runaway climate change which will be devastating for us all.”

“The committee is right to highlight the many flaws in the Government’s plans to curb deforestation. Not least, the failure to include all high-risk commodities as part of its proposed new deforestation law, as well as the fact that it will only apply to illegal logging, which is notoriously difficult to determine. We’re already seeing the very real impacts of climate and ecological breakdown both here in the UK and globally, through extremes such as searing heat, storms and floods, and this is only set to intensify.”

Clare Oxborrow, forests campaigner at Friends of the Earth.



A Government spokesperson said: “The UK is leading the way globally with new legislation to tackle illegal deforestation to make sure we rid UK supply chains of products contributing to the destruction of these vital habitats.

“This legislation has already been introduced through the Environment Act and is just one of many measures to halt and reverse global forest loss.

“We are also investing in significant international programmes to restore forests, which have avoided over 410,000 hectares of deforestation to date alongside supporting new green finance streams.”

Media release originally published in the Guardian as ‘Deforestation effect of UK consumption unsustainable, say MPs’ on 4th January, 2024. Read original

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The UK's hunger for palm oil, soy and beef (2)

Read more about deforestation, greenwashing and the palm oil industry

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1. Join the on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags .

Join 3,176 other subscribers

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Pledge your support

Campbell’s Mona Monkey Cercopithecus campbelli

Campbell’s Mona Monkey Cercopithecus campbelli

Red List: Near Threatened

Extant (resident): Gambia; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Liberia; Senegal; Sierra Leone; Ivory Coast.

Inquisitive and highly social Campbell’s Mona Monkeys are known for their intense hazel eyes and bright yellow brows. They use their large puffy cheeks to store food while they climb to the top of tree canopies to eat it. Males will engage in a dawn and dusk symphony of calling along with other species in a coordinated ritual. They are Near Threatened due to hunting and extensive forest loss throughout their range in West Africa for palm oil, coffee, cocoa and mining. Help them every time you shop by using your wallet as a weapon –

Social and cheeky Campbell’s Mona Monkeys 🐵🐒🤎 use their puffy cheeks to store food. Threats include in 🇬🇲 🇱🇷 Help save them! 🌴🩸🔥☠️🚜⛔️ @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2024/01/28/campbells-mona-monkey-cercopithecus-campbelli/

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Beautifully coloured male Campbell’s Mona 🐵🐒🤎 sing in chorus ✨🎵🪇 with other species at dawn 🌄🌅 and dusk in 🇱🇷 🇸🇱 Fight for them and @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2024/01/28/campbells-mona-monkey-cercopithecus-campbelli/

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Appearance & Behaviour

Male Campbell’s Mona Monkeys are known for engaging in interpecies dawn and dusk choruses. Sounds carry for at least a kilometre in low rumbling booms and other males join in. Interspecies songs and calling obey ritualised rules. The Campbell’s Mona Monkey has an advanced form of communication with rudimentary and basic syntax.

They are a highly social and gregarious species, preferring to stay in groups of about eight individuals.

They are slow and careful foragers and will look for wild and cultivated fruit, seeds and vegetables along with small invertebrates, lizards, amphibians and worms.

Campbell's Mona Monkey Cercopithecus campbelli
Campbell's Mona Monkey Cercopithecus campbelli
Campbell's Mona Monkey Cercopithecus campbelli
Campbell's Mona Monkey Cercopithecus campbelli
Campbell's Mona Monkey Cercopithecus campbelli #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife
Campbell's Mona Monkey Cercopithecus campbelli #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife
Campbell's Mona Monkey Cercopithecus campbelli

Threats

Campbell’s Guenons or Campbell’s Mona Monkeys are still common to some areas of their range and are relatively flexible and adaptable to their environment. However, their habitat is rapidly declining and becoming fragmented due to forest loss and deforestation for agriculture – mainly palm oil, coffee and cocoa.

[Campbell’s Guenons] have been impacted by, first and foremost, bushmeat hunting, and secondly, habitat loss.

IUCN Red LIST

Due to their small body size, they are not the prime target for hunters. However in recent years with unregulated hunting and removal of other larger monkey species – the Campbell’s Mona Monkey have now become a target for the illegal bushmeat trade.

In Mount Nimba, Liberia, Bené et al. (2013) monitored hunters’ activities in 2009–2011 and found a high rate (0.7 per km) of encountering hunters carrying the carcasses of this species.

IUCN RED LIST
Campbell's Mona Monkey Cercopithecus campbelli threats
Campbell's Mona Monkey Cercopithecus campbelli #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife

Habitat

Campbell’s Mona Monkeys Cercopithecus campbelli are also known by the name Campbell’s guenon. They are endemic to the Ivory Coast, Liberia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia and Ghana. They are found in lowland forest, gallery forest, mangroves, riverine environments and within farms and agricultural land.

This species once thrived in disturbed habitats and farmbush, but many of these habitats have been converted to plantations of non-native species.

IUCN RED LIST

Diet

Campbell’s Mona Monkeys are slow, deliberate foragers. The greater part of their diet is wild fruit and agricultural crops. However, they will also eat seeds, invertebrates, grubs, small amphibians and lizards. They use their puffy cheeks to store food and then climb high into the boughs of trees to eat it.

Support Campbell’s Mona Monkey by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

Matsuda Goodwin, R., Gonedelé Bi, S. & Koné, I. 2020. Cercopithecus campbelli. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T136930A92374066. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T136930A92374066.en. Accessed on 25 May 2023.

Campbell’s Mona Monkey: Wikipedia article

Campbell’s Mona Monkey: Animalia.bio article

Campbell's Mona Monkey Cercopithecus campbelli #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife
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How can I help the ?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags .

Join 3,176 other subscribers

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Pledge your support

Food Without Agriculture

In an article published in Nature Sustainability, researchers write that food production can be more sustainable by focusing less on traditional agriculture and more on alternative methods, like chemical and biological processes.

The article highlights a specific example where dietary fats can be produced with significantly lower CO2 emissions compared to current methods used in palm oil production in Brazil or Indonesia. While acknowledging challenges like potential impacts on agricultural economies and the need for consumer acceptance, the abstract suggests that these new methods could greatly reduce the environmental impact of agriculture, especially in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, land, and water use in the next decade.

Davis, S.J., Alexander, K., Moreno-Cruz, J. et al. Food without agriculture. Nat Sustain (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-023-01241-2

paper in @Nature Sustainability: Dietary can be produced in a lab with significantly lower emissions/#climate impact compared to current production in and @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2024/01/21/food-without-agriculture/

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in @Nature finds switching to lab-produced has enormous potential to reduce emissions, , water use. Reducing the climate impact of over the decades 🌴🚫 @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2024/01/21/food-without-agriculture/

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Davis, S.J., Alexander, K., Moreno-Cruz, J. et al. Food without agriculture. Nat Sustain (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-023-01241-2

Abstract

Efforts to make food systems more sustainable have emphasized reducing adverse environmental impacts of agriculture. In contrast, chemical and biological processes that could produce food without agriculture have received comparatively little attention or resources. Although there is a possibility that someday a wide array of attractive foods could be produced chemosynthetically, here we show that dietary fats could be synthesized with <0.8 g CO2-eq kcal−1, which is much less than the >1.5 g CO2-eq kcal−1 now emitted to produce palm oil in Brazil or Indonesia. Although scaling up such synthesis could disrupt agricultural economies and depend on consumer acceptance, the enormous potential reductions in greenhouse gas emissions as well as in land and water use represent a realistic possibility for mitigating the environmental footprint of agriculture over the coming decade. Read original

Food without agriculture research

Plain English Summary of Results

Proteins, fats, and carbohydrates can be made without traditional agriculture by using different carbon sources and a variety of chemical and biological methods. This article compares how much energy each process uses, with some details still uncertain. The processes vary in their continuous or batched nature. The article also discusses the challenge chemical methods face in distinguishing between molecular forms, unlike bioenzymatic methods which are more precise but limited to conditions suitable for life. The focus is on fats because they are simpler to make, have been produced at scale in the past, are a basic calorie source in many foods, and the production of oil crops like soy and palm has a huge environmental impact.

Synthesizing fats from natural gas or air-captured carbon using renewable energy could greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional agriculture. Finally, the potential environmental benefits of synthetic fats are highlighted, showing that replacing a portion of soy and palm oil with synthetic alternatives could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and land use, particularly in countries where these crops are intensively farmed.

Plain English Summary of Discussion Notes

Producing macronutrients without traditional agriculture can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and land use, especially for dietary fats. Even using coal-based electricity for production can be more climate-friendly than some current agricultural methods. Beyond environmental benefits, such as reduced water use and pollution, synthetic foods can improve food security and lessen the need for labor-intensive farming jobs. This opens up possibilities for reforestation and biodiversity improvements.

However, there are challenges. The estimates are based on data that might not capture all relevant factors, and more detailed analysis is needed. The cost of synthetic foods could be higher than agricultural products, and social acceptance is a major hurdle, given the public’s skepticism about synthetic foods and potential unforeseen environmental impacts. The shift to synthetic foods could also impact the global labor force, especially smallholder farmers in the global South, as agriculture employs a significant portion of the world’s workforce.

Synthetic food production could lead to a smaller environmental footprint for agriculture, requiring much less water and can be produced anywhere with the right resources. This could make food systems more resilient but might also create new dependencies. Sustainable synthetic food production would ideally use renewable energy and atmospheric carbon.

Finally, the move towards synthesized foods prompts a reevaluation of humanity’s relationship with nature. The domestication of plants and the Haber-Bosch process for nitrogen fixation were pivotal in human history. Now, with the majority of habitable land and water used for agriculture, synthetic food offers a path to reduce the environmental burdens of agriculture and align food security with ecosystem restoration.

Read original

Davis, S.J., Alexander, K., Moreno-Cruz, J. et al. Food without agriculture. Nat Sustain (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-023-01241-2

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Food without agriculture research

Read more about deforestation and ecocide in the palm oil industry

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2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

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Green Dragontail Lamproptera meges

Green Dragontail Lamproptera meges

Vulnerable

Shimmering and transparent Green Dragontails 🐛🦋🪞 are forest-dwelling butterflies of SE Asia, fighting to survive due to 🌴🔥 help them by going 🍇🌽🍓 in the supermarket @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2024/01/14/green-dragontail-lamproptera-meges/

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Green Dragontails could be called the most exquisite and beautiful alive 😻🤟🦋They are due to 🌴🪔🚫 and other . Help them to survive! Be and @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2024/01/14/green-dragontail-lamproptera-meges/

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Extant (resident)

Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, south China, Brunei, eastern Malaysia, Philippines, Brunei, Indonesian archipelago (Nias, Java, Sulawesi, Java, and Bangka) and northeastern India (Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Assam, Manipur)

Green Dragontails could arguably be called the most exquisite and beautiful butterflies alive.

They flutter through sunlit patches of leaves near to streams and rivers in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines, and northeastern India.

They are mostly black and white with a bright turquoise or light green band running roughly parallel to their abdomens.

Their forewings feature a stunning glass-like transparent triangle known as a hyaline. Their tail features a star-like galaxy pattern that glints in sunlight.

It has been over a decade since they were last surveyed, their range overlaps significantly with areas already cleared for palm oil. Help their survival and use your wallet as a weapon!

Green Dragontails belong to the swallowtail butterfly family, endemic to South and Southeast Asia. They are mostly black and white with a bright turquoise or light green band running roughly parallel to their abdomens.

The smallest of the dragontail butterflies, adult green dragontails have an average wingspan of only 40-55mm. They flutter through sunlit patches of leaves near to streams and rivers and are typically found in groups of two to three individuals.

Their forewings feature a stunning glass-like transparent triangle known as a hyaline. Their tail features a star-like galaxy pattern that glints in sunlight.

Dragontail butterflies fly in a unique way, flapping their wings extremely rapidly similar to a hummingbird or dragonfly. They use their long ribbon-like tails as rudders for balance while in flight.

Males appear differently to females, with the latter of a more dull coloured appearance. As caterpillars they have a dark green body spotted in black.

Green Dragontail sub-species

  • Lamproptera meges meges Sumatra, Java, Borneo
  • Lamproptera meges ennius (C. & R. Felder, 1865) northern Sulawesi, central Sulawesi
  • Lamproptera meges akirai Tsukada & Nishiyama, 1980 southern Sulawesi
  • Lamproptera meges virescens (Butler, [1870]) Burma, Vietnam, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Hainan
  • Lamproptera meges annamiticus (Fruhstorfer, 1909) eastern Thailand, southern Vietnam
  • Lamproptera meges pallidus (Fruhstorfer, 1909) northern Vietnam
  • Lamproptera meges niasicus (Fruhstorfer, 1909) Nias
  • Lamproptera meges decius (C. & R. Felder, 1862) Philippines
  • Lamproptera meges pessimus Fruhstorfer, 1909 Philippines (Palawan, Balabac, Dumaran)
  • Lamproptera meges amplifascia Tytler, 1939 Yunnan, Burma
Green Dragontail Lamproptera meges
Green Dragontail Lamproptera meges
Green Dragontail Lamproptera meges
Green Dragontail Lamproptera meges
Green Dragontail Lamproptera meges

Threats

The green dragontail is considered vulnerable and in need of protection in peninsular Malaysia. Although they have not been recently assessed by conservationists, their range overlaps significantly with forests already cleared for palm oil, rubber, timber and other agriculture.

A 2004 study of swallowtails in Assam, India finds they were already extremely rare there

In a study of swallowtail assemblages in Rani-Garbhanga Reserve Forest in Assam in 2003 and 2004, dragontails (Lamproptera species) were found to have one of the lowest mean abundances; both L. meges and L. curius being found in gaps (open patches) as well as in closed forest.[5] 

A 2004 report had earlier suggested that the status of the green dragontail in Garbhanga Reserve Forest was “very rare”; later a total of 108 butterflies of genus Lamproptera were seen during the 2003 and 2004 survey, the species-wise breakdown not being published.[

Green Dragontail Lamproptera meges
Green Dragontail Lamproptera meges
Green Dragontail Lamproptera meges

Habitat

Green Dragontails are found in tropical and sub-tropical rain forests in riverine settings like streams, waterfalls, and rivers as well as in leaf litter.

Their range includes northeast India including the states of Arunachal, Assam, Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland. They are also found in SE Asia in the countries of Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. In 2006 they were reportedly found on the islands of Java, Kalimanta, Sulawesi, Nias and Bangka.

However, in the decades since they were surveyed, their range has been cleared significantly for palm oil in SE Asia. Therefore, it is highly likely that these butterflies have now either gone extinct in these regions or are approaching extinction. Efforts to expand the growth of palm oil in the Assam region of India would also be a serious threat to this butterfly species.

Diet

Because of their straw-like mouthparts, butterflies are mainly restricted to a liquid diet. Butterflies use their proboscis to drink sweet nectar from flowers. The green dragontail has been observed eating from various tropical flowering plants including the family Hernandiaceae.

Mating and breeding

This butterfly’s beauty is ephemeral and shortlived – they have a typical lifespan of between 7 to 12 days. Their eggs are spherical, smooth and pale green. As caterpillars, they are dark green and spotted with black.

Support Green Dragontails by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

Green Dragontail on Wikipedia

Green Dragontail on Butterfly Identification

Green Dragontail Lamproptera meges
Green Dragontail Lamproptera meges
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1. Join the on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags .

Join 3,176 other subscribers

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Pledge your support

Green Lie of “Sustainable” Aviation Biofuel

“Sustainable” Avaiation Fuel (SAF) is a biofuel alternative to using fossil fuels for powering planes and cars. SAF is being aggressively marketed by multiple industries as a greener alternative to burning fossil fuels in cars and airplanes.

However, SAF is produced from food crops such as rapeseed, palm oil, soy and sugar cane. This requires vast swathes of land to grow. This also means mass deforestation of land that is rich in biodiversity, putting at risk already threatened animals and plants and indigenous peoples all over the world. Emissions from palm oil-derived biodiesel are three times higher than fossil fuel diesel. According to Transport & Environment EU food-based biodiesel leads to around 80% higher emissions than the fossil fuel diesel that it replaces. Read on to find out how you can take action.

DYK “Sustainable” Biofuel (#SAF) used in planes/cars is blatant ? 🤑💰🩸🔥Emissions from palm-oil are 3x higher than . Say NO PALM OIL in your body and your car! @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-75Y

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derived is fuelling the 🔥🩸💰🤑 with . Despite claims – one football field of destroyed rainforest powers only 2.4 cars for one year! Reject this insanity! 🌴🪔🧐🚗⛔️ @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-75Y

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The green lie of Sustainable Aviation Biofuel SAF
The green lie of Sustainable Aviation Biofuel SAF
The green lie of Sustainable Aviation Biofuel SAF
The green lie of Sustainable Aviation Biofuel SAF
The green lie of Sustainable Aviation Biofuel SAF
The green lie of Sustainable Aviation Biofuel SAF
The green lie of Sustainable Aviation Biofuel SAF

Originally published by Irish EVs as “Biofuel: A Greenwashing Battleground” read the original article here.

Biofuel: A Greenwashing Battleground

Despite numerous independent studies demonstrating time and again that battery electric vehicles offer the only viable solution for the future of road transport – if we are to succeed in averting the worst outcomes of the Climate Crisis – myths about so-called ‘alternative fuels’ persist.

Those who have a vested interest in the oil industry and the associated infrastructure of pipelines and petrol stations have long been reluctant to commit to the switch to supporting battery electric vehicles, and as such have invested heavily in greenwashing and the development of new liquid fuels.

While we have covered the misleading greenwashing around the development of eFuels previously, today we take a look at the broader world of biofuels and highlight the many reasons why they offer no viable solution for the future and why their ‘green’ label must be dropped.

What is biofuel?

In its simplest form, a biofuel is produced from plant matter through man-made processes which are considerably quicker than the thousands of years that it takes for oil to naturally occur in the Earth.

The green lie of Sustainable Aviation Biofuel SAF

The first major challenge of biofuels – land requirements

Biofuels are produced from food crops such as rapeseed, palm oil, soy and sugar cane. They require vast swathes of land to grow, which requires either that land which was previously used to produce food for human consumption is set aside to produce fuel, or it requires the clearance of new land.

The former increases food shortages and lowers levels of nutrition in the diets of the poorest people on the planet, while the latter requires that virgin forest and wetlands are destroyed in order to produce an inefficient form of fuel that barely compares to the efficiency of battery electric vehicles.

A 2008 study by The Nature Conservancy in Minneapolis, Minnesota found that for every 10,000 square metres of Brazilian rainforest cleared for growing soya to make biodiesel, over 700 tonnes of CO2 would be released.

As such, any carbon saving from the resulting biodiesel (compared to fossil fuel diesel) would take around 300 years of continual use in order to cancel out the climate impact of the rainforest destruction.

Even the most efficient liquid fuels pale in comparison to direct electrification. Furthermore, battery electric vehicles can be powered solely from renewable energy. Credit: Transport & Environment
Even the most efficient liquid fuels pale in comparison to direct electrification. Furthermore, battery electric vehicles can be powered solely from renewable energy. Credit: Transport & Environment

To put these figures into context, it would take a field the size of a standard football pitch covered in crops to fuel just 2.4 cars over the course of one year. If that land were instead covered with solar panels, it would power 260 battery electric cars in one year.

As of 2021, an area the size of the Netherlands (41,543 square kilometres) has been deforested around the world in order to support biofuel production over the past decade.

In fact, biodiesel current uses 44% of all vegetable oils consumed in Europe – oils that are perfectly good for human consumption.

“A field the size of a football pitch would produce enough biofuels for 2.4 cars per year”

Transport and Environment
The green lie of Sustainable Aviation Biofuel SAF

The ‘Green Miracle’ of Biofuel: In Reality a Greenwashing Lie

You don’t have to look far to see various corporations claiming that biofuels are some ‘green’ miracle.

From your local petrol station – where every petrol brand is at least 5% biofuel – to the sporting giant that is Formula 1, there are widespread claims that biofuels are the answer to the Climate Crisis.

The consumption of biodiesel has grown rapidly in the past decade, with palm oil and rapeseed accounting for the most common sources. Credit: Transport & Environment
The consumption of biodiesel has grown rapidly in the past decade, with palm oil and rapeseed accounting for the most common sources. Credit: Transport & Environment

In fact, a Formula 1 press release from 2019 states: “As part of Formula 1’s ambitious sustainability strategy that targets a net-zero carbon footprint by 2030, biofuels will play a major part in the championship. [Biofuels] is a word that gets bandied about quite a lot, so we prefer to use the phrase ‘advanced sustainable fuels’”.

This is greenwashing in action.

As more and more people become aware of the enormous harm that biofuels can wreak on our ecological systems and our climate, they are rebranding them to sound more innocuous and advanced.

But how harmful are they for our climate and human health?

At present, around four in every five litres of biofuel sold in the EU is biodiesel, according to Transport & Environment. They also detail that, on average, EU food-based biodiesel leads to around 80% higher emissions than the fossil fuel diesel that it replaces.

The green lie of Sustainable Aviation Biofuel SAF

As such the use of biofuels effectively increases the emissions from the road transport sector to the tune of an additional 12 million extra cars per year.

Furthermore, emissions from palm oil-derived biodiesel are three times higher than fossil fuel diesel. This is a significant finding given that more than half of all palm oil imported into the EU is used to produce biodiesel, making drivers the biggest consumers of palm oil.

While many have boycotted foodstuffs that contain palm oil due to its huge environmental destruction, few are aware that such climate action is eclipsed if they drive a biodiesel-powered vehicle.

Beyond the emissions they create, palm oil-based biofuels have driven the clearance of more than 27 million hectares of the Earth’s surface – that’s an area around the size of New Zealand which no longer supports any biodiversity.

“Emissions from palm oil-derived biodiesel are three times higher than fossil fuel diesel”

Furthermore, the production of monocultures like palm oil dramatically increases the risk of pests and diseases in crops, making them considerably more likely to fail. Meanwhile, the production of palm oil is directly linked to the dramatic loss of endangered species such as orangutans, while more than 700 land conflicts in Indonesia alone have let to human rights violations on a daily basis.

The green lie of Sustainable Aviation Biofuel SAF

Those who promote the consumption of these biofuels – and those who continue to use them – are ultimately responsible for consistent ecocide, human rights violations and the destruction of our planet.

Closing The Loopholes

The rise in biofuel use has been led by the Renewable Energy Directive, which was introduced by the EU in 2010 with the aim of setting a 10% renewable energy target for the transport sector by 2020 for each member state. However, it has widely missed the mark, and even gone as far as further jeopardising our future.

Laura Buffet, Energy Director at Transport & Environment, commented: “Ten years of this ‘green’ fuel law and what have we got to show for it? Rampant deforestation, habitats wiped out and worse emissions than if we had used polluting diesel instead.”

“A policy that was supposed to save the planet is actually trashing it. We cannot afford another decade of this failed policy. We need to break the biofuels monopoly in renewable transport and put electricity at the centre of the Renewable Energy Directive instead.”

The consumption of biofuels in the Global North - and the destruction that they cause in the Global South - highlights the need for a just transition, where those who are least responsible for CO2 emissions will be worst affected by the Climate Crisis. Credit: Oxfam
The consumption of biofuels in the Global North – and the destruction that they cause in the Global South – highlights the need for a just transition, where those who are least responsible for CO2 emissions will be worst affected by the Climate Crisis. Credit: Oxfam

While an updated Renewable Energy Directive was adopted in 2018, which includes legislation to reduce palm oil biodiesels, the EU is still only planning to slowly phase out biofuel consumption by 2030.

This is far too late considering the ecological, climate and human impacts that these fuels have on a daily basis around the world.

 It is clear that we need considerably more ambitious legislation to stamp out these fuels with immediate effect, and that the EU – and national governments – should focus on communicating the harm that they do, as well as communicating the clear efficiency gains afforded by battery electric vehicles.

That clear communication is essential to drive meaningful and informed climate action.

This is necessary to stem the worsening Climate Crisis that is already claiming lives and threatens to displace billions of people within our lifetime.

IrishEVs would encourage you to spread the word about biofuels, push back against the ‘green’ myth that they are being promoted under, and to boycott the consumption of these fuels if you do not already drive a battery electric vehicle.

Resolving the Climate Crisis will take action from us all, and time is running out.

Originally published by Irish EVs as “Biofuel: A Greenwashing Battleground” read the original article here.

ENDS

The green lie of Sustainable Aviation Biofuel SAF

Take Action! ’s palm oil free revolution

  1. Sign this Rainforest Rescue Petition: ‘Don’t trash the rainforest for “green” jetfuel’.
  2. Enjoy a home-cooked meal: Use your imagination: why not try almond-coconut-pear biscuits? Or pizza with potato and rosemary? A meal cooked from fresh ingredients beats processed foods containing palm oil every time. Oils such as sunflower, olive, rapeseed or flaxseed are ideal for cooking and baking. Here are some recipes to enjoy.
  3. Read labels: As of December 2014, labeling regulations in the EU require food products to clearly indicate that they contain palm oil. However, in the case of non-food items such as cosmetics and cleaning products, a wide range of chemical names may still be used to hide the use of palm oil. Find palm oil free alternatives for these products here.
  4. Remember that the customer is king: Do you have a favourite brand that uses palm oil? Write to product manufacturers and ask them why they aren’t using domestic oils. Companies can be quite sensitive to issues that give their products a bad name, so inquiring with sales staff and contacting manufacturers can make a real difference. Public pressure and increased awareness of the problem have already prompted some producers to stop using palm oil.
  5. Sign petitions and write your elected representatives: Online campaigns put pressure on policymakers responsible for biofuels and palm oil imports.
  6. Speak out: Protest marches and creative action on the street raises public and media awareness of the issue of palm oil hidden on supermarket shelves and in petrol tanks. This turns up the heat on policymakers.
  7. Leave your car at home: Whenever you can, walk, ride a bicycle or use public transport.
  8. Be informed and inform others: Big Business and governments would like us to believe that biofuels are good for the climate and that palm oil plantations are “sustainable”. Learn about the problems associated with palm oil on this website, which includes: human rights abuses, deforestation, greenwashing, animal extinction, air pollution and carbon emissions, human health impacts.

Read more about deforestation and ecocide in the palm oil industry

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1. Join the on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags .

Join 3,176 other subscribers

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Pledge your support

Palm Oil Deforestation and Disease-Carrying Mosquitoes

Short version

A 2023 study published in Nature has found that cutting down rainforest to grow palm oil makes it easier for certain disease-carrying bugs like Aedes albopictus mosquitoes to thrive.

The study looks at how these changes in land use affect the local weather and environment, which in turn makes it easier for the mosquitoes to complete their life cycle.

Specifically, turning forests into palm oil plantations can increase the chances of these mosquitoes growing by about 11%, which drops to around 5% as the palm oil plants mature. This could lead to more frequent outbreaks of diseases carried by these mosquitoes.

Aedes albopictus is known to transmit pathogens and viruses, such as the Yellow Fever, Dengue Fever, Chikungunya fever and Usutu virus. The study suggests careful policy-making and planning is urgently needed to assess how we use land, balancing the need for palm oil farming.

There are strong inherent risks to public health from palm oil agriculture and vector-borne diseases.

study in @Nature finds carrying Dengue Fever are able to thrive in plantations. should be more important than . Resist and fight back when you 🌴🪔🔥🤮🤒⛔️#Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/12/30/research-palm-oil-deforestation-makes-conditions-better-for-disease-carrying-aedes-albopictus-mosquitoes/

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Saager, E. S., Iwamura, T., Jucker, T., & Murray, K. A. (2023). Deforestation for oil palm increases microclimate suitability for the development of the disease vector Aedes albopictus. Scientific Reports, 13(1), [9514]. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-35452-6

Abstract

A major trade-off of land-use change is the potential for increased risk of infectious diseases, a.o. through impacting disease vector life-cycles. Evaluating the public health implications of land-use conversions requires spatially detailed modelling linking land-use to vector ecology. Here, we estimate the impact of deforestation for oil palm cultivation on the number of life-cycle completions of Aedes albopictus via its impact on local microclimates. We apply a recently developed mechanistic phenology model to a fine-scaled (50-m resolution) microclimate dataset that includes daily temperature, rainfall and evaporation. Results of this combined model indicate that the conversion from lowland rainforest to plantations increases suitability for A. albopictus development by 10.8%, moderated to 4.7% with oil palm growth to maturity. Deforestation followed by typical plantation planting-maturation-clearance-replanting cycles is predicted to create pulses of high development suitability. Our results highlight the need to explore sustainable land-use scenarios that resolve conflicts between agricultural and human health objectives.

Research: Palm oil deforestation makes conditions better for disease-carrying Aedes albopictus mosquitoes

Introduction

Agricultural development has an extensive impact on natural and socioeconomic systems worldwide1,2. The globally rising demand in versatile tropical crops, such as oil palm, has led to a rapid increase in agricultural exploitation in developing countries3,4. Although agricultural development can bring important economic benefits, it has well known implications for biodiversity and carbon storage especially in areas where agricultural land directly replaces pristine tropical rainforest5. Currently, however, the measurable health risks of different land-use types remain poorly evaluated and human health impacts are therefore rarely integrated into land-use decision making.

Infectious disease transmission is an important dimension of human health that can be affected by agricultural land-use change. Patz et al.6 proposed that changing landscapes could become ‘unhealthy landscapes’ because of numerous examples of land-use change being linked to infectious disease risks (e.g., Lyme disease, Nipah virus). Since then, numerous studies have linked agricultural land-use change to increased infectious disease incidence7,8,9,10. In a recent meta-analysis, Shah et al.11 found that exposure to agriculture on average almost doubled the risk of being infected by any pathogen, with the highest effect sizes being observed for tropical tree crop monocultures including oil palm (odds ratio (OR) = 3.25) and rubber (OR = 2.27).

Research: Palm oil deforestation makes conditions better for disease-carrying Aedes albopictus mosquitoes

One mechanism that could help explain such associations is a change in microclimatic conditions following the change in land cover, which may favour the development of disease vectors12,13. Ectothermic arthropod vectors are highly sensitive to changes in environmental temperature, which govern their metabolic rates and development, and therefore their fitness and population growth rates14,15. In addition, many disease vectors respond to changes in humidity and/or rainfall due to their aquatic life-stages, which require the availability of adequate water bodies for development15,16. The precise effects of climate on population abundance are nevertheless highly vector-specific.

The changes in microclimate associated with deforestation for agricultural expansion offer considerable potential to impact disease vector development. Forest canopies typically buffer against extremes in local temperature and humidity through interception, transformation and storage of solar radiation, leaf transpiration and altered airflow17. Landscapes in transition to tropical tree-based agriculture, such as rubber or oil palm plantations, often encompass a strong gradient in land-use intensity with many differences in vegetation cover, canopy height and community complexity. Both on a relatively small spatial and temporal scale, vegetation in these landscapes can range from 50 + meter high intact or selectively logged tropical rainforest, to clear-cut open land, to 10–20 m full-grown plantation trees, all with varying microclimatic features. Recently, Jucker et al.18 performed high-resolution modelling of microclimate in a transitioning oil palm landscape and showed that deforested areas and oil palm plantations experienced substantially higher daily temperatures and lower relative humidity compared with rainforest areas. Older plantations experienced lower temperatures and higher relative humidity than younger plantations, although they remained warmer and drier than the rainforest areas. Predicting how these microclimate differences might in turn impact mosquito development and thereby, potentially, vector-borne disease (VBD) risks, is essential to be able to direct both large- (i.e. deforestation) and small-scale (i.e. cultivation design) land-use policy decision making.

Research: Palm oil deforestation makes conditions better for disease-carrying Aedes albopictus mosquitoes

Multiple field and experimental studies have demonstrated that land-use change can accelerate disease vector development through altering microclimates19,20,21,22. Mechanistic models of vector development could be an important tool to translate these observational findings into predictions across different settings, and, eventually, into land-use policies23. By explicitly incorporating environment-development relationships, they are also useful in evaluating the complex interplay of different environmental variables, such as temperature and humidity. Multiple studies have, for instance, already assessed the complex effects of global climate change on local disease vector development using mechanistic models and have predicted an acceleration of disease vector development resulting in expanding as well as shifting global distributions in the coming decades24,25,26,27,28. Mechanistic modelling studies that incorporate the effects of land-use change are scarcer and are typically limited by lack of adequately fine-scaled datasets that can capture the microclimatic variation attributable to vegetation cover differences29,30.

Here, we extended a recently developed spatially explicit physiological development model for the mosquito Aedes aegypti28 to predict the impact of fine-scaled, tree cover-related changes in microclimate on the number of life cycle completions of the related arboviral disease vector Aedes albopictus. Detailed land-use and microclimate data from Malaysia18 was used to capture the impacts of tropical forest conversion to oil palm plantation on mosquito development at appropriate spatio-temporal scales31. A comprehensive representation of the interactions between microclimates and vector development is provided by evaluating the separate and combined effects of temperature and humidity. We use our results to infer the trajectories of mosquito population growth according to realistic land-use succession scenarios within an oil palm-agricultural landscape. With this study, we aim to determine to what extent a forest-to-plantation transition could enhance mosquito development as a result of changes in local temperature and humidity linked to land-use change. Our results have important implications for evaluating vector-borne disease risks of agricultural expansion.

Research: Palm oil deforestation makes conditions better for disease-carrying Aedes albopictus mosquitoes

Conclusions

We predict that microclimate change by deforestation for oil palm, which can occur in a mere months, could increase disease vector development suitability to an extent comparable to decades of global warming. Our model predicts that plantation maturation to higher vegetation cover moderates A. albopictus development rates, although suitability remains increased in lowland plantations compared to original forest areas. These results stress the importance of tropical forest protection and give directions for alternative oil palm plantation systems that minimize public health risks12,28.

Read the full paper in Nature

Saager, E. S., Iwamura, T., Jucker, T., & Murray, K. A. (2023). Deforestation for oil palm increases microclimate suitability for the development of the disease vector Aedes albopictus. Scientific Reports, 13(1), [9514]. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-35452-6

ENDS

Read more about animals on the edge of extinction due to the threat of the palm oil industry

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1. Join the on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags .

Join 3,176 other subscribers

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Pledge your support

Nicobar pigeon Caloenas nicobarica

Nicobar pigeon Caloenas nicobarica

Near Threatened

Extant (resident)

India; Indonesia; Malaysia; Myanmar; Palau; Papua New Guinea; Philippines; Solomon Islands; Thailand; Vietnam

Extant (seasonality uncertain)

Cambodia

The Nicobar pigeon is the largest pigeon in the world and the closest living relative to the extinct dodo bird. They are famous for their gorgeous iridescent feathers. When threatened they make a pig-like grunt and are known for the strange way that they drink – by dunking their heads into water and sucking it up instead of sipping as other birds do. They are Near Threatened from palm oil deforestation on the Nicobar and Andaman Islands in along with hunting and the pet trade. Help their survival and in the supermarket.

The 🪿🌈 is the largest, most colourful pigeon in the world. They are near threatened in by , and the trade. Help them when u shop 🌴🔥⛔️ https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/12/23/nicobar-pigeon-caloenas-nicobarica/ @palmoildetect

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Nicobar of have magnificent iridescent rainbow feathers 🏳️‍🌈. They are the closest living relative to the 🦤 Now threatened by . Help them survive! 🌴🪔🚫 @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/12/23/nicobar-pigeon-caloenas-nicobarica/

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The closest living relative to the extinct Dodo bird, the Nicobar pigeon is the largest pigeon species in the world. They are coveted for their rainbow coloured feathers and live in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India, and coastal islands in the Malayan Archipelago and Solomon Islands.

Appearance & Behaviour

Nicobar pigeons have developed a bright metallic green, copper and iridescent blue plumage and grey head feathers. Their sturdy legs and feet are a dull red. Females are slightly smaller than males and have browner underparts. Immature birds lack iridescence.

They are flexible and nomadic and will roam between islands in search of food. Nicobar pigeons actively look for food at dawn and dusk and search in pairs or alone. They are powerful flyers and will fly together in formation in columns or single file.

Their white tails are prominent during flight and are thought to provide guidance to the flock as they cross the sea at dawn or dusk. They have low-pitched calls which serve as communication between the flock.

Nicobar pigeon Caloenas nicobarica - India Asia
Nicobar pigeon Caloenas nicobarica - India Asia
Nicobar pigeon Caloenas nicobarica - India Asia
Nicobar pigeon Caloenas nicobarica - India Asia
Nicobar pigeon Caloenas nicobarica - India Asia
Nicobar pigeon Caloenas nicobarica - India Asia
Nicobar pigeon Caloenas nicobarica - India Asia
Nicobar pigeon Caloenas nicobarica - India Asia
Nicobar pigeon Caloenas nicobarica - India Asia
Nicobar pigeon Caloenas nicobarica - India Asia

Threats

Nicobar pigeon populations have not yet been adequately quantified by researchers. They are considered to be a scarce and rare species, although more common on smaller islets. Threats include:

  • Introduced predator species to Andaman and Nicobar islands
  • Palm oil deforestation in the Andaman and Nicobar islands
  • The construction of a sea port on Great Nicobar Island and other major infrastructure projects
  • Hunting and trapping for food
  • The illegal pet trade

Trapping for food, the pet trade and perhaps for their gizzard-stones is a serious threat. The clearance of small islands for plantations and the adjacent areas of lowland forest which it requires for foraging must have reduced numbers. Predation by rats Rattus spp., cats and other alien predators at nesting grounds can affect large numbers of birds due to the colonial nature of the species.

IUCN red list
Nicobar pigeon Caloenas nicobarica - India Asia
Nicobar pigeon Caloenas nicobarica - India Asia
Nicobar pigeon Caloenas nicobarica - India Asia
Nicobar pigeon Caloenas nicobarica - India Asia threats

Habitat

Nicobar pigeons prefer to live in rainforests, dry forests, mangroves, and shrubland. They are found on small islands and coastal islets in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India and the Malay Archipelago, Solomon Islands and Palau.

Diet

Nicobar pigeons are herbivores with a diet consisting of seeds, fruit and buds, and occasionally insects.

Mating and breeding

Pairs of nicobar pigeons are believed to mate for life. They build nests in undisturbed sites in the forest canopy. Their breeding season is between January and March. The female pigeon lays one light blue egg which is nurtured and will hatch after a period of about 2.5 weeks. Both parents will feed the chick until they are ready for fledging at around three months old.

Support Nicobar Pigeon by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

BirdLife International. 2016. Caloenas nicobarica. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T22690974A93297507. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22690974A93297507.en. Accessed on 23 February 2023.

Nicobar Pigeon on Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicobar_pigeon

Nicobar Pigeon on Animalia.bio https://animalia.bio/nicobar-pigeon

Xeno-canto bird call – https://xeno-canto.org/654856

Nicobar pigeon Caloenas nicobarica - India Asia
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Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags .

Join 3,176 other subscribers

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20
https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20
https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Pledge your support

Mandrill Mandrillus sphinx

Mandrill Mandrillus sphinx

Vulnerable

Extant (resident)

Cameroon; Congo; Equatorial Guinea (Equatorial Guinea (mainland)); Gabon

Magnificent are undoubtedly one of the world’s most photogenic monkeys – famous for their brightly coloured and expressive appearance. Their bright blue rumps and vivid red, yellow and pink faces become even more deeply colourful when they’re excited. Males use their extra long canines for self-defence, but exposing their teeth can also be a sign of friendliness. Mandrills are important seed dispersers and a critical part of keeping the ecosystem in balance. These beautiful monkeys are vulnerable from palm oil, meat and cocoa deforestation and intensive poaching. Help their survival and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife

The largest and most colourful old world – 🐵🐒🤎get even brighter coloured when excited. They are from and . Help them! Be 🥕🥦 🌴🔥🧐⛔️#Boycott4Wildlife https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/12/17/mandrill-mandrillus-sphinx/

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are with vividly coloured faces 🌈🐵🐒 and rumps. They are the from 🌴🔥 and 🍫🔥 and . Fight for them every time you shop and @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/12/17/mandrill-mandrillus-sphinx/

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Mandrills are large Old World Monkeys endemic to west-central Africa. They are famous for their vividly coloured faces and posteriors. The species is dimorphic, with males having a larger body, brighter colouring and longer canine teeth. They share their genus with another brightly coloured monkey – the drill in the genus Mandrillus.

Mandrill Mandrillus sphinx - the largest monkeys in the world #Boycott4Wildlife
Mandrill Mandrillus sphinx - the largest monkeys in the world #Boycott4Wildlife
Mandrill Mandrillus sphinx - the largest monkeys in the world #Boycott4Wildlife
Mandrill Mandrillus sphinx - the largest monkeys in the world #Boycott4Wildlife
Mandrill Mandrillus sphinx - the largest monkeys in the world #Boycott4Wildlife
Two Mandrills looking sad Mandrillus sphinx - they have no protections in place #Boycott4Wildlife
Young Mandrills playing and grooming Mandrillus sphinx - they have no protections in place #Boycott4Wildlife
Young Mandrill Mandrillus sphinx - they have no protections in place #Boycott4Wildlife

Fast Facts about Mandrills

  • When mandrills become excited their colouration becomes brighter with their wrists, ankles and chests becoming vividly illuminated with red hues on their wrists and a brighter blue on their buttocks.
  • Their common name ‘Mandrill’ means ‘man ape’, they are also known as ‘forest baboons’ although this is a misnomer as they not classified baboons.
  • Aggressive behaviours include slapping the ground while angry.
  • Male mandrills are the largest living monkeys in the world.
  • Each mandrill, just like each human and each koala has a unique fingerprint.
  • Lopé National Park in Gabon is home to the largest group of non-human primates with approximately 1300 mandrills living there.
  • Mandrills move along the ground using their knuckles, whereas in the trees they leap from side to side.

Appearance & Behaviour

Incredibly social, mandrills gather together in groups of around 40 individual monkeys who congregate with other groups forming troops of up to 600 individuals.

There is a clear and strong social hierarchy. A large, colourful and dominant male has mating rights with all receptive females in the group and fathers almost all offspring.

A troop will occupy a territory of about 50 km² using scent marks and fiercely defended against outsiders.

Communication is via deep grunts and high pitched trills during feeding. They are most active during the daylight hours, spending this time hunting and the night sleeping in the trees.

Mandrills enjoy grooming and engage in smacking vocalisations during mating and grooming to show their enjoyment.

Threats

Mandrills are important seed dispersers due to their diet. They are a critical part of keeping the ecosystem in balance.

More research is needed into the population sizes of mandrills. They are classified as vulnerable on IUCN Red List.

Mandrills face a range of human-related threats including:

Illegal bushmeat and poaching: The meat and skin of a mandrill is consumed in Africa due to a lack of food sources for local populations. Also they are illegally poached to sell their meat to buyers in Europe.

Palm oil, cocoa, meat deforestation: Large-scale industrial palm oil, meat and cocoa deforestation is a major threat to this species.

Infrastructure projects

Habitat

Mandrills prefer to live together in large groups deep in the thick jungle of montane rainforest and secondary forests. They are endemic to equatorial Africa, including south-western Cameroon, western Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and south-western Congo.

Diet

Mandrills are omnivorous and eat fruits, seeds, fungi, tree roots, insects, arthropods, snails, worms, lizards and occasionally snakes and small vertebrates.

Mating and breeding

Mandrills in groups are dominated by a male who controls mating rights with a group of females known as a harem. They will breed when there is abundant food sources available, generally between July to October. Pregnancy lasts for six months and the female normally gives birth to one infant.

Other females in the group including aunts, sisters and cousins will share care of the infants. Mandrills are weaned after six months from their mother, females continue living in the group whereas male mandrills leave the group at 6 years old and live on the fringes of the group.

Support Mandrills by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

Abernethy, K. & Maisels, F. 2019. Mandrillus sphinx. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T12754A17952325. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T12754A17952325.en. Accessed on 24 February 2023.

Mandrill on Animalia.bio – https://animalia.bio/mandrill

Mandrill on Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandrill

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How can I help the ?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags .

Join 3,176 other subscribers

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Pledge your support

Vegan Palm Oil Free Christmas Recipes

Wondering how to cook and this Christmas or Yule? Help keep the rainforests standing and resist with 10 cruelty-free and healthy recipes. These dishes feature oodles of scrumptious vegetables and the world’s most versatile ingredient margarine without palm oil. This Christmas menu is not only easy to whip up, but also brims with health, good will and love for all beings. Fight back in the supermarket!

Choose to resist the chaos and division in our world by celebrating a joyful observance of what peace looks like. From your corner of the planet to mine, let’s unite together and and . Humans are stronger when we stand together, resist and protect our planet’s precious wildlife, indigenous peoples and habitats. 🌍🎉✨

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is a time for celebration 🎅🎄 This season try 10 yummy, and   . Good for , 🦧🦏🐘🐒🐍 and your 🥦🍆 Use your wallet as a weapon, via @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/12/10/palm-oil-free-and-vegan-christmas-recipes

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December ushers in a constellation of festive celebrations around the world. Along with the twinkling lights of Christmas, commemorating the birth of Jesus for Christians; there is also the luminous candles of Hanukkah in Jewish tradition. Muslims often observe Milad un Nabi, while Buddhists mark Bodhi Day, Hindus celebrate Pancha Ganapati, honoring Lord Ganesha and Pagans honour Yule.

Whatever you celebrate, you can celebrate without harming animals and rainforests by having a vegan palm oil free Christmas. Here are some delicious recipes to enjoy!

Menu

Vegan Roasted Garlic and Herb Dinner Rolls

Maple-Glazed Carrots with Thyme

Creamy Vegan Mushroom Soup

Stuffed Bell Peppers with Quinoa and Veggies

Cranberry-Pecan Brussels Sprouts

Herbed Vegan Pot Pie

Sweet Potato Casserole with Crunchy Oat Topping

Vegan Chocolate Yule Log

Vegan palm oil free gingerbread men

Spiced Chai and Mulled Wine Poached Pears

Back to menu ↑

Vegan Roasted Garlic and Herb Dinner Rolls

These fluffy dinner rolls are made with palm oil-free vegan butter, offering a rich and savory addition to your Christmas table. Mix in some roasted garlic and fresh herbs for an aromatic twist.

Vegan Roasted Garlic and Herb Dinner Rolls

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 packet active dry yeast
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup of olive oil or margarine without palm oil, melted
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons roasted garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, parsley), chopped

Instructions:

  1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar and let sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
  2. Stir in melted margarine, salt, herbs, and garlic.
  3. Gradually add flour, mixing until a dough forms.
  4. Knead on a floured surface for about 5 minutes.
  5. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour.
  6. Punch down dough and form into rolls. Place on a baking sheet, cover, and let rise for another 30 minutes.
  7. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Back to menu ↑

Maple-Glazed Carrots with Thyme

This simple yet elegant side dish uses margarine without palm oil to bring out the natural sweetness of carrots, enhanced with a drizzle of maple syrup and a sprinkle of fresh thyme.

Maple glazed carrots with thyme – palm oil free and vegan

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 2 tablespoons margarine without palm oil
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Fresh thyme

Instructions:

  1. In a skillet, melt the palm oil free margarine over medium heat.
  2. Add carrots and cook until tender.
  3. Stir in maple syrup, salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook for another 2 minutes.

Back to menu ↑

Cranberry-Pecan Brussels Sprouts

Sauté Brussels sprouts in vegan palm oil free butter, and toss with dried cranberries and toasted pecans for a dish that’s both sweet and savoury.

Cranberry-Pecan Brussels Sprouts
Cranberry-Pecan Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup chopped pecans
  • 2 tablespoons of palm oil free vegan butter
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. In a skillet, melt margarine and add Brussels sprouts.
  2. Cook until they are caramelised and tender.
  3. Stir in cranberries and pecans, and season with salt and pepper.

Back to menu ↑

Stuffed Bell Peppers with Quinoa and Veggies

These colorful bell peppers are stuffed with a hearty mix of quinoa, veggies, and spices, all sautéed in palm oil-free vegan butter for a festive and nutritious meal.

Stuffed Bell Peppers with Quinoa and Veggies
Quinoa and veg stuffed green peppers – palm oil free and vegan

Ingredients:

  • 4 bell peppers, halved and seeded
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 zucchini, diced
  • 1 cup spinach, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons of butter or cooking oil (vegan and palm oil free)
  • 1 teaspoon each: cumin, paprika
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
  2. In a skillet, melt margarine and sauté onion, garlic, and zucchini until softened.
  3. Stir in quinoa, spinach, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper.
  4. Stuff the mixture into the bell pepper halves.
  5. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Back to menu ↑

Creamy Vegan Mushroom Soup

Start your Christmas feast with a bowl of creamy mushroom soup. The richness comes from palm oil-free vegan butter and plant-based milk, making it a comforting and healthy appetiser.

creamy mushroom soup
creamy mushroom soup

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup plant-based milk
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup of olive oil or margarine without palm oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions:

  1. In a large pot, melt margarine and sauté onion and garlic until translucent.
  2. Add mushrooms and cook until they release their juices.
  3. Sprinkle flour and stir well.
  4. Gradually add broth and plant-based milk, stirring continuously.
  5. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
  6. Blend soup for a creamy texture (optional).
  7. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley.

Back to menu ↑

Herbed Vegan Pot Pie

This classic comfort food gets a vegan makeover with a flaky crust and a filling of vegetables and herbs cooked in palm oil-free vegan butter.

herbed vegan pot pie
herbed vegan pot pie

Ingredients:

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
  2. In a pot, melt margarine and sauté onion and garlic.
  3. Add vegetables and cook for 5 minutes.
  4. Sprinkle flour and stir well. Gradually add broth and milk, stirring continuously.
  5. Add herbs, salt, and pepper. Simmer until the sauce thickens.
  6. Pour the mixture into a baking dish. Cover with puff pastry, sealing the edges.
  7. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden.

Back to menu ↑

Sweet Potato Casserole with Crunchy Oat Topping

Enjoy a casserole of mashed sweet potatoes, enriched with palm oil-free vegan butter, and topped with a crunchy oat and nut mixture for a delightful texture contrast.

sweet potato casserole
sweet potato casserole

Ingredients:

  • 3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 1/4 cup margarine without palm oil
  • 1/4 cup plant-based milk
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • For the topping:

Instructions:

  1. Boil sweet potatoes until tender. Mash with margarine, milk, maple syrup, and cinnamon.
  2. Spread in a baking dish.
  3. Mix topping ingredients and sprinkle over the sweet potatoes.
  4. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25-30 minutes, until the topping is golden.

Back to menu ↑

Vegan Chocolate Yule Log

A festive dessert made with a moist chocolate sponge, rolled with a creamy filling and frosted with a palm oil-free vegan butter and palm oil free chocolate ganache.

Vegan Chocolate Yule Log
Vegan Chocolate Yule Log

Ingredients:

  • For the sponge:
    • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
    • 3/4 cup sugar
    • 1/2 cup plant-based milk
    • 1/4 cup margarine without palm oil, melted
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • For the filling and ganache:

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper.
  2. Mix flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, milk, melted margarine, and vanilla. Spread evenly in the pan.
  3. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Roll the cake in the parchment paper and cool.
  4. For filling, mix cream cheese and powdered sugar. Unroll the cake, spread the filling, and roll it back up.
  5. For ganache, melt chocolate chips and margarine, and pour over the cake.

Back to menu ↑

Spiced Chai and Mulled Wine Poached Pears

End your meal on a light note with pears poached in mulled wine, sweetened with a touch of sugar, and spiced up, all simmered in a sauce enhanced with vegan palm oil free butter.

Spiced Chai and Mulled Wine Poached Pears
Vegan Chocolate Yule Log

Ingredients:

  • 4 pears, peeled and cored
  • 4 cups mulled wine
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons margarine without palm oil
  • Cinnamon sticks and star anise for flavour

Instructions:

  1. In a large pot, combine mulled wine, sugar, cinnamon sticks, and star anise.
  2. Add pears and bring to a simmer. Cook until pears are tender.
  3. Remove pears and reduce the sauce by half.
  4. Stir in margarine until melted and pour over the pears.

Enjoy crafting these festive, vegan delights and have a merry, green Christmas! 🎄🌿🥕🍪🥧

Back to menu ↑

Vegan palm oil free gingerbread men

These classic Christmas cookies are made healthier with whole wheat flour, sweetened with molasses, and use palm oil-free vegan butter for a guilt-free treat.

Vegan palm oil free gingerbread men
Vegan palm oil free gingerbread men

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup margarine without palm oil
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 1/4 cup plant-based milk
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

  1. Cream margarine and sugar. Add molasses and milk.
  2. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.
  3. Gradually add to the wet ingredients. Chill dough for 1 hour.
  4. Roll out dough and cut into shapes. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 8-10 minutes.
have a cosy christmas outro
Boycott palm oil and be vegan at christmas

How to find vegan and palm oil free ingredients for these dishes? look no further!

Read more about human health, veganism, nutrition and why you should be vegan and , for your own and the planet’s health

Savage’s Glass Frog Centrolene savagei

Perched on delicate leaves above rushing mountain streams, Centrolene savagei is a rare frog of wonder. The Savage’s Glass Frog, also known as the Savage’s Cochran Frog has translucent emerald skin that shimmers…

Read more

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Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags .

Join 3,176 other subscribers

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Pledge your support

Indigenous Farming: Science, Not Superstition

What does it mean when you encounter snakes slithering along paths or find a bird nest with eggs? For Indigenous peoples in Malaysia, these are tell-tale signs passed down by their ancestors discouraging them from using the land. Instead, they must protect the area from unscrupulous developments. 

The people’s respect for the land and their traditional and methods can teach us all to adapt to extreme weather and . Take action and 🌴🩸🚜☠️🧐⛔️ @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/12/03/indigenous-farming-knowledge-is-science-not-superstition/

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Written by By Dr Su-Hie Ting, Dr Gabriel Tonga Noweg, and Dr Yvonne Michelle Campbell, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak in Kuching for 360Info.org and republished under the Creative Commons Licence.

The Indigenous people’s respect for the land and their traditional agricultural practices can teach us to adapt to extreme weather conditions.

In 2021, Malaysia lost 123,000 hectares of natural forest. This is equivalent to 87 million tonnes of carbon emissions. The destruction ruined thousands of food, energy and livelihood sources for Indigenous communities.

Researchers say agriculture is a significant contributor to anthropogenic global warming and reducing agricultural emissions — largely methane and nitrous oxide — could play a significant role in climate change mitigation. American economist William R Cline believes global warming reduces yields because crops speed through their development, producing less grain as higher temperatures interfere with the ability of plants to retain moisture.

In large-scale farming, using bulldozers and other mechanised farming equipment compacts the soil, reducing the soil’s water storage capacity and increasing surface runoff during heavy rain. According to the German environmental organisation BUND, soil structure and humus levels in the soil are vital for flood protection.

Beautiful rainforest in West Papua, Getty Images

The Indigenous peoples in Malaysia have great respect for the land. The Bidayuh’s folktales or dondan teach the people that the land they inhabit does not belong to them, but to the spirits of the land.

Their folk wisdom on agricultural practices is based on that respect for the land. They don’t act as masters or owners of the land. To them, the land is a shared treasure, passed down from generation to generation.  

The Bidayuhs will perform a ‘ngawah’ ritual on a selected piece of land a few months before carrying out any paddy planting activities. A traditional priest performs the Gawai ceremonies and presents offerings to spirits.

When they notice a particular creeping plant, the Indigenous people will not disturb or use that area. This isn’t mere superstition. There is science behind it.

Companion planting is when two plants are grown close together for the benefit of one or both plants. The presence of certain plant species can indicate that the land is not suitable for crops, like paddy.  Some plants compete for nutrients or space if they are planted too close together. Other plants like sunflower seeds contain a toxin that prevents potatoes from growing fully, and since insects such as tomato hornworm and certain types of fungus thrive on corn and tomatoes, planting them together can contribute to a massive fungus attack.

Indigenous farming knowledge is science, not superstition
Indigenous farming knowledge is science, not superstition

The Indigenous communities in Sarawak have adopted environmentally responsive farming practices to adapt to extreme climate changes

A big issue is declining water resources due to unpredictable rainfall patterns. In the past, the farmers in Sarawak knew that there would be the northeast monsoon season at the end of the year until February and there would be dry weather from March to October. Floods, if any, would occur during the monsoon season.

However, in recent years rainfall has become unpredictable. Serious flooding in urban areas has been more prevalent in the middle of the year. This is because consecutive rainfall for two to four hours may cause flash floods. Indigenous farmers have ways to adjust their farming activities in anticipation of floods but they don’t have extensive irrigation systems to handle drought. Dry weather can cause crop failure, decrease crop yield and disrupt access to drinking water for livestock.  

The land needs water to flourish. Soil cover is important to prevent or reduce erosion and flooding. It also acts as a sponge to soak up excess water and stabilise temperature. Soil moisture affects the weather, affecting both temperature and precipitation. As the temperature rises, the evaporation rate of soil moisture increases. The increased soil moisture evaporation helps cool the ground.

The Indigenous people know that the forest acts as a sponge

It retains water during rainy days, and gradually releases the water during dry periods. The traditional response is to improve the condition of the forest in their catchment area by planting more trees such as timber trees, bamboo, rattan and wild fruit trees. 

Indigenous communities use plant resources for furniture and construction, consumption and medicinal purposes although different communities use plants in different ways. The Bidayuhs use Tongkat Alior ‘longjack’, as a remedy for hypertension while the Malays use it to enhance male sexual performance.

Planting more trees helps increase soil cover. In the long run, it will improve the capacity of the forest and water catchment areas to retain more water. This will ensure a more sustainable source of drinking water for the villages and maintain a stable temperature for the environment.

One of the main means of livelihood for the Indigenous people is wet paddy farming in lowland areas near rivers. The lower floodplain has fertile soil but is subject to flood damage during extreme weather conditions. Villagers use streams to irrigate their fields by making weirs or small dams to divert water to the paddy fields. However, this has become difficult as floods are becoming more frequent and unpredictable.

Paddy farmers have two traditional responses to flooding based on traditional knowledge. They farm on the slightly higher ground less likely to be affected by major and prolonged flooding. But since they avoid the lowland, they are left with a smaller area to plant paddy. In addition, paddy planted on higher ground does not grow well due to poorer irrigation and less fertile soil. 

Farmers also adjust to changing climatic conditions by predicting the likelihood of a wet or dry year. By observing weather trends in the few months before planting season (normally between April and August), they decide whether to plant on the floodplain or higher ground.

This Indigenous knowledge for forecasting weather relies on signs from the environment. At the start of the dry season, usually after March, if there is a mist or fog early in the morning, it means it will be a dry year. 

Beautiful rainforest in West Papua, Getty Images

Birds can predict weather too. To the indigenous, if the ‘Burung Kangkok’ (hawk-cuckoo) chirps loudly and noisily when the fruit trees are about to blossom, it means it will be a good fruiting year. Researchers have discovered birds can detect rising and falling barometric pressure and can predict bad or cold weather when they detect a low-pressure centre or a cold front approaching.

Indigenous agricultural practices are different and interesting as a sustainable way of living because they are based on paying respect to the land. The main issue they have to contend with is the lack of water, and they have to develop farming strategies to effectively work with the land – rather than conquering or damaging the land. 

Traditional agricultural practices can teach us to adapt to extreme weather conditions. However, Indigenous mitigation measures are difficult to implement because their traditional practices are at odds with large-scale farming. 

Large-scale farming will increase to cater to the global population. Feeding a population of 9.1 billion in 2050 would require raising overall food production by some 70 percent between 2005 and 2050. Large-scale farming causes a reduction of the water storage capacity of the soil and, among other factors, will lead to rising temperatures. Large-scale farming contributes to climate change. Yet it is a necessity to feed the global population.

Professor Dr Su-Hie Ting is a lecturer at the Faculty of Language and Communication, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS). Her research interests include ethnic groups and their language and culture. 

Professor Dr Gabriel Tonga Noweg has a background in natural resource management, forestry, environmental conservation, biodiversity management and ethnobotany. He is currently a Principal Fellow at the Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, UNIMAS. His current research interests include ethnobotany (medicinal plants), ecology of conservation areas, conservation of community-owned forests, ecotourism and biodiversity assessment. He is a registered consultant with Natural Resource and Environment Board (NREB) in Sarawak, Malaysia.

Dr Yvonne Michelle Campbell from the Faculty of Language and Communication, UNIMAS researches ethnolinguistics and Indigenous worldviews and has published journal papers on folk wisdom and cultural practices of the Bidayuh in Sarawak.

Originally published under Creative Commons by 360info™.

Written by By Dr Su-Hie Ting, Dr Gabriel Tonga Noweg, and Dr Yvonne Michelle Campbell, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak in Kuching for 360Info.org and republished under the Creative Commons Licence.

ENDS

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Margay Leopardus wiedii

Margay Leopardus wiedii

Near Threatened

Extant (resident)

Argentina; Belize; Bolivia, Plurinational States of; Brazil; Colombia; Costa Rica; Ecuador; El Salvador; French Guiana; Guatemala; Guyana; Honduras; Mexico; Nicaragua; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Suriname; Uruguay; Venezuela.

Presence Uncertain

United States

Graceful, athletic and beautiful feline of the Amazon jungle, margays are small endemic to in South and Central America. Every margay has a unique spotted pattern on their coat. They depend heavily on the rainforest canopy for hunting small mammals, reptiles and amphibians. They are thought to mimic the call of the pied tamarin in order to hunt for them. for , and along with illegal poaching are devastating to them. Help them every time you shop and be ,

The graceful small 🐈😺 the is ‘Near Threatened’ by , agriculture in 🇲🇽 🇧🇷 🇻🇪 🇨🇴 Help them survive! 🌴🧐⛔️ be 🥦👌 and @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/11/26/margay-leopardus-wiedii/

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No has the same gorgeous pattern of spots 🐾✨💖🐆 They are Near Threatened in for and illegal . Fight for them and be 🥕🍆🤟 🌴🩸🚫 @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/11/26/margay-leopardus-wiedii/

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Appearance & Behaviour

These diminuitive wild cats have black lines behind their ears and their skin is soft and thick. There is immense individuation in terms of their beautiful coat pattern. No two margays are exactly alike in their colouration and kittens are born with their spots.

The fur of a margay varies in colour from grey-brown to tawny, and russet yellow. They possess dark spots and open rosettes of dark fur akin to leopards.

These wild cats have no sexual dimorphism, with males and females having the same appearance and size.

Like other small cat species, Margays are agile climbers and are also known as the ‘tree ocelot’ for their grace and athletic abilities.

They can twist and turn their ankles 180 degrees and can grasp onto branches with their fore and hind paws and they use their long tails for balance.

These adaptations assist them in hunting birds and monkeys through the tree canopy. They are well adapted for living in dense rainforests. Research studies have found that their populations thrive in areas of thick jungle, with little human disturbance.

Their flexible ankles helps them to climb down from trees gracefully, head first. As is typical with many wild cat species, margays lay in wait to ambush prey.

Margay Leopardus wiedii
Margay Leopardus wiedii
Margay Leopardus wiedii
Margay Leopardus wiedii
Margay Leopardus wiedii
Margay Leopardus wiedii
Margay Leopardus wiedii
Margay Leopardus wiedii
Margay Leopardus wiedii

Threats

Margays along with many other small wildcats are becoming increasingly rare due to a confluence of human-related anthropogenic threats. They have the classification of ‘Near. Threatened’ on IUCN Red List. To date, their global population size has not been adequately measured by researchers. Thus, there could be far fewer of them left than estimated.

Margays face multiple human-related threats including:

  • Palm oil, meat and soy deforestation: Populations have become heavily fragmented due to agricultural expansion and deforestation for palm oil, cattle ranching and soy.
  • Illegal poaching: Margays have been heavily exploited and hunted for their fur for centuries. This illegal poaching and hunting still occurs in the domestic black market.
  • Human persecution: Margays are shot in retaliation by farmers for eating their chickens.
  • Disease outbreaks
  • Infrastructure projects
Margay Leopardus wiedii
Margay Leopardus wiedii - help them and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife
Margay Leopardus wiedii - help them and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife
Margay Leopardus wiedii

Habitat

Margays live in northern Mexico, Central America, and in South America, east of the Andes mountains, and as far to the south as Uruguay and northern Argentina.

They thrive almost exclusively in heavily forested evergreen forest, tropical dry forest and alpine cloud forest. Rarely are they found outside of forested areas, such as in agricultural plantations for soy, palm oil, coffee or cocoa.

They are mostly solitary and nocturnal. However, in southern parts of Brazil they have been seen actively hunting in the day time.

These cats make their nests in the hollows of trees and are considered to be more arboreal than other cat species. Margays do also travel and hunt while on the forest floor.

Like other cats, male margays mark their territory with urine and secretions and will keep their distance from one another or otherwise have aggressive confrontations when their territories overlap.

Diet

They are known to mimic the vocalisations of pied tamarins while hunting for them.

Margays are considered carnivores but will also eat vegetation to aid their digestion. Analysis of their diet has shown that they consume reptiles, birds’ eggs, small birds, small mammals such as monkeys, squirrels, guinea pigs and chickens, tree frogs, lizards and arthropods.

They are able to capture and consume their prey completely in the tree canopy but will also venture to the ground to hunt.

Mating and breeding

Margays form temporarily bonded pairs during mating and breeding season and the pair will sometimes even hunt together. Males leave before the kittens are born and don’t help to rear them.

Female margays remain in oestrus for 4-10 days every 32-36 days. During this time they call on males with a plaintive moaning call. Male margays respond with a trilling call and shaking their heads rapidly – a behaviour not seen in other cat species.

A pregnant female will give birth after 80 days gestation period. Each pregnancy typically results in a single kitten and very rarely – two are born. Kittens weigh between 85-170g. Similar to domestic cats – they open their eyes at two weeks old and begin to eat solid foods at 7-8 weeks old and are reported to live to 20 years old when kept in captivity.

Kittens have a 50% mortality rate and their low wild breeding rate combined with difficulties breeding them in captivity make increasing their population problematic.

Support Margays by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Margay Leopardus wiedii - help them and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

de Oliveira, T., Paviolo, A., Schipper, J., Bianchi, R., Payan, E. & Carvajal, S.V. 2015. Leopardus wiedii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T11511A50654216. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T11511A50654216.en. Accessed on 23 February 2023.

Margay Wikipedia article – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margay

Margay Leopardus wiedii - help them and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife
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3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

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Rethinking Climate and Extinction Crises

Capturing people’s attention about the and crises is a challenge. Causes mostly move slowly, without the flashy drama that can focus our minds in the midst of 24-hour news cycles and social media distractions. The Netflix film Don’t Look Up cleverly captures humans’ inability to come together to counter such a common existential threat. To change this, we must develop a “slow memory” that can help us care about and act on slow change. Help to fight against extinction when you shop and

Humans can learn to develop a ‘slow memory’ to understand the slow-moving but real threat of . Fight back against extinction, be 🍉🍎🧄🥦 and 🌴🩸💀🙊🧐⛔️ in the supermarket @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/11/19/climate-and-extinction-crises-move-too-slowly-for-us-to-pay-attention-heres-the-answer/

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Written by Jenny Wüstenberg, Associate Professor, Twentieth Century History, Nottingham Trent University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Humans reckon with catastrophes by remembering them collectively and individually. If climate change is the main threat, it deserves as much attention as our grandparents and great-grandparents mustered to survive the threat of the second world war. Today, most of us actively recall and work against the things that led to that conflict – fascism, discrimination, hatred, economic deprivation – and we have coined the phrase “never again” to encapsulate the idea that remembering the past entails taking responsibility for the future.

A century ago, a French sociologist named Maurice Halbwachs, one of the founding fathers of memory studies, argued that collective memory offers a framework to make sense of the past, enabling a group to negotiate what it stands for. We tend to think of history in terms of specific dates, events and people, and so public commemoration mostly represents these in anniversaries, in plaques showing where “stuff happened”, or in statues. This is “fast memory”, an easily accessible repertoire of rituals of remembrance. Modern states – democratic and authoritarian alike – have whole departments devoted to fast-memory management.

The problem with climate change is that it does not lend itself easily to fast memory: it is not caused by a clear set of definable events or actors, and responsibility for it lies with many different people, communities and economic, social and colonial processes – many of them in the distant past. It can also not be overcome through either the heroic actions of a few or short-term concerted effort.

In order for policy making and mass behaviour to change, the threat of climate change and species extinction has to become impossible to ignore. For this to happen, we need to develop an emotional, rather than merely intellectual, relationship with the planet and its future inhabitants. How can we understand “never again” in relation to human-made environmental devastation?

Slow memory: The present has been shaped by gradual change

Slow memory – a concept I have developed in collaboration with colleagues as part of an EU-funded project – would mean creating space and time in our fast-paced lives to recognise that the present (and future) is shaped by gradual and creeping transformations, like the decline in bee populations or the disappearance of the rainforest.

Insect numbers are down across much of the world, but they rarely make headline news. tony mills / shutterstock
Insect numbers are down across much of the world, but they rarely make headline news. tony mills / shutterstock

Slow memory means decentring humans from the stories we tell about our past and allowing other species to feature in them. This is what activists in Brighton are now doing annually on November 30 when they gather to mourn lost species in a kind of funeral rite, creating what they describe as “a space for exploring stories about extinctions, that also acknowledge and pay proper attention to the related human experiences of injustice or oppression.”

Thankfully, we do not have to start from scratch to create slow memory: as Joanne Garde-Hansen and colleagues have shown in their work on flood memories, communities that have experienced environmental change have long developed ways of remembering, though these have often been forgotten or ignored. Such practices have left traces in community archives and family storytelling, and finding them requires us to “slow down” and rethink what, who and which source matters.

Listening to older people or marginalised communities and learning about their responses to change is a good place to begin. This “slowed down” course of action in the face of danger may seem strangely devoid of predictable outcomes, but clearly our ever-accelerating drive for fast solutions has been part of the problem so far.

How to develop a slow memory

Another avenue to develop “slow memory” is to use familiar techniques of commemoration to call attention to a slow-moving threat. The most impressive effort of this kind is Eden Portland, a proposal to turn a former mine into a memorial space, as well as build an epic above-ground monument, to remember the species we have lost and help evoke an emotional response.

The memorial will be built on a cliff on the Isle of Portland in southern England, in a Unesco World Heritage region known as the Jurassic coast due to the rich variety of fossils found there. These fossils are nature’s way of commemorating past inhabitants of our planet, but the traces in the rock have not been recognised by humans as a call to action.

At Eden Portland, enormous sculptures of the white rhino, the Yangze dolphin and other extinct animals will give the victims of poaching and habitat destruction a face and make “fast memory” work to remember slow devastation.

Conventional commemoration – the monument – will thus be used to foster the emotional bonds between human and non-human species that are indispensable to persuading our politics to act now – before it is too late. What we need is myriad small and large projects of this kind of “slow memory” to evoke a fundamental shift in consciousness about climate change.

Here are some other ways you can help by using your wallet as a weapon and joining the

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Dorias Tree Kangaroo Dendrolagus dorianus
Giant Ground Pangolin Manis gigantea
Borneo Pygmy Elephant Elephas maximus borneensis
Bornean Peacock-pheasant Polyplectron schleiermacheri

Philippine Sailfin Lizard Hydrosaurus pustulatus

Philippine Sailfin Lizard (Sailfin Water Lizard) Hydrosaurus pustulatus

Extant (resident)

Philippines, West Papua

Stunning bright coloured Philippine sailfin lizards are becoming more and more rare due to across their range in and eastern . They are also threatened by hunting and the illegal pet trade. Males turn a dark violet colour during mating season and flare their extravagant sail-like fins to announce their mating prowess. They have a third eye on the top of their head which enables them to sense sunlight. Help them survive every time you shop and

Stunning vividly coloured Philippine Sailfin 🦎😍 of and 🇵🇭 need you to fight for them! Use your wallet as a weapon in the supermarket @palmoildetect 🌴🪔🚫🧐 https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/11/12/philippine-sailfin-lizard-hydrosaurus-pustulatus/

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Amazing Philippine Sailfin of can walk on water and turn purple during the mating season 🧙‍♂️🪄🦎💜 They are decreasing in number due to multiple threats. Help their survival when you 🌴🚫 @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/11/12/philippine-sailfin-lizard-hydrosaurus-pustulatus/

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Deforestation fire in the Amazon by Brasil2 on Getty Images

Although this animal was previously recorded on IUCN Red List as being ‘Least Concern’ 100,000’s of hectares of rainforest in Papua and Philippines have since disappeared for palm oil – so likely, this rating is longer relevant. These lizards are most likely going to be upgraded to ‘vulnerable’ or ‘endangered’ due to massive deforestation throughout their range.

Read more

Appearance & Behaviour

Stunning bright coloured Philippine sailfin lizards are becoming more and more rare from palm oil deforestation across their range in and eastern .

The Philippine sailfin lizard is also known by the common names sailfin water lizard, crested lizard, sailfin lizard and the soa-soa water lizard.

Found on the islands that make up the Philippines, New Guinea and Eastern Indonesia.

Philippine Sailfin Lizard Hydrosaurus pustulatus - Asia
Philippine Sailfin Lizard Hydrosaurus pustulatus - Asia
Philippine Sailfin Lizard Hydrosaurus pustulatus - Asia
Philippine Sailfin Lizard Hydrosaurus pustulatus - Asia
Philippine Sailfin Lizard Hydrosaurus pustulatus - Asia
Philippine Sailfin Lizard Hydrosaurus pustulatus - Asia
Philippine Sailfin Lizard Hydrosaurus pustulatus - Asia
Philippine Sailfin Lizard Hydrosaurus pustulatus - Asia
Philippine Sailfin Lizard Hydrosaurus pustulatus - Asia
Philippine Sailfin Lizard Hydrosaurus pustulatus - Asia
Philippine Sailfin Lizard Hydrosaurus pustulatus - Asia

Known for their dramatic and attractive colouration patterns and sail-like dorsal crests which give them the appearance of a dragon – these lizards are prized on the illegal pet trade.

Philippine Sailfin Lizards belong to the genus Hydrosaurus meaning water lizard. Juvenile lizards have the ability of running on water due to the structure of their feet and toe pads which are flat and enable this.

These fascinating lizards are studied carefully by herpetologists and other sciences as their colouration and form is unique.

Philippine Sailfin Lizard by Kirkamon, Wikipedia
Philippine Sailfin Lizard by Kirkamon, Wikipedia

Male lizards use their impressive sail-like dorsal fins as forms of territorial display between males competing for mates.

These large and brightly coloured lizards can grow anywhere between 06.-1.2 metres in length and weigh between 1.3 – 2.2 kg.

Their sail-like crest helps them with mating territorial displays, and as a way of moderating the body’s temperature, but it’s also used as a ballast for balance when swimming.

Males have a larger crest, bigger head and darker limbs. During the mating season the head and neck of the male lizard becomes a vivid violet colour, whereas only the female’s crest can become violet during the mating season.

Philippine sailfin lizards have dark green and brown skin with yellow patches on the back side of their body and near their heads.

They use their flattened tail like a rudder to propel themselves through the water and quickly evade predators. In the presence of predators they can drop from tree branches and swim to the bottom of a river and stay there for up to 15 minutes holding their breath.

Philippine Sailfin Lizard Hydrosaurus pustulatus - Asia

They have a vestigal eye (also known as a parietal or pineal eye) this is at the top of their skull and is thought to be used to give them a sense of direction and light from the sun.

Threats

Philippine Sailfin Lizard Hydrosaurus pustulatus - Asia

The threats to the two species of Hydrosaurus in the Philippines are generally very similar. Populations appear to be principally threatened by habitat loss, often the conversion of wooded land to alternative uses (including agriculture), and through logging operations. In addition, animals (especially hatchlings) are heavily collected for both the pet trade (national and possibly international) and local consumption. Because of inter-island trade, there is some possibility of introduced animals mixing with indigenous populations. In some parts of is range it is additionally threatened by water pollution resulting from the use of agrochemicals and increased sedimentation.

IUCN RED LIST

Philippine sailfin lizards face a number of human-related threats, including:

  • Palm oil, meat and timber deforestation: Habitat loss is a major threat.
  • Collection for the illegal pet trade: Despite collection being legally limited in Philippines these lizards are still collected in the illegal pet trade and exported to the USA, especially in Indonesia.
  • Hunting and poaching
  • Industrial agriculture pollution and run-off: Pollution and agrochemicals from palm oil plantations

Habitat

The Philippine sailfin lizard is found in tropical wooded habitats, mangroves, rice-fields, riverine environments and near bodies of freshwater. They are found on several islands in the Philippines including Guimaras, Romblon, Negros, and Cebu, New Guinea, West Papua and some of eastern Indonesia.

Diet

These lizards are omnivores and will eat a varied diet of plants including leaves and fruits in addition to insects and crustaceans.

Mating and breeding

Philippine sailfin lizards are completely reliant upon access to a river or stream in order to mate and reproduce.

Female Philippine sailfin lizards are able to lay several clutches of eggs a year that each can contain anywhere between 2 and 8 eggs. These eggs are nestled into the soil near a river or stream for an incubation period of two months and then hatchlings emerge.

As hatchlings the lizards are born with natural agility and swiftness, including being able to run along the surface of water to evade predators.

Philippine Sailfin Lizard Hydrosaurus pustulatus - Asia

Support Philippine Sailfin Lizard by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

Ledesma, M., Brown, R., Sy, E. & Rico, E.L. 2009. Hydrosaurus pustulatus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2009: e.T10335A3194587. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009-2.RLTS.T10335A3194587.en. Accessed on 31 October 2022.

Sailfin Water Lizard Hydrosaurus pustulatus on Wikipedia

Philippine Sailfin Lizard Hydrosaurus pustulatus - Asia
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Join 3,176 other subscribers

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Pledge your support

Reptiles Facing Extinction: How to Help

are fascinating creatures who are sadly feared, misunderstood and persecuted by humans. It is high time that we stand up for , , , , caimans, and more.

Many of these fascinating creatures are feared by humans and inhabit hard-to-traverse places such as swamps. Compared with birds, amphibians and mammals, there is little data available on the distribution, population size and extinction risk of reptiles. This has meant that wildlife conservationists have largely helped reptiles indirectly in the past by meeting the needs of other animals (for food and habitat for example) living in similar places. Here’s how we stand up for them

🦎🐍🐢🐊 are fascinating creatures who are sadly feared, misunderstood and persecuted by humans. It’s time we stand up for , here’s how, be and 🌴🩸☠️ @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/11/05/reptiles-why-one-in-five-species-face-extinction-heres-how-you-can-help-them/

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Now, a first-of-its-kind global assessment of more than 10,000 species of reptiles (around 90% of the known total) has revealed that 21% need urgent support to prevent them going extinct. But since reptiles are so diverse, ranging from lizards and snakes to turtles and crocodiles, the threats to the survival of each species are likely to be equally varied.

Here are five important findings the new study has unveiled.

A yacare caiman (Caiman yacare) in the Pantanal wetlands of Bolivia. Ondrej Prosicky/Shutterstock
A yacare caiman (Caiman yacare) in the Pantanal wetlands of Bolivia. Ondrej Prosicky/Shutterstock

Crocodiles and turtles among most threatened

Well over half (58%) of all crocodile species and 50% of all turtles are at risk of extinction, making them the most threatened among reptiles. This is comparable to the most threatened groups of amphibians and mammals, so reptiles are not faring any better than other animals.

The biggest threats to crocodiles and turtles are hunting and the illegal wildlife trade. This trade, often to supply distant customers with pets (or luxury handbags), threatens 31% of turtles. They are also the groups of reptiles most frequently associated with wetlands, habitats which are under siege globally by the development of urban space and farmland, as well as climate change.

Conservation works

The tuatara is the only survivor of an ancient order of reptiles called the Rhynchocephalia, which roamed the Earth alongside dinosaurs 200 million years ago.

To help you understand how isolated this species is in evolutionary terms, rodents belong to a single order which makes up 40% of mammals. Thankfully, populations of this species have stabilised, largely due to the protection they have received by law since 1895, which makes it an offence to kill individuals or their eggs or to take them from the wild.

Tuataras, which are greenish brown and grey, measure up to 80cm from head to tail and have a spiny crest along their backs, were once widespread across New Zealand but became extinct on the main islands around 200 years ago – the same time that invasive rats, brought there by European colonisers, became established. Conservation efforts, such as captive breeding and targeted reintroductions, have meant that tuataras are once again breeding in the wild on New Zealand’s North Island.

Interestingly, this species has one of the longest lifespans of any reptile (more than 100 years) and a body temperature of around 10°C – more than 10°C lower than most reptiles.

Tuataras can continue breeding well past their 100th birthday. Mark Walshe/Shutterstock

Habitat destruction the biggest threat overall

Habitat loss, caused by expanding farmlands, urbanisation and logging, contributes more to the extinction risk of most reptiles than any other factor. Other major threats include the displacement of native reptiles by invasive species and hunting. These threats are all human-induced and pose a problem for all other groups of animals.

Most threatened in the tropics

South-east Asia, west Africa, Madagascar and the Caribbean are hotspots for reptiles at risk of extinction. According to the new assessment, some of these areas contain twice as many threatened reptiles as those from other groups of animals.

More than half of threatened reptile species live in forests, where habitat destruction is a looming threat. The picture is similar for birds and mammals, so conserving forested areas for one group of species will help to protect them all.

Climate change

Cold-blooded reptiles must warm up in the sun to function properly. But if they are heated above their optimum temperature, their metabolism is less efficient and they need to move into the shade to cool down.

Increasing global temperatures reduce the windows available to reptiles for daily foraging – when it is not too cold but not too hot either – and shrink their habitable range overall. For some reptile species, ambient temperature influences the sex of offspring. Cooler temperatures cause many turtle eggs to develop into males, so climate change may see male turtles die out.

A large sea turtle depositing white eggs in the sand.
A male-female imbalance could prevent populations reproducing. Jarib/Shutterstock

What’s good for other animals is good for us too

Where reptiles are restricted to a particular range – endemic to a single small island, for example – the species is generally so specialised that a conservation effort focused on the needs of that species is prudent.

But on the whole, birds and mammals are good surrogates for the conservation of reptiles, despite being so different. This is because the threats imposed on all groups of animals are broadly the same. Conservation efforts employed for one species can benefit all.

While this new assessment casts more light than has ever been shed before on the plight of the world’s scaly masses, it nevertheless shares universal lessons for what’s needed to preserve Earth’s biodiversity: space and freedom from persecution in a stable climate.

Written by Louise Gentle, Principal Lecturer in Wildlife Conservation, Nottingham Trent University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article

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Dorias Tree Kangaroo Dendrolagus dorianus
Giant Ground Pangolin Manis gigantea
Borneo Pygmy Elephant Elephas maximus borneensis
Bornean Peacock-pheasant Polyplectron schleiermacheri

Goliath Frog Conraua goliath

Goliath Frog Conraua goliath

Red List Status: Endangered

Extant (resident): Cameroon; Equatorial Guinea

Presence Uncertain: Gabon

Goliath are the largest frog in the world and can grow as large as a domestic cat. These muscle-bound lift heavy rocks to build nests and protect their young. They face extinction from and human persecution including hunting.

Their nesting and reproduction is hugely dependent upon access to clean, fast-flowing rivers – for this reason the encroachment of industrial scale palm oil, cocoa and timber deforestation and p0llution and of rivers are direct threats to the existence of the goliath . Help them every time you shop in the supermarket and

Goliath 🐸💚 are in 🇬🇦 🇨🇲 and Equatorial Guinea 🇬🇶 by 🌴🔥 and . Help them every time you shop and 🌴🩸☠️🚜🔥⛔️ @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/10/29/goliath-frog-conraua-goliath/

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Goliath are the largest in the world 🐸🤯💚🫶 These muscly 🏋️🪨 lift heavy rocks to build nests. They face from . Fight for them when you 🌴🩸🤮🧐⛔️ @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/10/29/goliath-frog-conraua-goliath/

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Appearance & Behaviour

The goliath frog gets their name from the fact that they are the largest extant frog in the world weighing between 600 grams to 3.2 kilos. Male and females appear almost the same with sexual dimorphism minimal. Despite their abnormally large size, their eggs and tadpoles are a similar size as other frogs. The skin on the back and upper side of their body is a rusty emerald green colour with limbs and underside a yellowish orange hue. They have excellent hearing but don’t possess a vocal sack, meaning that they don’t have a mating call – as do many other frog species.

The Goliath Frog is adversely affected by the loss of forest habitat for agriculture (including the creation of new cocoa plantations, banana plantations, and palm oil plantations), logging and human settlements.

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Goliath Frog Conraua goliath
Goliath Frog Conraua goliath
Goliath Frog Conraua goliath
Goliath Frog Conraua goliath
Goliath Frog Conraua goliath threats
Goliath Frog Conraua goliath
Goliath Frog Conraua goliath
Goliath Frog Conraua goliath
Goliath Frog Conraua goliath

Geographic range

These frogs are typically found near fast flowing rivers with sandy bottoms in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. They may have now gone extinct in Gabon. They prefer clear and oxygenated water from clean rivers and streams in densely forested and humid parts of the rainforest. They typically stay in rivers during the heat of the day and will emerge onto land during the night time.

Goliath frogs don’t survive well in heavily degraded and deforested areas and prefer undisturbed forest, streams and fast-flowing rivers far away from villages.

Diet

Goliath tadpoles feed on a single aquatic plant Dicraeia warmingii which is found only in areas of clean oxygenated water close to waterfalls and fast-flowing rapids. This explains their range and serious vulnerability to extinction.

Adult goliath frogs are less fussy and will feed on multiple food sources including: baby turtles, young snakes, small mammals, bats, crustaceans, mollusks, fish, dragonflies, locusts, insects, spiders and worms.

Mating & reproduction

Unlike most other frogs, goliath frogs don’t have a vocal sac and therefore don’t call to their mates.

Goliath frogs create nesting sites for offspring – this is a form of parental care. Adult males will take their cue from the environment in order to build a nest that is going to be safest for their offspring. They have three kinds of nests.

Each nest type presents advantages and disadvantages depending on whether it is the dry or the rainy season and the presence or absence of predators of the eggs at different sites.

  1. rock pools cleared of leaf litter.
  2. Washouts at riverbanks.
  3. Depressions dug into the gravel of riverbanks.

The third kind of nest is arduous to create and is typically one metre in diameter. The building of this kind of nest requires brute strength for moving large rocks. It is thought that this is why goliath frogs are so large and muscular. Other extra large frog species such as gladiator frogs, bornean giant river frogs also perform this task.

The construction of nest is used by males as a way of demonstrating their prowess and reproductive fitness as mates to females. Male frogs provide most of the parental investment in the eggs and nest building, whereas females will deposit the eggs after fertilisation and then depart afterwards. Larval development of eggs to tadpoles to frogs takes approximately 85-95 days.

Threats

The Goliath Frog is adversely affected by the loss of forest habitat for agriculture (including the creation of new cocoa plantations, banana plantations, and palm oil plantations), logging and human settlements.

Read more

Goliath frogs face multiple human-related threats, including:

  • Agricultural pollution and run-off: Pesticides and chemicals used in palm oil and cocoa plantations in this region are toxic to Goliath frogs, who require clean rivers to reproduce.
  • Industrial timber, palm oil, meat and cocoa deforestation
  • Human consumption: Both for local subsistence and sold to bushmeat markets.
  • Collection for the illegal pet trade: Animals are exported from Cameroon to Zoos in the USA and Europe. Although captive frogs live longer than their wild relatives, they are not able to breed in captivity.

Support Goliath Frogs by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Goliath Frog Conraua goliath
Goliath Frog Conraua goliath threats

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. 2019. Conraua goliath. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T5263A96062132. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T5263A96062132.en. Accessed on 12 November 2022.

Goliath Frog on Animalia.bio

Goliath Frog on Wikipedia

Marvin Schäfer, Sedrick Junior Tsekané, F. Arnaud M. Tchassem, Sanja Drakulić, Marina Kameni, Nono L. Gonwouo & Mark-Oliver Rödel (2019) Goliath frogs build nests for spawning – the reason for their gigantism?, Journal of Natural History, 53:21-22, 1263-1276, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2019.1642528

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2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

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Child Labour and Debt Bondage: A Reality For ‘Sustainable’ Palm Oil

According to a new report from the Bureau for Workers’ Activities (ACTRAV) at the International Labour Organization (ILO). About 80% of the world’s poor live in rural areas where they face a myriad of human rights problems which hamper their ability to survive.

Problems include inadequate safety at work, low pay, lack of stability and security of work, and excessive working hours, with women and young workers.

Child labor, slavery, low pay and debt peonage are a part of the industry – even so-called ‘sustainable’ palm oil. Fight back with your wallet in the supermarket and

New report: abuses affect 80% of the world’s poor, here’s how we help them

Report summary and media release originally published by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), June 2022. Read original

The report, Decent work deficits among rural workers  is based on 16 cases studies covering 15 countries in Africa, Asia, Central Asia, Europe and Latin America.

The report finds that:

  • Chemical exposure poses serious health and other risks to agricultural workers, in particular to children and pregnant and lactating women.
  • Women workers are disproportionately represented in the most precarious positions. Female workers also tend to be in low-paying, low skilled jobs, suffer huge gender pay gaps, and are more prone to may workplace harassment and abuse compared to male workers.
  • Child labour, forced labour and debt bondage are still a reality. Up to 95 per cent of children engaged in hazardous work are employed in agriculture, notably in the cocoa, palm oil and tobacco sectors. Force labour is also a reality in some sectors and is linked to workers’ multiple dependencies on employers.
  • Weak social dialogue and barriers to accessing worker’s organizations. In many sectors trade unions are either non-existent or face major barriers to interacting with other workers’ organizations such as farmers’ groups and cooperatives. Social dialogue and representation for female, informal, casual, seasonal, temporary and self-employed workers, are all areas of particular concern, as is the representation of smallholders.
  • Social protection remains a dream. Inadequate social protection is a particular issue for workers in precarious arrangements, including informal, casual, temporary and subcontracted workers and day labourers who form the large majority of workers on agricultural plantations.

The report makes a number of recommendations to

  • Strengthening labour administration in rural economies
  • Improving the presence and capacity in rural economies of trade unions and other grassroots workers’ organizations
  • Formalizing informal enterprises and employment arrangements
  • Ratification of and adherence to relevant ILO Conventions and other International Labour Standards
  • Integrating rural economic sectors into formal and institutionalized social dialogue processes
  • Strengthening crisis preparedness and social protection in the rural economy
  • More research and policy analysis for better understanding and response to the needs and expectations of rural workers and their organizations.

Report summary and media release originally published by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), June 2022. Read original

ENDS

Read more about human rights abuses and child slavery in the palm oil industry

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Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags .

Join 3,176 other subscribers

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Pledge your support

Terrifying Tale of Halloween: Palm Oil Ecocide in Your Treats!

This #Halloween, as you revel in terrifying tales and creepy costumes, remember that the most terrifying tale of all isn’t enjoyable folklore—it’s the horrifying truth about palm oil. This ingredient causes , , abuses and land-grabbing. The production of casts a dark shadow over our planet, as it can only be grown on destroyed tropical rainforests. So-called “sustainable” palm oil used by the world’s biggest food brands like Nestle, Mondelez, Hersheys, Ferrero and Mars is a complete greenwashing lie. So don’t buy any of it! All palm oil threatens the very existence of wildlife, polluting our air and water, accelerates climate change, and tramples on the rights of indigenous communities worldwide. This Halloween, take action and use your wallet as a weapon. 🌍🌳🦍

What is #Halloween’s most terrifying tale? 🧐💰🤑👿 contained in your favourite ☠️🌴🪔☠️ and ! Take action for when you @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/10/18/halloweens-most-terrifying-tale-palm-oil-greenwashing-and-ecocide-in-your-treats/

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DYK so-called “sustainable” is a lie that still causes ?🤯 Learn how to this 🎃👻🪦 Instead enjoy and treats and @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/10/18/halloweens-most-terrifying-tale-palm-oil-greenwashing-and-ecocide-in-your-treats/

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Palm oil is commonly used in Halloween candies and treats for one reason only – it is cheap to manufacture.

The production of palm oil has severe environmental and social impacts. Deforestation and ecocide caused by palm oil production threatens wildlife habitats, contributes to air pollution and water pollution, is strongly linked to climate change, and infringes on the rights of indigenous peoples all over the tropical world.

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

Read more
WHO Bulletin on Palm Oil: Deforestation and Extinction
WHO Bulletin on Palm Oil: Deforestation and Extinction
WHO Bulletin on Palm Oil: Deforestation and Extinction
WHO Bulletin on Palm Oil: Air Pollution and Health

Although proponents of palm oil claim that it helps farmers to earn a living wage, a 2021 report by Chain Reaction Research found that the world’s biggest brands earn the lion’s share of profit from palm oil, 66% or more of gross profit flows back to the world’s biggest FMCG companies such as Nestle, Unilever, Hersheys and Colgate-Palmolive. In contrast, almost 0% of profit flows back to farmers themselves.

The Problems with Palm Oil

Palm Oil Detectives is a website that gathers together evidence from dozens of different sources in order to clearly show the elaborate and widespread greenwashing of so-called “sustainable” palm oil. Take a look at the 10 forms of “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing to see how this works, using a network of zoos and fake NGOs in order to push the narrative of “sustainable” palm oil to consumers.

This website also provides evidence in the form of many research papers and reports from many non-profits (those organisations not partnered with the palm oil supply chain). These reports expose the immense corruption, ecocide and greenwashing in the palm oil industry along with its human rights abuses, violence, land-grabbing and animal cruelty – all associated with RSPO members supposedly using “sustainable” palm oil.

Greenwashing: Manufacturing consumer demand for palm oil

Since its inception two decades ago, the global certification for palm oil the RSPO continues to promote “sustainable” palm oil. Yet not one of its supply chain members has actually eradicated deforestation or human rights abuses from their palm oil supply chains. This constant promotion of the palm oil industry in spite of evidence of its ongoing failures is clear evidence of the RSPO’s greenwashing.

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The global demand for palm oil contributes significantly to deforestation, particularly in countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil, Colombia, Nigeria and Uganda. These regions are rich in biodiversity, and the loss of their rainforests impacts numerous species non-human beings of all shapes and sizes. This includes not only the poster child for palm oil ecocide – the three orangutan species, but also rare and endangered plants and animal species.

From the smallest insect to the most magnificent elephant, to exquisite and vibrantly coloured birds – all are under threat by palm oil’s relentless growth across all tropical regions of the world. Indigenous peoples with their unique cultures, customs and languages are also endangered by palm oil expansion as well.

The movement starts with you

If this terrifying tale of palm oil has alarmed you, the good news is – there are actions you can take.

One powerful and effective way to help rare animals, plants and indigenous peoples is to use your wallet as a weapon and boycott palm oil. By learning how to identify palm oil in products and choosing products that are palm oil free, you can contribute to reducing demand for this destructive commodity.

A great place to start is by searching for palm oil-free alternatives on this website and also by promoting the #Boycottpalmoil and #Boycott4Wildlife on movement on social media.

Remember, every purchase you make has an impact. This Halloween, support the wildlife you love and use your wallet as a weapon.

Download your free Halloween infographic here

Q. What is Halloween's Spookiest Secret A. Palm Oil - USA Edition
Q. What is Halloween's Spookiest Secret A. Palm Oil - UK Edition

Vogelkop Superb Bird of Paradise Lophorina superba

Superb-bird-of-paradise Lophorina superba

Extant (resident): West Papua, Papua New Guinea.

Male superb-bird’s-of-paradise are the dramatic actors of ’s rainforest. They use their lush, multicoloured plumage to change shape in an elaborate dancing courtship display that typically goes on for many hours for the sole benefit of a female . At the end of the dancing ritual, the female will get to choose her mate between 15-20 male . These magnificent birds are struggling to survive, hemmed in on all sides by , , gold mining and timber throughout their range. Help their survival every time you shop and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife in the supermarket!

Superb 🦜💚 of Paradise live up to their namesake with awesome antics! 🎶💃🌈✨🎇. Threats include: in and 🇵🇬 Help them and @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/10/15/superb-bird-of-paradise-lophorina-superba/

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Male Vogelkop Superb of Paradise bestow females with beautiful dancing courtships 🕺😻💝🦜🎶🪇📢 They may disappear forever from due to ! We must 🌴🔥⛔️ @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/10/15/superb-bird-of-paradise-lophorina-superba/

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The superb-bird-of-paradise (A.K.A greater lophorina or the greater-bird-of-paradise faces the threat of rainforest loss throughout their range in West Papua and Papua New Guinea due to palm oil, mining and timber deforestation throughout their range.

gif-fire-on-a-palm-oil-plantation-west-papua-getty-images-video.gif

Although this animal was previously recorded on IUCN Red List as being ‘Least Concern’ 100,000’s of hectares of rainforest in Papua have since disappeared for palm oil, soy and meat – making this rating no longer relevant. These birds are most likely going to be upgraded to ‘vulnerable’ or ‘endangered’ due to massive deforestation throughout their range.

Read more

Appearance & Behaviour

These songbirds are approximately 26 cm long and are dimorphic. Males possess a stunning iridescent green crown, blue-green breast cover and a velvety, iridescent black cape covering their backs. This plumage is used primarily for elaborate and intricate mating displays.

Female Vogelkop Superb Birds of Paradise have russet coloured feathers with brownish buff coloured breast. Juvenile birds of both sexes appear like mature females with earthy russet coloured feathers.

These magnificent birds are struggling to survive, hemmed in on all sides by hunting, palm oil, mining and timber deforestation throughout their range.
Vogelkop Superb Bird of Paradise Lophorina superba
Vogelkop Superb Bird of Paradise Lophorina superba
Vogelkop Superb Bird of Paradise Lophorina superba

Threats

The superb-bird-of-paradise’s main threat is forest loss which has increased enormously over the past decade.

Logging threats loom over tree kangaroo refuge in Papua New Guinea by Mongabay 25 January 2023

Habitat

Superb bird-of-paradise are distributed throughout rainforests and forest edges of Papua New Guinea and West Papua. They are also found throughout the steep mountain ranges of New Guinea. Their range coincides with forest either in the process of being destroyed or earmarked for destruction for palm oil, mining and timber deforestation.

Diet

The superb bird-of-paradise is omnivorous and has been known to eat fruits, insects and larger animals such as reptiles, frogs and small birds. They forage throughout the tree canopy and the forest floor for insects and other foods depending on seasonal availability. Males of this species are territorial and will defend an area of around 1.2ha for food and mating rights.

Mating and breeding

The competition between males for mating rights with females is fierce and aggressive. The superb bird-of-paradise has one of the most intricate and elaborate courtship displays of any animal in the world.

The first part of the courtship display involves simple movements. This is followed by the ‘high intensity display’ where the male scrubs the dirt and prepares the dancefloor for his dancing ritual. After this, he calls to the female with a loud call. The curious female approaches and watches. He spirals and furls out his feathers into a riotous display and black and bright blue feathers into a semi-circular shield shape. He dances in front of the female and snaps his tail feathers, similar to clicking one’s fingers.

The dancing courtship display of males to females can take many hours each day.

The female will typically reject 15-20 suitors before consenting to mate. The males will usually mate with more than one female.

Females will nest at the top of tree canopies using soft leaves and produce between 1-3 eggs in a clutch. These eggs take 16-22 days for incubation and following hatching, chicks will become indepedent after 16-30 days.

Female superb-bird’s-of-paradise reach sexual maturity two years before the males, the latter requiring longer to develop his beautiful feathers for courtship.

Support Superb Bird of Paradises by boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

BirdLife International. 2020. Lophorina latipennis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T181524111A181564897. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T181524111A181564897.en. Accessed on 23 February 2023.

Greater lophorina/ Superb Bird of Paradise on Wikipedia  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_lophorina

Superb Bird of Paradise calling – https://xeno-canto.org/595939

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How can I help the ?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags .

Join 3,176 other subscribers

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Pledge your support

African Manatee Trichechus senegalensis

African Manatee Trichechus senegalensis

Vulnerable

Native – Extant (resident)

Angola; Benin; Cameroon; Chad; Congo; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Côte d’Ivoire; Equatorial Guinea; Gabon; Gambia; Ghana; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Liberia; Mali; Mauritania; Niger; Nigeria; Senegal; Sierra Leone; Togo

In the folklore of West Africa, there’s a fascinating character called Maame Water, believed to be a goddess of the sea, she symbolises wealth and beauty. Maame Water is none other than the African Manatee!

The Serer people of Senegal, the Gambia, and Mauritania hold the African Manatee in high regard, considering them sacred and a guardian of the secrets of the future according to their creation myth. This precious species is vulnerable from palm oil deforestation, hunting and pollution. They perform an essential service to mangrove ecosystems by keeping them healthy. Help them survive and #Boycott4Wildlife every time you shop!

African Manatees 🐋💙 have been a fixture in myths for millennia 🇨🇩🇨🇲🇬🇭🇱🇷 Now they a threatened by 🌴🩸🔥 , and the pet trade. Help them every time you shop and 🌴🪔⛔️ @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/10/08/african-manatee-trichechus-senegalensis/

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🐋🩵 are from 🌴🪔 🍫🫕 and the and trade. Fight for them and 🌴🪔☠️🔥🧐⛔️ @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/10/08/african-manatee-trichechus-senegalensis/

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Appearance & Behaviour

African manatees are usually content with their own company, but they occasionally join forces with a few fellow manatees to rest together. They’re versatile creatures, active during both day and night, exploring their watery world. When the sun is high, you might spot them resting in the shallows, hidden away among mangrove roots or floating plants. And don’t be fooled by their peaceful appearance—they’re just avoiding the hustle and bustle of human activity.

African manatees enjoy their solitude but occasionally gather in small groups to rest together. They have a knack for finding quiet spots in shallow water, like mangrove roots or under floating plants, to take a break. You’ll hardly notice them gliding through the water as they move with grace and gentleness. Depending on the region, their activity patterns may vary, with some being active both during the day and night.

Fast Facts

  • African manatees resemble the American manatees but have distinctive white markings on their abdomens.
  • African manatees have large front flippers used for paddling and bringing food to their mouths.
  • They rely on strong molars to chew vegetation, their primary food source.
  • When born, manatees have small incisors that are eventually lost, and new molars grow in their place.
  • African manatees consume 4 to 9 percent of their body weight in wet vegetation daily.

It is crucial to protect these amazing beings and their habitats. One way you can make a difference is by boycotting palm oil, as its production often leads to deforestation and the destruction of important manatee habitats. By using your wallet as a weapon and opting for palm oil-free products, you can help them!

African Manatee Trichechus senegalensis
African Manatee Trichechus senegalensis
African Manatee Trichechus senegalensis
African Manatee Trichechus senegalensis
African Manatee Trichechus senegalensis
African Manatee Trichechus senegalensis
African Manatee Trichechus senegalensis

Threats

African Manatees face several major threats:

  • Deforestation for palm oil, cocoa and other commodities: pesticide run-off from these industries into rivers is devastating to populations.
  • Illegal poaching: for parts (meat, oil, bones, skin)
  • Zoo and pet trade: Capture and sale to zoos, aquariums, and as pets
  • Infrastructure growth: Increased damming and hydroelectric power use
  • Genetic isolation of populations
  • Accidents with turbines in dams: along with fishing nets
  • Climate change and extreme weather incidents: droughts, tidal changes.
  • Starvation during the dry season in the Niger River

Habitat

African manatees thrive in a variety of habitats across West and Central Africa. They can be found in rivers, estuaries, lagoons, coastal bays, lakes, and reservoirs. These gentle creatures prefer calm waters with easy access to food and freshwater.

Diet

These herbivorous beauties have a diverse palate. They munch on a variety of aquatic plants, grasses, and emergent vegetation. From Vossia to Cyperus papyrus, they savor the flavors of their leafy feasts. In certain areas, they might even surprise you by snacking on small fish or delectable mollusks. These manatees definitely know how to enjoy a well-rounded meal!

Mating and breeding

When it comes to family, African manatees keep it small and sweet. Mothers and calves form a strong bond, sticking together as a unit. While we don’t know all the details about their love lives, we have observed mating herds in various African countries. The little ones stay close to their moms for quite some time, but we’re still learning about their growth and development.

Support African Manatee by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

Keith Diagne, L. 2015. Trichechus senegalensis (errata version published in 2016). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T22104A97168578. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T22104A81904980.en. Accessed on 02 June 2023.

1. African Manatee on Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_manatee

2. African Manatee on Animalia.bio – https://animalia.bio/african-manatee

3. How West African Manatees help keep mangroves healthy, One Earth.

African Manatee Trichechus senegalensis
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https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20
https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20
https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

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Northern Muriqui Brachyteles hypoxanthus

Northern Muriqui Brachyteles hypoxanthus

Critically Endangered

Extant (resident)

Brazil (Bahia, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais)

Northern Muriquis (AKA Woolly Spider Monkeys) have a striking light brown and golden fur and are known for their rattling vocalisations. They live in large communities and act as critical seed dispersers in the Atlantic forest. There are fewer than 800 individuals left alive and they are critically endangered. Their main threats are palm oil, meat and soy deforestation in Brazil, along with illegal hunting. Help them every time you shop and be , #Boycottpalmoil and #Boycott4Wildlife

Northern Muriquis are critically endangered 🐵🙉 threatened by , , , in 🇧🇷😿 Help them survive and be 🥕🥦 🌴🪔⛔️ in the supermarket! @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/10/01/northern-muriqui-brachyteles-hypoxanthus/

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Northern muriquis 🧠🐒 have a stunning golden coat and are crucial for seed dispersal in 🇧🇷 – yet they are now critically endangered by and other threats. Fight for them and 🌴🪔☠️💩🚫 https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/10/01/northern-muriqui-brachyteles-hypoxanthus/

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Muriquis are the largest species of New World monkeys coated in a striking gold and light brown fur. They use their long prehensile tails and agile arms to travel with speed and grace through the rainforest canopy. They are rapidly disappearing from our world, mainly because of palm oil, meat and soy deforestation.

Appearance & Behaviour

Their long prehensile tails and willowy long arms assist with swinging through the tree tops. Yet Northern Muriqui also spend a fair amount of time socialising, playing, embracing each other, feeding and resting on the ground. They are most active during daylight hours.

Northern Muriqui Brachyteles hypoxanthus - #Boycott4Wildlife

Highly social, northern muriquis live in large groups of 48-81 individuals made up of young infants, juveniles and adults of both sexes.

Smaller sub-groups will rest and feed separately with males spending time together in all-male groups and mothers with infants spending time away from other females to nurse and rest with infants, along with occasionally socialising with other females.

They use distinct vocalisations for long and short distance communications.

Northern Muriqui Brachyteles hypoxanthus - threats #Boycott4Wildlife
Northern Muriqui Brachyteles hypoxanthus - threats #Boycott4Wildlife
Northern Muriqui Brachyteles hypoxanthus - threats #Boycott4Wildlife
Northern Muriqui Brachyteles hypoxanthus - threats #Boycott4Wildlife
Northern Muriqui Brachyteles hypoxanthus - threats #Boycott4Wildlife
Northern Muriqui Brachyteles hypoxanthus - #Boycott4Wildlife
Northern Muriqui Brachyteles hypoxanthus - #Boycott4Wildlife
Northern Muriqui Brachyteles hypoxanthus - #Boycott4Wildlife

Threats

Northern muriquis have very low genetic diversity meaning that their population may not be sustainable. There are thought to be fewer than <855 individuals left. They face a range of anthropogenic threats, including:

  • Palm oil deforestation: Their Atlantic forest home is being destroyed for palm oil plantations.
  • Soy deforestation: Another threat to the rainforest is soy plantations.
  • Meat deforestation: Their forest is being destroyed to make way for cattle ranching and meat deforestation.
  • Hunting and human persecution: seen as a food source in times of scarcity and hunger for local people.

This species survives in much reduced and isolated populations – none of which alone are believed to be viable in the long term—none exceed 500 individuals, and the largest known is that in the RPPN Feliciano Miguel Abdala (about 230 individuals).

IUCN RED LIST
Northern Muriqui Brachyteles hypoxanthus - threats #Boycott4Wildlife
Northern Muriqui Brachyteles hypoxanthus - threats #Boycott4Wildlife
Northern Muriqui Brachyteles hypoxanthus - threats #Boycott4Wildlife
Northern Muriqui Brachyteles hypoxanthus - threats #Boycott4Wildlife

Habitat

These large New World monkeys are found in the Atlantic Forest region of the Brazilian states of Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, and Bahia. They thrive in tropical forests.

Diet

Northern muriquis are herbivores with their fruit, leaves, flowers, vine and seed diet being critically important for the dispersal of seeds in their ecosystem, helping the forest to grow.

Mating and breeding

Female and male northern muriquis are polygynandrous (in other words promiscuous). Both males and females have multiple partners during mating season.

Mating takes place during the period of October to April with infants between May to October. After a gestation period of 7 months, the mother will give birth to one infant and care for this offspring for up to 2 years. Females reach sexual maturity aged 5-11 years old and males at 4-8 years old.

Support Northern Muriquis by going vegan and boycotting palm oil and meat in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

Mendes, S.L., de Oliveira, M.M., Mittermeier, R.A. & Rylands, A.B. 2008. Brachyteles hypoxanthus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2008: e.T2994A9529636. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T2994A9529636.en. Accessed on 12 November 2022.

Northern Muriqui Brachyteles hypoxanthus on Wikipedia

Northern Muriqui Brachyteles hypoxanthus on Animalia.bio

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Choose Indigenous Trees Over Palm Oil In India


In an effort to combat ’s edible oil shortage, the Indian government has heavily promoted the cultivation of exotic palm oil trees. This is a decision mired in controversy due to the associated severe ecological repercussions witnessed in other nations. The thirst for high rainfall, crucial for palm oil’s yield, threatens India’s already dwindling groundwater reserves. Notably, proposals to introduce palm oil in the ecologically sensitive regions of Assam and the North East have sparked significant backlash. Writer Bharat Dogra advocates for a shift in focus, suggesting that the solution may lie in harnessing the potential of indigenous trees capable of producing oilseeds for edible oil.

is turning towards growth is a massive mistake for local and , resist and @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/09/24/instead-of-risky-palm-oil-in-india-indigenous-trees-should-get-more-attention/

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Article originally published in Countercurrents on 18th June, 2023. Written by Bharat Dogra is Honorary Convener of the campaign to Save Earth Now.  His recent books include India’s Quest for Sustainable Farming and Healthy Food, Man over Machine and Planet in Peril.

Recent government policy has resorted to huge promotion of exotic palm oil trees to end edible oil shortage in India. However, this is associated with highly disruptive ecological costs, as has been seen from the experience of several countries.

The kind of high rainfall conditions needed for its high yield are not readily available in India and this will lead to heavy extraction of already scarce groundwater. Plans for large-scale introduction of palm oil in India’s ecologically fragile regions of Assam and the North East have already faced much criticism.

Palm oil plantations at the foothills of Eastern Ghats near Srungavarapukota in Vizianagaram district by Adityamadhav83 on Wikipedia
Palm oil plantations at the foothills of Eastern Ghats near Srungavarapukota in Vizianagaram district by Adityamadhav83 on Wikipedia

A better option would be to explore the potential of several indigenous trees which yield oilseeds from which edible oil can be obtained.

There are several such indigenous trees which can provide edible oils, such as mahua, karanj, sal, kokum, kusum etc. (not to mention coconut, which is already well established as a supplier of edible oil). Some of these trees are known and some are not so well-known and need to be explored further. The edible oil contained from some of these trees is known to be very good for nutrition and to be rich in poly unsaturated fats, important for nutrition.

Availability of edible oils can increase significantly even from already existing trees. However once this importance is realised and conscious efforts are made to increase these trees, then edible oil availability for domestic use ( particularly in tribal community areas) as well as for export markets for niche uses, including medicinal value, can increase even more significantly.

It will be a mistake to grow these trees as plantation crops. This will be harmful for biodiversity, environment and food security. It will be much better for all families in a tribal community to grow two additional such trees each on their land. In this way about two to four hundred additional oilseed trees can grow in each village, and about 200,000 villages in India are likely to be suitable for growing these trees.

Bharat Dogra

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

Read more
WHO Bulletin on Palm Oil: Deforestation and Extinction
WHO Bulletin on Palm Oil: Deforestation and Extinction
WHO Bulletin on Palm Oil: Deforestation and Extinction
WHO Bulletin on Palm Oil: Air Pollution and Health

As almost all of these trees have multiple uses for their fruits, flowers, seeds, leaves etc., benefits for these farmers and villagers will be many. Mahua tree can provide very nutritious and filling food which is all the more useful in lean season and drought years, its fodder is also very useful while at the same time the use of its flower as an intoxicant should be minimised.

Cooperatives of farmers and villagers to collect tree oilseeds can be set up to ensure a fair price. However instead of selling these to big processors, value addition can be obtained by local processing.

Local processing units in all these villages should be set up, particularly to extract oil but also to process other produce of these trees. This local processing will generate more livelihoods, while the residue (after oil extraction) will provide nutritive feed for animals and organic fertiliser for farms.

The potential for this is the highest in tribal communities, but certainly potential exists in other villages also for various communities.

Isn’t it irrational that the authorities are ignoring this potential but instead going in for the ecologically disruptive option of palm oil plantation?

There are also trees like neem whose oil may not be used for cooking but has important medicinal uses. Then there are other trees which provide non-edible oil with several uses such as for soap making and can be used for cottage scale units of soap or other products of everyday use.

In addition there is much potential for better protection and improvement of coconut trees which have so many different uses apart from providing edible oils.

There is a strong case for giving much more attention to all indigenous trees which provide edible oils and for providing many more sustainable livelihoods on the basis of their various products including oilseeds, with the added caution that these indigenous trees should be grown not as big monoculture plantations but instead in their usual natural way co-existing with all biodiversity.

Article originally published in Countercurrents on 18th June, 2023. Written by Bharat Dogra is Honorary Convener of the campaign to Save Earth Now.  His recent books include India’s Quest for Sustainable Farming and Healthy Food, Man over Machine and Planet in Peril.

ENDS

Read more about Indian animals threatened by palm oil deforestation in India

Sloth Bear Melursus ursinus

The sloth bear (Melursus ursinus), with their distinctive “Y” or “V” shaped chest patch and shaggy fur, are unique bears native to the Indian subcontinent. Once exploited as ‘dancing bears’ by the Kalandar…

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Phayre’s Leaf Monkey Trachypithecus phayrei

Phayre’s leaf monkey, also known as Phayre’s langur, are remarkable Old World monkeys distinguished by large, white-rimmed eyes that lend them a “spectacled” appearance. Known locally as ‘Chasma bandor’ they live mostly in…

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Sambar deer Rusa unicolor

The majestic Sambar deer, cloaked in hues ranging from light brown to dark gray, are distinguished by their rugged antlers and uniquely long tails. Adorned with a coat of coarse hair and marked…

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Lion-tailed Macaque Macaca silenus

Lion-tailed macaques hold the title of one of the smallest macaque species in the world and sport a majestic lion-esque mane of hair. They exclusively call the Western Ghats in India their home.…

Read more

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Yellow-casqued Hornbill Ceratogymna elata

Yellow-casqued Hornbill Ceratogymna elata

Red List Status: Vulnerable

Extant (resident): Cameroon; Côte d’Ivoire; Ghana; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Liberia; Mali; Nigeria; Senegal; Sierra Leone

Possibly Extinct: Togo

The yellow-casqued hornbill is one of the most remarkable hornbills in the world and one of the largest birds in the rainforests of West Africa weighing up to two kilos. Sporting a shock of russet coloured feathers and a striking blue coloured face, they prefer to live high up in the rainforest canopy in Côte d’Ivoire, #Ghana, #Liberia, Mali and #SierraLeone. Their main threat is hunting and human persecution and they are possibly extinction now in some countries. Recent mass deforestation for , , and is also a threat and they are now classified as . Help them every time you shop and be , ,

Yellow-casqued hornbills 🕊️🪽 are in 🇱🇷🇬🇼🇳🇬 due to , 🌴🔥#meat 🥩🔥 and 🍫🔥 across their range. Help save them and be 🥕🍅#Boycottpalmoil 🌴🪔⛔️ @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/09/17/yellow-casqued-hornbill-ceratogymna-elata/

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A shock of fiery red feathers 🪶❤️💕 and blue rimmed 👁️👀😎 eyes announce the arrival of the majestic yellow-casqued 🦜🕊️ They are vulnerable from and in . Fight for them! https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/09/17/yellow-casqued-hornbill-ceratogymna-elata/

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Appearance & Behaviour

One of the largest birds in West African the yellow-casqued hornbill has a shock of russet coloured feathers and a striking blue coloured face. They live in the forest canopy and rarely venture to the ground. Generally, they live in family groups of generally one adult female and male birds and two juveniles.

When a large ant or termite nest is discovered occasionally the birds will gather in large flocks to penetrate the nest. These hornbills are predated upon by crowned hawk eagles. Under threat from these eagles, a flock of hornbills will mob the birds as a group and call together loudly. This collective alarm call may serve to deter the eagles from hunting them.

Threats

Yellow-casqued Hornbill Ceratogymna elata - threats
Yellow-casqued Hornbill Ceratogymna elata
Yellow-casqued Hornbill Ceratogymna elata - threats
Yellow-casqued Hornbill Ceratogymna elata

Rapid destruction of their range across several countries in West Africa has meant that the yellow-casqued hornbill is now classified as vulnerable.

The Yellow-casqued Hornbill faces numerous anthropogenic threats including:

  • Hunting is a major threat: Humans have predated upon these birds and overhunted them causing serious decline in their numbers.
  • Deforestation for palm oil, meat and cocoa: Increasing fragmentation of rainforests in West Africa has meant the birds are restricted in food sources and their populations have reduced as a result.
  • Climate change: Is also thought to be an additional threat to these large African birds.

The species is on the way out in eastern Ghana, and it is likely extinct in Togo (F. Dowsett-Lemaire in litt. 2016). Its disappearance from Bia NP, where there have been no records since 1991 (Dowsett-Lemaire and Dowsett 2011a), is probably related to uncontrolled hunting and the logging of the southern section in the 1990s. The species’s fate in south-western Ghana is very unfavourable, with most habitat expected to be lost to timber extraction and agricultural encroachment, and habitat in reserves expected to be lost by the early 2030s (Dowsett-Lemaire and Dowsett 2014).

IUCN Red List
Yellow-casqued Hornbill Ceratogymna elata - threats
Yellow-casqued Hornbill Ceratogymna elata - threats

Habitat

Yellow-casqued hornbills prefer to live their lives high up in the tree canopy of primary forest. However they are known to also survive in logged, riverine or secondary forests. They migrate according to food availability.

Diet

These birds are primarily folivores and insectivores who consume seeds, small insects, spiders and scorpions. The birds congregate in large flocks to invade termite mounds.

Support yellow-casqued hornbills by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

BirdLife International. 2016. Ceratogymna elata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T22682627A92954374. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22682627A92954374.en. Accessed on 31 October 2022.

Yellow-casqued hornbill Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow-casqued_hornbill

Yellow-casqued hornbill Animalio.bio: https://animalia.bio/yellow-casqued-hornbill

Yellow-casqued Hornbill Ceratogymna elata
Yellow-casqued Hornbill Ceratogymna elata
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3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

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Shoebill Balaeniceps rex

Shoebill Balaeniceps rex

Vulnerable

Extant (resident)

Central African Republic; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Rwanda; South Sudan; Sudan; Tanzania; Uganda; Zambia

Known for their unnerving and intense stare and imposing, prehistoric appearance – shoebills are magnificent birds. There are less than 8000 individual birds left alive. They are vulnerable from , and , agricultural run-off, , , and human persecution. Help them every time you shop and be ,

The is a magnificent and gentle big bird 🕊️🦤 with an unnerving stare 👀 There are only 8000 left alive in , . Vulnerable from , and more. Fight for them! 🌴🚫 https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/09/10/shoebill-balaeniceps-rex/

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Known for their menacing stare 👀😸 gentle are iconic in 🇺🇬 🇨🇩 🇹🇿 They are vulnerable from , . Help them and be 🥕🍆 and 🌴🪔☠️🔥⛔️ @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/09/10/shoebill-balaeniceps-rex/

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There are less than 8,000 birds left alive and they are increasingly threatened by agricultural run-off from palm oil and cocoa deforestation across their range.

The shoebill Balaeniceps rex is also known by the common names: the whale-headed stork, shoebill stork and whalehead. Their eponymous feature is their enormous bill They have the third largest bills after pelicans and large storks.

Fast Facts

  • When shoebills soar they make around 150 flaps per minute which makes them one of the slowest of any bird, with the exception of the larger stork species.
  • They stand stock-still and waiting, all alone giving them an eerie and unnerving appearance. Once they notice fish appearing on the surface of swamps they quickly snap them up into their large bills.
  • The shoebill’s chattering large bill makes a sound akin to machine gun fire. This combined with their silent creeping gait can make them seem rather menacing!
The unexpected sound of a Shoebill stork
by ininterestingasfuck
  • Shoebills are attracted to poorly oxygenated waters, as this means fish must come to the surface to breathe – where they are efficiently captured.
  • They are mostly silent except for elaborate bill-clattering communication that happens during their breeding. Chicks make a human-like hiccup sound when signalling hunger.
  • Although they have a similar appearance to storks, shoebills are more closely related to pelicans and herons in the order Pelecaniformes.

Appearance & Behaviour

Shoebill Balaeniceps rex eating a lung fish.
Shoebill Balaeniceps rex
Shoebill Balaeniceps rex take action and #Boycott4Wildlife
Shoebill Balaeniceps rex
Shoebill Balaeniceps rex
Shoebill Balaeniceps rex
Shoebill Balaeniceps rex
Shoebill Balaeniceps rex
Shoebill Balaeniceps rex
Shoebill Balaeniceps rex
Shoebill Balaeniceps rex, threatened by palm oil
Shoebill - help them to survive and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife

They possess extraordinarily large feet with their middle toe extending up to 18.5 cm in length. This helps them with balance while standing on uneven swamps and on aquatic vegetation while they hunt.

Adults have feathers that range from blue-grey to slate-grey. Juveniles possess similar plumage but in a tawny blue-brown hue.

Shoebills have a modestly sized bill at birth, which grows much larger once chicks reach between 23-43 days old.

Their unusual beauty makes them a must-see for birdwatchers in Africa. Despite their slightly unnerving appearance, these birds are placid and will allow birdwatchers to snap their photo at a range of two metres.

Shoebills are known for staying statue-still and silent in the muddy waters while hunting. These birds stalk their prey in a solitary way, patiently lurking and hunting entirely with their vision. Once prey is spotted they launch a rapid strike. They will sometimes use their big beaks to pry deep into the pond mud and extirpate lung fish with a violent strike.

They are normally silent but will get noisy during nesting season with elaborate bill clattering displays. Adults birds will make a ‘moo’ sound and high pitched whine while clattering their bills in order to communicate with each other. Chicks call out to their mothers with a ‘hiccup’ sound.

Shoebills typically hunt for lungfish and other fish in poorly oxygenated marshlands, bogs, peatland and swamps. Fish frequently break to the surface to breathe – it is then that shoebills rapidly strike. Their large feet enable them to balance on floating vegetation. The movement of hippos can aid the hunting of shoebills, as they rustle up fish from bottom of swamps, pushing them to surface for the shoebills’ easy capture.

Threats

There is estimated to be below 8,000 individual shoebills left and they are classified as vulnerable. Shoebills face a range of anthropogenic threats:

  • Palm oil and cocoa deforestation: The mass removal of virgin rainforest for palm oil and cocoa results in mass deaths of shoebills.
  • Infrastructure building: roads, dams and powerlines pose a risk to shoebills.
  • Meat deforestation: cattle and other animals are known to trample shoebill nests.
  • Pollution run-off: from palm oil agrochemicals and mining effluent.
  • Hunting: In some cultures shoebills are thought of as a bad omen, in others they are hunted for food.
  • Capture for the pet trade: Shoebill eggs and chicks are captured for consumption or sold to zoos.
  • Armed human conflict: Armed groups moving through the rainforest has facilitated hunting of shoebills.
  • Climate change: Increased extreme weather events like fires and droughts brought on by climate change lowers their numbers.

Habitat

Shoebills are found in central tropical Africa. Including South Sudan, eastern Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, western Tanzania, and northern Zambia. They are non-migratory birds who make limited seasonal movements.

They live in dense freshwater swamps and marshes including undisturbed papyrus and reed beds. They are attracted to areas of mixed vegetation and have been seen on occasion in rice fields and flooded plantations.

Diet

Shoebills mainly consume fish but will also eat a range of wetland vertebrates. Their preferred food is marbled lungfish, tilapia and catfish. When this is not available they are known to consume frogs, nile monitors, baby crocodiles, water snakes, turtles, snails, rodents and other small waterfowl.

Mating and breeding

Shoebills form monogamous pair bonds for the breeding season. They fiercely defend their nests from other birds during their nesting period, which begins either during the monsoon season or after this ends.

Both parents build the nest on a floating and flat platform made up of swamp vegetation and around three metres wide and three metres deep.

Typically the female will lay between one to three eggs, with only one being reared and cared for until maturity. The other eggs are back-ups in case the eldest chick is weak or dies.

In the hot weather, shoebill parents will fill their bills with water to shower their nests to cool their eggs.

Chicks take about 105 days to fledge and juveniles typically fly well by 112 days. Juvenile birds will continue to feed with their mother for another month after this and reach sexual maturity at about three years old.

Support Shoebills by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

BirdLife International. 2018. Balaeniceps rex. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22697583A133840708. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22697583A133840708.en. Accessed on 16 February 2023.

Shoebill on Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoebill

Shoebill on Animalia.bio – https://animalia.bio/shoebill

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1. Join the on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags .

Join 3,176 other subscribers

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

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Indian Rhinoceros (Greater One-horned Rhino) Rhinoceros unicornis

Indian Rhinoceros (Greater One-horned Rhino) Rhinoceros unicornis

Red List Status: Vulnerable

Extant (resident): India; Nepal

Extinct: Bangladesh; Bhutan

The largest of the three species in , the Indian has a distinctive and unique armour-plated look which lends them a fairytale quality that has captivated admirers for aeons. Although Indian rhino numbers have climbed over the past decades due to conservation, they are under imminent threat from the expansion of #palmoil in the region of . A protected national park there is earmarked for destruction. Use your wallet as a weapon every time you shop and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife

Indian 🇮🇳🦏🩶 are due to , and in . Help save them each time you shop, be 🥕🥦🫶#Boycottpalmoil 🌴🪔🧐⛔️ @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/09/03/indian-rhinoceros-greater-one-horned-rhino-rhinoceros-unicornis/

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Indian 🇮🇳🦏😿 are in trouble in their range in is earmarked for . Fight for them in the supermarket and 🌴🩸🚜🔥☠️🧐⛔️ @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/09/03/indian-rhinoceros-greater-one-horned-rhino-rhinoceros-unicornis/

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Appearance & Behaviour

Known as the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros or the Great Indian Rhino, the Indian Rhino is generally solitary, except when females are with their young. Loosely connected groups of a few individuals occur, especially in foraging areas or wallowing grounds. They feed mostly in the cool of the early morning, during the late afternoon, or at night. During the day, they spend a lot of time in water or wallowing in the mud in order to keep cool.

  • Indian rhinos mostly feed during the cooler parts of the day: dawn, twilight and during the night. They spend the majority of the time in water or mud as a way of cooling down their large bodies.
  • Male rhinos are prone to aggression when defending territories which can lead to a fight to the death. Fights include clashes of horns, charges and biting.
  • They communicate with each other using up to 10 sounds including honking, roaring, snorting, shrieking, groaning, rumbling and humphing.
  • Groupings of rhinos vary. Bulls are generally solitary except for when mating and fighting. Most are solitary however cows and calves remain together for up to 4 years after birth. Groupings of juvenile cows and bulls are common as well. During the monsoon season there are often groupings of up to 10 individuals.
  • Groups of rhinos are often friendly and highly social with each other. They will greet each other by mounting flanks, nuzzling, licking, waving and bobbing their heads.

Indian Rhinoceros (Greater One-horned Rhino) Rhinoceros unicornis
Indian Rhinoceros (Greater One-horned Rhino) Rhinoceros unicornis
Indian Rhinoceros (Greater One-horned Rhino) Rhinoceros unicornis
Indian Rhinoceros (Greater One-horned Rhino) Rhinoceros unicornis
Indian Rhinoceros (Greater One-horned Rhino) Rhinoceros unicornis
Indian Rhinoceros (Greater One-horned Rhino) Rhinoceros unicornis
Indian Rhinoceros (Greater One-horned Rhino) Rhinoceros unicornis
Indian Rhinoceros (Greater One-horned Rhino) Rhinoceros unicornis
Indian Rhinoceros (Greater One-horned Rhino) Rhinoceros unicornis

Interesting Facts

  • Female cows are quite shy and generally will run away from danger in preference to attacking, although females will defend their calves. Bulls can be more aggressive especially to defend territory or during mating.
  • Rhinos often bathe and wallow in muddy swamps during peak heat of the day. This is important for them to keep cool and ward off insects.
  • Indian rhinos descend from “wooly” rhinos that were living in Tibet 3.6 million years ago. They possessed a hairy coat suitable to the cold alpine climate.
  • Male and female Indian rhinos both have a single horn, which starts to show at around 6 years and grows to about 25 cm.
  • Rhino’s skin may be as thick as 5 cm with a typical range across the species being 1.5-5 cm thick. Their pinkish coloured skin is due to the presence of abundant blood vessels under the skin. This assists them with temperature maintenance in their bodies.
  • The word “rhinoceros” means “horn nose” and is from the Ancient Greek “ῥῑνόκερως”.
Indian rhinos are threatened by palm oil deforestation in India
Indian Rhino (Greater One-horned Rhino) Rhinoceros unicornis India Asia take action!
Indian Rhino (Greater One-horned Rhino) Rhinoceros unicornis India Asia in an area where fires and deforestation threaten their existence

Threats

There are less than 3,500 individual Indian Rhinos left alive. The Indian Rhino faces multiple anthropogenic threats including:

Habitat

Indian rhinos prefer to live in the fertile and wet grasslands, forests and swamps of northern Asia. They once ranged across the entirety Indo-Gangetic Plain. Sadly now this has been drastically reduced to 11 sites in northern India and southern Nepal in an area spanning 20,000 km2.

85% of Indian Rhinos live in Assam, India. The small protected areas where these majestic giants roam is rapidly shrinking by palm oil and meat related deforestation.

Diet

Indian Rhinos are herbivores who eat fruit, aquatic plants, branches, grass, leaves and cultivated crops.

Mating and breeding

  • Dominant bulls are aggressive with each other for mating rights with females and often fight to the death.
  • Mating and pregnancy occurs throughout the year and gestation takes 480 days.
  • Calves are born weighing approximately 70 kg.
  • Calves are weaned after 12-18 months but will stay with their mothers for up to four years. After this time, the cow will chase away the juvenile rhino if she is preparing to give birth to another calf.

Support Indian Rhinos by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

Ellis, S. & Talukdar, B. 2019. Rhinoceros unicornis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T19496A18494149. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T19496A18494149.en. Accessed on 11 November 2022.

Indian Rhino on Animalia.bio

Indian Rhinoceros on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_rhinoceros

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How can I help the ?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags .

Join 3,176 other subscribers

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Pledge your support

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Juanchi Perez

Wildlife Artist, Illustrator, Animal Rights and Indigenous Rights Advocate

Juanchi Pérez is a artist and advocate from who uses his paintbrush to fight 4 ’s animals against and mining. Here is his inspiring story @ZIGZE

Juanchi Pérez is a advocate and artist who paints species of in his exquisite art. He discusses why should matter more to us all than @ZIGZE

Bio: Juanchi Pérez

Juanchi Pérez is a talented and well-established designer, illustrator and artist from Ecuador who captures the soulful presence of rare rainforest animals near his home.

He is passionate about sharing the magnificent animals and plants of his bountiful homeland with the world. Together with his beautiful wife and daughter, he founded Zigze several years ago. They create eco-friendly homewares and clothing in Ecuador. This features Juanchi’s signature illustrations of plants and animals. In this way, Juanchi shares the emotional lives of animals and plants in one of the most biodiverse hotspots on our planet. After seeing the devastation of palm oil firsthand in his country, Juanchi is a passionate advocate for the .

Palm Oil Detectives is honoured to interview to Juanchi Pérez about his beautiful, powerful and impactful art featuring animals on the knife-edge of survival in South America.

Juanchi Pérez
Great Green Macaw Ara ambiguus by Ecuadorian artist Juanchi Pérez portrait
Spectacled Bear Tremarctos ornatus by Ecuadorian artist Juanchi Pérez slider
Prince Charles Stream Tree Frog Hyloscirtus princecharlesi slider
Ecuadorian White-fronted Capuchin Cebus aequatorialis by Ecuadorian artist Juanchi Pérez
Galapagos Tortoise Geochelone, Galapagos by Ecuadorian artist Juanchi Pérez slider
Sloth by Ecuadorian artist Juanchi Pérez
Brown Spider Monkey Ateles hybridus by Juanchi Pérez 5

I admire the beauty in all creatures. There are fascinating worlds in all scales, from the minuscule to the enormous

It would be very hard to choose only one or a few favourites. It is mind-blowing to watch nature’s creativity, there isn’t a single creature who does not possess an inherent beauty, it depends on humans to see it, or not.

Pionus chalcopterus detalle by Juanchi Pérez

We are often so immersed in our lives that we don’t take the time to appreciate nature

It is kind of sad to see how many of us have forgotten to appreciate or just to contemplate the beauty all around us.

Diversity of the jungle by Juanchi Pérez

My principal motivation to paint is nature and the love I have for it. I love all the magnificent creatures we have in this amazing planet we live in and which is our only home.

I paint animals to make them visible

I have always been attracted to drawing and painting animals. To show them to the world and hopefully change the way we should see nature- as a part of ourselves rather than apart from it.

I believe that all species deserve the same rights to exist

Humankind has lost it’s values. Sadly money is the only driving force nowadays. 

We are destroying our own planet and the only place that we call home.

This isn’t just a problem with big companies, but also with our personal choices regarding our consumption habits – what we buy as consumers.

Science has shown that tuna and other big fish populations have decreased more than 90% in many cases

Yet many people still choose to ignore this fact and eat fish rapaciously. If we don’t intervene, in a few years everything will be lost forever.

Dead fish pollution deforestation for palm oil
Greenwashing, pollution - stock image

We should stop eating sentient beings

So yes, right now it’s every person’s responsibility and duty to critically analyse our food choices and to stop eating the sentient beings who deserve to have a life of their own and who do not have a voice.

You can purchase my art through my brand Zigze.com

My art can be found through my brand Zigze http://www.zigze.com or you can visit @zigze_arte_salvaje , or my other more  personal IG @juanchi_illustration

Zigze giftware. Juanchi Pérez - zigze art slider 3
Zigze giftware. Juanchi Pérez - zigze art slider 3
Zigze giftware. Juanchi Pérez - zigze art slider 3
Zigze giftware. Juanchi Pérez - zigze art slider 3

In Ecuador where I live, palm oil has replaced vast areas of rainforest

Just like in other parts of the world, palm oil companies exist to make money. They won’t stop with their endless expansion, because corporate greed doesn’t care for anything other than profits. 

Andean Night Monkey Andus miconax threatene by palm oil deforestation #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife
Andean Night Monkey Andus miconax threatene by palm oil deforestation

A recent report by Insight Crime revealed that the major driver for deforestation in Ecuador is palm oil

Most forest loss in Ecuador’s Amazon results from land being cleared for palm oil cultivation. Meanwhile, Venezuela’s, Suriname’s, and Guyana’s forests are most affected by gold mining.

Palm Oil and Land Grabs in Ecuador

As in Bolivia, deforestation in Ecuador’s Amazon is mainly driven by agroindustrial interests. Sixty-five percent of land use across Ecuador’s Amazon is designated for pasture, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). A lack of economic incentives for farmers discourages them from being sustainable and efficient in their practices, according to the UNDP. Meanwhile, the expansion of industrial agriculture has reduced possibilities for small-scale agriculture. As access to land has become scarce, the illegal grabbing of small plots has ramped up.

Agricultural interests often drive the unconstitutional eviction of communities from territories that have belonged to them for centuries. In many cases, intimidation and falsified documents are used to expel them from their homes. Otherwise, agricultural activities linked to land grabbing are fomented by judicial decisions and rulings issued by authorities.

Extracted from: ‘Insight Crime: Fueling Forest Loss: Motors of Deforestation in the Amazon’, published November 8, 2022.

Huge biodiverse parts of Ecuadorian coastal areas have been replaced by this devastating monoculture

Now huge areas of the Ecuadorian rainforest are suffering the same fate. For a cheap and crappy ingredient in supermarket products, we are losing our greatest treasure of Ecuador – our biodiversity.

It is doubtful that any palm oil company or palm oil investor can see the value of conserving this richness. Instead, they are creating a barren and dead land where no other species can thrive. They are disrupting all of the natural balancing systems that have supported humankind and animalkind for many millennia. 

Palm oil companies are blind. There is no worst kind of blind person than those who refuse to see!

There is no sustainable way to produce palm oil. When you visit a palm oil plantation, the only thing you are guaranteed to find is kilometres and kilometres stretching far beyond the horizon or palms, palms and more palms.

Recently I had the opportunity to visit a palm oil plantation in Ecuador

“It surprised me to see vast expanses of dead palms. At first I though perhaps they were in the process of being replaced. However, I later discovered that they were dying from some strange disease. The owners didn’t have a clue what was killing them.”

Alta Floresta titi monkey Plecturocebus grovesi

Inside I rejoiced because this was nature fighting back!

As the forgotten father of environmentalism Alexander von Humboldt advised us more than 200 years ago when he glimpsed nature’s vulnerability and the devastating environmental effects of colonial cash crop cultivation:

Monoculture and deforestation made the land barren, washed away soil and drained lakes and rivers.

Alexander von Humbolt as quoted in Los Angeles Times “Op-Ed: Alexander von Humboldt: The man who made nature modern“.

I support the boycott of palm oil and the

I believe that our personal choices or actions regarding our consumer habits have way more effect than our words. We as consumers can drive the companies toward better habits.

Small version - Palm OIl Detectives Banner Header
Why join a Boycott - research shows it works - stock image

I support any boycott that will bring greedy companies to their senses and to help stop the devastation of rainforests in Ecuador and other parts of South America and the world.

As a conscientious person, I have become aware of my choices. As far as it is possible, I choose to refrain from purchasing things with palm oil and to buy products with as light environmental footprint as possible.

I admire environmental activists so much

If I could speak to them directly, I would encourage them to keep persevering with their work.

‘Insight Crime: Fueling Forest Loss: Motors of Deforestation in the Amazon’, published November 8, 2022.
Spoiled Fruit: landgrabbing, violence and slavery for "sustainable" palm oil
Spoiled Fruit: landgrabbing, violence and slavery for “sustainable” palm oil

In Ecuador and in many other parts of South America, being an activist carries the risk of being killed

More than 1700 activists have been killed over the past decade. In Ecuador we hear more and more frequently about activists being murdered.

I encourage journalists, activists and leaders to use every tool at their disposal to show what is happening

The voracious companies in Ecuador are devastating our nature and environment. If I could speak to the CEO’s of these companies I would tell them to take their blindfolds off. Their greed and stupidity is no excuse for what they are doing to all life on our planet.

Activists place washing machines in front of the Deutsche Bank headquarters to protest against greenwashing during Deutsche Bank AG Annual Shareholders Meeting in Frankfurt, Germany, May 2022. REUTERS
Greenwashing example: Activists place washing machines in front of the Deutsche Bank headquarters to protest against greenwashing during Deutsche Bank AG Annual Shareholders Meeting in Frankfurt, Germany, May 2022. REUTERS

What corporations do for industrial-scale food today will make all of us hungry tomorrow

All systems are collapsing at an alarming rate, mainly because of multi-national corporations and their reckless way of exploiting the natural world. They need to heed the science, logic and their own hearts instead of their bank balances. They need to stop pretending that their actions are not harmful.

Colgate-Palmolive greenwashing in the supermarket to assuage consumer guilt but not actually preventing palm oil deforestation associated with their brand
Colgate-Palmolive greewashing in the supermarket to assuage consumer guilt but not actually preventing palm oil deforestation associated with their brand
Inhumans of late capitalism - brand ABCs consumerism
Inhumans of Late Stage Capitalism – Brand ABCs consumerism
consumer goods and deforestation - Rainforest Action Network

All of the fortunes in the world won’t serve us anymore if the earth’s support systems collapse

Money won’t serve any purpose if we can’t breathe and don’t have clean water to drink. What these people will discover is that we can’t eat and drink money and we will see them in hell!

The fight is an unfair one

Palm oil giants, allied with the governments have infinite resources, if you compare this with the resources of indigenous peoples.

It is a David and Goliath battle.

An orangutan against a bulldozer

A single person against the machinery of death

Reason against  stupidity

Love against hatred

Communities against the egos

Reason against madness

In defence of nature it will take a brave and valiant effort to resist this sort of power. We should support these activists and demand that their voices are heard throughout the entire planet.

Community in Ecuador punished for trying to stop alleged palm oil pollution
Polluting with impunity: Palm oil companies flout regulations in Ecuador

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Learn more about animals endangered by palm oil in South America

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Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags .

Join 3,176 other subscribers

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Pledge your support

300,000 Trees Tracked: Are Losing Their Power to Help Us

Tropical forests matter to each and every one of us. They suck colossal quantities of carbon out of the atmosphere, providing a crucial brake on the rate of climate change. Yet a statistical model in this study has estimated that by 2030 the African forests’ capacity to remove carbon will decrease by 14%, while Amazonian forests may stop removing carbon dioxide altogether by 2035. What can you do? Demand a system change from greedy capitalism. Use our wallet as a weapon and

finds tropical matter to us all! They suck out and ensure we can breathe, drink and eat. Yet they’re fast disappearing! Resist every time you shop, be 🍉🍑 🌴🔥🤮⛔️ https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/08/16/we-tracked-300000-trees-only-to-find-that-rainforests-are-losing-their-power-to-help-humanity/

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Written by Dr Wannes Hubau, Research Scientist, Royal Museum for Central Africa; Aida Cuní Sanchez, Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of York, and Simon Lewis, Professor of Global Change Science at University of Leeds and, UCL. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The speed of change in the world’s forests is staggering. Across the 1990s intact tropical forests – those unaffected by logging or fires – removed roughly 46 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This diminished to an estimated 25 billion tonnes in the 2010s. The lost sink capacity is 21 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide, equivalent to a decade of fossil fuel emissions from the UK, Germany, France and Canada combined.

How did we reach such an alarming conclusion, and how is it that nobody knew this before? The answer is that we – along with 181 other scientists from 36 countries – have spent years tracking individual trees deep in the world’s rainforests.

Chokniti Khongchum / shutterstock

The idea is simple enough: we go and identify the tree species and measure the diameter and height of every individual tree in an area of forest. Then a few years later we return to exactly the same forest and re-measure all the trees again. We can see which grew, which died and if any new trees have grown.

These measurements allow us to calculate how much carbon is stored in a forest, and how it changes over time. By repeating the measurements enough times and in enough places, we can reveal long-term trends in carbon uptake.

Most of the world’s primary tropical rainforests are found in the Amazon, Central Africa or Southeast Asia. Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA, CC BY-SA

This is easier said than done. Tracking trees in tropical forests is challenging, particularly in equatorial Africa, home to the second largest expanse of tropical forest in the world. As we want to monitor forests that are not logged or affected by fire, we need to travel down the last road, to the last village, and last path, before we even start our measurements.

First we need partnerships with local experts who know the trees and often have older measurements that we can build upon. Then we need permits from governments, plus agreements with local villagers to enter their forests, and their help as guides. Measuring trees, even in the most remote location, is a team task.

The work can be arduous. We have spent a week in a dugout canoe to reach the plots in Salonga National Park in central Democratic Republic of the Congo, carried everything for a month-long expedition through swamps to reach plots in Nouabalé Ndoki National Park in the Republic of Congo, and ventured into Liberia’s last forests once the civil war ended. We’ve dodged elephants, gorillas and large snakes, caught scary tropical diseases like Congo red fever and narrowly missed an Ebola outbreak.

Wading through swamps in Nouabalé Ndoki National Park. Aida Cuní Sanchez, Author provided

Days start early to make the most of a day in the field. Up at first light, out of your tent, get the coffee on the open fire. Then after a walk to the plot, we use aluminium nails that don’t hurt the trees to label them with unique numbers, paint to mark exactly where we measure a tree so we can find it next time, and a portable ladder to get above the buttresses of the big trees. Plus a tape measure to get the tree diameters and a laser to zap tree heights.

After sometimes a week of travel, it takes four to five days for a team of five people to measure all 400 to 600 trees above 10 cm diameter in the average hectare of forest (100 metres x 100 metres). For our study, this was done for 565 different patches of forest grouped in two large research networks of forest observations, the African Tropical Rainforest Observatory Network and the Amazon Rainforest Inventory Network.

This work means months away. For many years, each of us has spent several months a year in the field writing down diameter measurements on special waterproof water. In total we tracked more than 300,000 trees and made more than 1 million diameter measurements in 17 countries.

Managing the data is a major task. It all goes into a website we designed at the University of Leeds, ForestPlots.net, which allows standardisation, whether the measurements come from Cameroon or Colombia.

Many months of detailed analysis and checking of the data followed, as did time for a careful write-up our findings. We needed to focus on the detail of individual trees and plots, while not losing sight of the big picture. It’s a hard balancing act.

One of the authors in Rep. Congo with Noe Madingou of Marien Ngouabi University and other local guides and researchers. Aida Cuní Sanchez, Author provided

The declining carbon sink results provide pretty grim news and not what we would like to report. But as scientists, we have a job is to follow the data wherever it takes us. That can be far into the rainforests of Congo, or onto the TV to tell people about our work. It’s the least we can do in the climate emergency we are currently living though. We will all need to play a role in solving this crisis.

“The final part of our analysis looked to the future. We used a statistical model and estimates of future environmental change to estimate that by 2030 the African forests’ capacity to remove carbon will decrease by 14%, while Amazonian forests may stop removing carbon dioxide altogether by 2035. Scientists have long feared that one of Earth’s large carbon sinks would switch to become a source. This process has, unfortunately, begun.”

Written by Dr Wannes Hubau, Research Scientist, Royal Museum for Central Africa; Aida Cuní Sanchez, Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of York, and Simon Lewis, Professor of Global Change Science at University of Leeds and, UCL. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Bonobo Pan paniscus

Bonobo Pan paniscus

Endangered

Extant (resident)

Democratic Republic of the Congo

are one of our closest living relatives 🦍🩷 Intelligent, sensitive and complex they are endangered by and . Help them survive, be 🥦🥕 🌴🪔🩸🧐🙊⛔️ @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/08/13/bonobo-pan-paniscus/

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Beautiful 🦍🫶🩷💘 serve as a model of non-violent conflict resolution. Yet humans are sending them 🤯 from 🌴🔥 🥩🔥 and ! Fight for them @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/08/13/bonobo-pan-paniscus/

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Bonobos share 98% of their DNA with humans and are one of our closest extant relatives. They are complex beings with intricate social relationships, they demonstrate profound intelligence and emotional sensitivity.

It is therefore fitting that 14th of February, Valentine’s Day is also the International Day to celebrate Bonobos – Bonobos provide a potent example to humans for how we can resolve conflicts through love and non-violent conflict resolution. They are endangered in DRC/Congo from infectious diseases, illegal poaching and deforestation for palm oil, cocoa and meat and mining throughout their home range. Help their survival every time you shop – be vegan and .

Oil palm is already being grown in what would otherwise be Bonobo habitat (Nackoney et al. 2012)

Africa is becoming the new frontier for oil-palm plantations, which offers excellent economic prospects in countries with appropriate rainfall, soil and temperature conditions (Rival and Levang 2014). A staggering 99.2% of the Bonobo’s range is suitable for oil palm (Wich et al. 2014), highlighting the enormous risk the palm-oil industry will pose unless sustainable management plans are developed and implemented to protect great apes and their habitats (IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group 2014).

IUCN Red List

Appearance & Behaviour

Bonobos share 98% of their DNA with humans and are known as one of our closest extant relatives. They are complex beings who display profound intelligence, close social bonds and emotional sensitivity.

Matriarchal and peaceful society

Compared to the hierarchical and male-dominated culture of the chimpanzee, bonobo society is (most of the time) matriarchal, peaceful, and more egalitarian. Due to their generally compassionate and caring communities, bonobos have the capacity to inspire human cooperation and peace.

Bonobos have a more slender, longer-limbed and fine-boned in appearance compared to chimpanzees. However, similar to chimpanzees, the forearms of bonobos are longer than their legs, and they have mobile shoulder joints and long fingers. They have pink lips and dark faces, with tail tufts present until adulthood. Their long hair is parted on their heads.

Bonobo Pan paniscus are complex intelligent beings
Bonobo Pan paniscus are complex intelligent beings

Frans de Waal

Primatologist Frans de Waal‘s landmark research found that bonobos are capable of altruism, empathy, kindness, compassion, patience and sensitivity. In short – all of the better and higher consciousness qualities that humankind aspires towards.

Other primatologists have argued against de Waal’s findings and have found a broad range of other behaviours including aggressive behaviours. Some researchers theorise that ecological factors in the wild account for why some chimpanzee and bonobo communities are more peaceful than others. Other researchers believe that it is due to bonobos being observed in captivity that they display cooperative behaviours.

Social behavior

Unlike other ape species, Bonobos are matriarchal (there are also extensive overlaps with male and female hierarchies leading some researchers to call their societies gender-balanced).

Bonobo communities don’t have a defined territory and are nomadic. Their evenly distributed food sources mean that there is no incentive for male bonobos to form groups with other males and defend a home range, thus leading to male assertive dominance – as seen with chimpanzee groups.

Females are seen to be co-dominant with males and can even coerce reluctant males to mate. Within male and female pairs of bonobos – the male may become dominant over the female.

Bonobo Pan paniscus are threatened by palm oil and meat deforestation, poaching and mining in Congo
Bonobo Pan paniscus are threatened by palm oil and meat deforestation, poaching and mining in Congo

Dr George McGavin in Monkey Planet: Bonobo makes a fire, cooks and eats marshmallows

This charming video leads us to believe that off-camera there may be another bonobo strumming on the guitar while another plays the harmonica. Hear about Dr George McGavin’s thoughts on palm oil -hint – he wants it banned!

Matriarchal societies

Communities are frequently led by an alpha female who acts as decision maker and leader. Females gain seniority in the group through age, experience and forging alliances with other females in the group – rather than physical intimidation. Males may gain a senior ranking as well and outrank some females. Some males in the group will alert the group to predators like pythons or leopards.

Aggression is rare between males and females and males gain their rank and status from their mother. The mother-son bond remains strong throughout their lives. Females prefer to mate with males who are agreeable and non-aggressive and groups of bonobos are friendly and cooperative with each other rather than competitive.

As they age, bonobos lose their playful and social ways and often become more irritable. Female bonobos have been observed to foster infants outside of their established community.

Bonobos are not known to kill each other, and are generally less violent than chimpanzees. However, aggression still manifests itself in bonobo communities in association with the complexities of mating selection and competitiveness.

Sex as a social lubricant

Sex is used as a social glue in bonobo societies. It is used for many reasons:

  • During times of excitement or group celebration
  • Conflict resolution and post-conflict reconciliation
  • As a form of greeting or to solidify social bonds

Bonobos are promiscuous and don’t form monogamous partnerships. Instead social encounters, bonding and connections are formalised through sexual interactions.

Bonobos engaging in face-to-face sex by Rob Bixby for Wikipedia

This can be in the form of group sex, male to male, female to female or male to female sex. Adults also have sex with infants and this can be initiated by the infants. The only form of sex that isn’t (generally) engaged in is between a mother and son. They engage in face-to-face genital sex and tongue kissing – the only ape other than humans to do so.

Compared to chimpanzees, female bonobos are more sexually active and less discriminatory about whom they have sex with. They also spend longer in estrus than female chimpanzees.

Peacefulness and aggression

Although referred to as peaceful, bonobo aggression has been observed in captivity and in the wild.

Humans have also been attacked by bonobos, and suffered serious, albeit non-fatal, injuries. Frans de Waal warns against romanticising bonobos as all animals are competitive with each other and capable for aggression.

Bonobo Pan paniscus are threatened by palm oil and meat deforestation, poaching and mining in Congo
Bonobo Pan Paniscus has little protection - help them and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife
Bonobo Pan paniscus are threatened by palm oil and meat deforestation, poaching and mining in Congo
Bonobo Pan Paniscus has little protection - help them and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife
Bonobo Pan paniscus are threatened by palm oil and meat deforestation, poaching and mining in Congo
Bonobo Pan paniscus
Bonobo Pan paniscus
Bonobo Pan paniscus
Bonobo Pan paniscus are complex intelligent beings
Bonobo Pan paniscus

Threats

Bonobos reproduce very slowly and thus their populations are vulnerable to direct losses at the hands of humans.

Bonobos face a number of human-related threats to their survival:

  • Illegal poaching: mainly for bushmeat or folk medicine. Taboos against poaching are ineffective when poachers come to the DRC from other regions and kill bonobos.
  • Human civil warfare: warfare results in the destruction of habitat and these large apes are often caught in the crossfire.
  • Palm oil, timber, meat and cocoa deforestation: habitat loss for industrial agricultural expansion is a huge threat.
  • Illegal animal trafficking: As with other large apes in the Congo, bonobo mothers are killed and their babies sold into black market trade as exotic pets.
  • Infectious diseases: Diseases that pose a risk to Bonobos’ survival include human-borne pathogens such as respiratory viruses, and natural pathogens such as Ebolavirus. 

Bonobos, palm oil and Ebola virus: Research has found that previous outbreaks of ebola virus transferred from bonobos to humans coincided directly with the expansion of industrial palm oil in the Congo. Both palm oil deforestation and Ebola have decimated number of bonobos. Read the study.

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Habitat

Bonobos spend most of their lives high up in the tree canopies foraging and hunting for food, sleeping, mating, socialising and constructing nests.

They are found in the forests and riverine ecosystems of the Congo Basin in a 500,000km2 area the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Their region is bordered by the Congo River in the north, the Kasai River in the south and west, and the Lualaba River in the east.

Diet

Bonobos are mainly frugivorous and consume fruits, nuts, shoots, stems, pith, leaves, roots, flowers and tubers. However, mushrooms and small invertebrates are also eaten including termites, worms and grubs. Some communities of bonobos have cultures of hunting specific animals such as flying squirrels, duikers, bats and other monkeys.

Bonobo communities of around 100 apes will split into smaller groups during the day to seek out food. Then they will come back together to sleep in their constructed tree-canopy nests. Females often have feeding privileges before males.

Bonobo Pan paniscus

Mating and breeding

Adolescent females often leave their native community and so enrich the gene pool of neighbouring communities. Males on the other hand will remain with their natal community as they reach maturity and have a much more loose hierarchical structure compared to females.

Females living in the wild will give birth for the first time aged 13-14 years of age. Females will care for their young for around 4 years post partum and give birth an average of once every 4.6 years.

Infanticide is found with chimpanzee societies, but is absent in bonobo communities. Nevertheless, there have been documented cases of bonobos kidnapping infants in captivity. Bonobo females mating with many males means that there is ambiguity over paternity – this means that the incentive for infanticide disappears.

Support Bonobos by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

You can support this beautiful animal

Support Virunga National Park where the courageous rangers fight to protect all of the animals including bonobos in Congo. Donate now

Virunga National Park logo
Bonobo Pan paniscus are threatened by palm oil and meat deforestation, poaching and mining in Congo

Further Information

Fruth, B., Hickey, J.R., André, C., Furuichi, T., Hart, J., Hart, T., Kuehl, H., Maisels, F., Nackoney, J., Reinartz, G., Sop, T., Thompson, J. & Williamson, E.A. 2016. Pan paniscus (errata version published in 2016). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T15932A102331567. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T15932A17964305.en. Accessed on 14 February 2023.

Animalia.bio: https://animalia.bio/bonobo

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonobo

Bonobo Pan Paniscus has little protection - help them and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife
Bonobo Pan Paniscus has little protection – help them and
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Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags .

Join 3,176 other subscribers

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20
https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20
https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Pledge your support

Op-Ed: Preserving a Habitable Earth by Julian Cribb

Renowned and prolific science communicator and author Julian Cribb writes this op-ed piece for Palm Oil Detectives. He addresses the world’s most pressing needs for survival as we descend into the pointy end of the Anthropocene era.

Julian outlines a dozen direct and actionable solutions for preserving a healthy and habitable earth. These are taken from his interviews with the world’s brightest minds. For a more in-depth analysis, be sure to grab a copy of his most recent book, published this year – ‘How to Fix a Broken Planet’

Australian expert @JulianCribb tackles the most pressing needs for our survival on as we reach the pointy end of the era @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2023/08/05/op-ed-a-plan-for-preserving-a-habitable-earth-by-julian-cribb/

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Julian Cribb AM FRSA FTSE is an Australian science writer and author of six books on the human existential emergency and its solutions. Find him on his website and Twitter: @JulianCribb

Julian Cribb is author of many books including How to Fix and Broken Planet; Food and War; The Coming Famine and Poisoned Planet. He is co-founder of the Council for the Human Future which developed the Earth System Treaty

Among the world’s many pressing needs, the most urgent of all is a plan for human survival on a habitable Earth.

At present no country has one. What we currently have is a chaotic road to avoidable disaster, driven by ten vast, interconnected threats which are all the result of human activity.

This existential emergency in which all humanity now stands has been building steadily for over half a century. Our capacity to inflict mass harm on ourselves through our own actions has increased exponentially since the end of WWII.

The science is in. We’ve wiped out two thirds of the world’s large animals, we’re losing water, topsoil, fish and forests at appalling rates; we poison everyone and everything on the planet every day; we’re constructing weapons able to obliterate ourselves many times over.

We’re shaping a climate that can render the Earth largely uninhabitable within a few generations. We’re building dangerous technologies over which society has no control. We throw away half our food and wreck the planet trying to grow more. We unleash new plagues every few years and spread them worldwide. And we lie, constantly and obsessively, to ourselves about it all.

These are not the actions of a wise species. Or even, maybe, an intelligent one. Our governments and corporations seem paralysed, unable to grasp the magnitude of the overwhelming, interlinked threats that are engulfing us.

The ten mega threats are:

  1. Extinction and ecological destruction
  2. Resource scarcity
  3. Global poisoning
  4. A hothouse Earth
  5. The new nuclear arms race
  6. Pandemics and zoonotic diseases
  7. Food insecurity
  8. Overpopulation
  9. Uncontrolled technologies
  10. And the global deluge of misinformation about these threats

Because they are all connected, none of these threats can be tackled on their own. They must all be tackled together.

All are outcomes of the sheer scale of the human enterprise – overpopulation, overconsumption, over-pollution and money are the chief drivers. Mostly, they stem from the 101 billion tonnes of resources we now devour every year to support our ‘lifestyle’ – 12 tonnes for each of us – and the damage this process inflicts on the planet, its species and on ourselves.

Alta Floresta titi monkey Plecturocebus grovesi

The good news is that solutions to all these threats already exist

They can all be solved in ways that do not generate fresh perils or make other threats worse. We have the brains and we have the technology to save ourselves. The bad news is that we do not have the governments, the leadership or the will to do so.

No government on Earth has a plan for overcoming these risks and securing the human future, as the Council for the Human Future has often warned. Most are not even aware such a need exists, so poorly do they understand the message of science over the past half century – and so effectively have selfish interests managed to mislead, deceive and frustrate action.

In “How to Fix a Broken Planet” (Cambridge University Press 2023) I explain the scientific understanding of these risks but, more importantly, I list all the main solutions which governments, institutions and we, as individuals, can take in our work and our own lives to make this a safer, more sustainable world. This amounts to a first draft for a World Plan of Action for Human Survival.

It isn’t the complete answer. No short book could provide that

Yet it is an outline of what the world’s wisest minds now consider we must do in order to survive. It shows that thinking and acting our way out of the biggest crisis ever to face humanity is entirely possible. Furthermore, it is positive, encouraging hope, confidence and opportunity.

Among several hundred solutions proffered for policymakers and individual humans, here are the top dozen. They should not surprise anyone who has thought about our situation objectively.

1. An Earth System Treaty addressing all the catastrophic threats, open for all to sign

An Earth System Treaty addressing all the catastrophic threats, open for all to sign

2. A ban on all nuclear weapons

A ban on all nuclear weapons

3. A Stewards of the Earth plan for rewilding half the Earth

A Stewards of the Earth plan for rewilding half the Earth

4. An end to the use of fossil fuels, to stem both climate change and global poisoning

An end to the use of fossil fuels, to stem both climate change and global poisoning

5. A Renewable (or circular) World Economy to end waste and pollution

A Renewable (or circular) World Economy to end waste and pollution

6. New Human Rights, including a Right Not to Be Poisoned

New Human Rights, including a Right Not to Be Poisoned

7. A Global Technology Convention to oversee all powerful new technologies before they are put to dangerous misuse

A Global Technology Convention to oversee all powerful new technologies before they are put to dangerous misuse

8. A World Truth Commission, to expose the liars and their lies to public shame

A World Truth Commission, to expose the liars and their lies to public shame

9. A Human Survival Index, to inform everyone how risky is our plight and the progress we are making towards making the world safer

A Human Survival Index, to inform everyone how risky is our plight and the progress we are making towards making the world safer

10. Renewable Food for everyone, to sustain all humanity, restore the environment and reduce the threat of war

Renewable Food for everyone, to sustain all humanity, restore the environment and reduce the threat of war

11. A World Population Plan, providing voluntary family planning for all

A World Population Plan, providing voluntary family planning for all

12. A world pandemic plan to prevent and arrest the uncontrolled spread of disease by human behaviour

A world pandemic plan to prevent and arrest the uncontrolled spread of disease by human behaviour

There are many other actions that must be taken to mitigate the danger in which humans now stand, and most of them are outlined in ‘How to Fix a Broken Planet’.

The heart of all this is an Earth System Treaty, a legal agreement by the world’s people (not just its nations or governments, but all of us) which commits all those who sign it to working for a habitable Earth and a safer human future, by addressing all ten of the great threats.

An issue of great concern to Palm Oil Detectives is the wanton destruction of forests and wildlife by the gigantic machinery of the agroindustrial complex – the system that exploits the food supply for profit.

My books explain how this can be overcome, but developing a renewable food system consisting of regenerative farming, urban food production and deep ocean aquaculture. This will remove the pressures we now place on the wild world, enabling us to return half the world’s area to nature and to the creatures that naturally inhabit it.

Stewards of the Earth program led by indigenous peoples

To make this happen we need a ‘Stewards of the Earth’ program, funded from the world’s $1.8 trillion weapons budget, and run by indigenous people and ex-farmers who want to repair the damage caused by industrial food. Renewable food is totally achievable, much healthier for us, for wild animals and for their environment. Details may be found in my book Food or War.

The answers to the human emergency do not lie in business-as-usual, in government procrastination, in the corruption of public discourse, the poisoning of an entire planet or the destruction of nature.

They lie in employing the attribute which has led human survival for over a million years: wisdom – the ability to read the future and take sensible action in time to achieve a better, safer outcome.

The world’s governments, intent on the rivalries of yesterday, are not interested in this, or able to achieve it. They must be driven by the wishes and concerns of eight billion humans who their grandchildren to survive on a world that hasn’t been reduced to a charred ruin by human negligence and greed.

This is, without a doubt, the greatest and most noble undertaking in the long ascent of human aspiration and achievement. It is a task worthy of us all – and which cannot be completed without the co-operation of all.

The Earth is a lifeboat, sinking under the pressures of overcrowding and demand. We either row it together – or we go down together. The choice is stark, and it is now before us.

Julian Cribb AM FRSA FTSE is an Australian science writer and author of six books on the human existential emergency and its solutions. Find him on his website and Twitter: @JulianCribb

Julian’s recent books…

Julian Cribb is author of many books including How to Fix and Broken Planet; Food and War; The Coming Famine and Poisoned Planet. He is co-founder of the Council for the Human Future which developed the Earth System Treaty
Julian Cribb is author of many books including How to Fix and Broken Planet; Food and War; The Coming Famine and Poisoned Planet. He is co-founder of the Council for the Human Future which developed the Earth System Treaty
Julian Cribb is author of many books including How to Fix and Broken Planet; Food and War; The Coming Famine and Poisoned Planet. He is co-founder of the Council for the Human Future which developed the Earth System Treaty
Julian Cribb is author of many books including How to Fix and Broken Planet; Food and War; The Coming Famine and Poisoned Planet. He is co-founder of the Council for the Human Future which developed the Earth System Treaty

Biography: Julian Cribb AM

Julian Cribb AM is an Australian author and science communicator.  He is a Fellow of the UK Royal Society for the Arts, the Australian Academy of Technological Science and Engineering (ATSE) and the Australian National University Emeritus Faculty.

His career includes appointments as scientific editor for The Australian newspaper, director of national awareness for CSIRO, editor of several newspapers including the National Farmer and Sunday Independent, member of numerous scientific boards and advisory panels, and president of national professional bodies for agricultural journalism and science communication.

His published work includes over 9000 articles, 3000 science media releases and 12 books. He has received 32 awards for journalism. He was nominated for ACT Senior Australian of the Year in 2019. He is a co-founder of the Council for the Human Future which developed the Earth System Treaty. He was appointed a Member of the General Division of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2021.

​Julian is principal of Julian Cribb & Associates who for twenty years have provided international consultancy in the communication of science, agriculture, food, mining, energy and the environment for over a hundred scientific, government and private organisations.

For the past two decades his main literary focus has been the self-inflicted existential emergency faced by humanity. This is dealt with in six books: The Coming Famine (UCP 2010) explored the question of how we can feed 10 billion humans this century; Poisoned Planet (A&U 2014) is his first book on global contamination by anthropogenic chemicals. Surviving the 21st Century (Springer 2017) tackles the existential crisis now facing humanity from a combination of ten megathreats – and what we can do about it. His book Food or War (Cambridge University Press 2019) explores how food can help prevent human conflict in the C21st. Earth Detox describes the vast question of human chemical emissions, their impact on us and how we can overcome it. His latest book ‘How to Fix a Broken Planet’ (Cambridge 2023) offers a plan to rescue humanity from the self-created threats that beset it.

As a grandfather, Julian is deeply concerned about the future our descendants will face unless humanity as a whole acts with urgency to overcome all the megarisks. 

Radio interview with Alex Sloan, ABC

Interview with ASC Scope

‘We need an Earth System Treaty to save civilisation. And we need it now’ by Julian Cribb

ENDS

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags .

Join 3,176 other subscribers

2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Pledge your support