For many people, soy as a commodity has a pretty innocuous reputation thanks to its association with vegan food and meat alternatives. However don’t be fooled – crops of this pale legume are behind much of Brazil’s epidemic of deforestation. Much more #soy is fed to farm animals that people eat than is used in vegan food. Since 2000, #Brazil has doubled its total area of soy plantation to 36 million hectares and become the world’s largest producer. This expansion has erased vast swathes of forest and other habitats in some of the country’s most biodiverse regions. Soy, along with palm oil and meat deforestation are the biggest land-hungry commodities in South America and threaten the world’s largest rainforest biosphere. Help fight against this ecocide every time you shop, be #vegan #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife
Tag Archives: soy
Northern Tiger Cat (Oncilla) Leopardus tigrinus
The northern tiger cat, also known as the oncilla (Leopardus tigrinus), is a captivating small wild cat native to Central and South America. Distinguished by their striking, leopard-like coat marked with dark rosettes and a sleek, agile body, this elusive feline is a master of stealth and survival in the dense forests and grasslands they inhabit.
The northern tiger cat is a tiny predator, weighing only 1.5–3 kg, yet they play a significant role in maintaining ecological balance as a keystone predator. These solitary creatures, though mostly ground-dwelling, are adept climbers. They communicate through purring as kittens and have a unique “gurgle” as adults. Their habitats range from the semi-arid Caatinga to the Andean cloud forests. Tragically, this species is classified as Vulnerable, with populations declining due to habitat destruction for palm oil, soy, meat and mining, poaching, and habitat fragmentation. Indigenous-led conservation efforts are vital to protect their remaining habitats. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife
Primatologist Cleve Hicks on Chimpanzee cultures, Palm Oil deforestation
Dr Hicks speaks with Palm Oil Detectives about his chimpanzee research, veganism, deforestation, palm oil and what consumers can do to help the endangered animals of Africa.
One-fifth of reptiles heading towards extinction
Almost one-fifth of the world’s reptiles are currently threatened with extinction.A recent study assessed 1500 species for extinction risks. From the 19% found to be in danger, 12% were classified as Critically Endangered, 41% as Endangered and 47% Vulnerable. Three of the species listed as being Critically Endangered are believed to be possibly extinct. ThisContinue reading “One-fifth of reptiles heading towards extinction”
Ariel Toucan Ramphastos ariel
Ariel Toucans are vibrant and charismatic birds of South America under threat from palm oil, soy, meat and gold mining deforestation. Take action for them!
Great Green Macaw Ara ambiguus
The Great Green Macaw Ara ambiguus are the largest macaw species and in flight they are dazzling symbol of Central and South America’s vanishing rainforests. Draped in shimmering green plumage with a fiery red forehead and striking blue-tipped feathers, these parrots are key players in their ecosystem. With their powerful beaks, they crack open tough nuts, dispersing seeds that sustain the forest’s delicate balance. Yet, these vibrant giants are under siege.
Deforestation—driven by palm oil plantations, illegal logging, and agriculture—has decimated the old-growth forests they call home. Their lifeline, the mountain almond tree, is vanishing, taking with it vital macaw nesting sites. Alarmingly, Great Green Macaw populations in Costa Rica and Ecuador have dwindled to critical levels, leaving fewer than 3,500 individuals to soar freely the skies.
Fight for their survival every time you shop. Support indigenous-led conservation and use your wallet as a weapon: #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife.
Harlequin Poison Frog Oophaga histrionica
Chocó rainforests, the harlequin poison frog is as deadly as it is beautiful. Cloaked in hypnotic shades of orange, yellow, green and black, this tiny amphibian is a master of chemical warfare—their skin is infused with powerful alkaloid toxins that can paralyse or kill predators. But despite their formidable defences, they are completely helpless against human destruction.
Once thriving in the dense, misty forests of western Colombia, this critically endangered frog is now on the brink of extinction. Illegal mining, rampant deforestation for palm oil plantations, and the relentless wildlife trade have devastated their fragile rainforest home. The same vibrant colours that warn predators away have made them a prime target for smugglers supplying the exotic pet trade.
This extraordinary species is a vital part of its ecosystem, controlling insect populations and contributing to the rainforest’s delicate balance. But unless urgent action is taken, the harlequin poison frog could vanish forever.
Protect their rainforest home. Say no to palm oil, reject the illegal pet trade, and demand stronger protections for Colombia’s amphibians. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife
Orinoco Crocodile Crocodylus intermedius
Endemic to the Orinoco River Basin in #Colombia and #Venezuela, the majestic Orinoco Crocodile is one of the rarest and most threatened reptiles on Earth. These intelligent, powerful apex predators once ruled vast waterways across northern South America, but today, their numbers have plummeted by more than 80% due to hunting, habitat loss, pollution, and deforestation. They are now restricted to tiny, fragmented populations across fewer than 34 rivers. #Goldmining and #palmoil #pollution pose a massive risk, imperiling these magnificent crocodiles. Urgent conservation efforts are essential to safeguard the Orinoco Crocodile from the brink of extinction. Boycott #palmoil, #soy, and #beef products contributing to deforestation. #BoycottGold4Yanomami Reject crocodile skin and be #vegan, and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife
Black-faced Lion Tamarin Leontopithecus caissara
The black-faced lion #tamarin Leontopithecus caissara, also known as the Superagüi lion tamarin, is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. With a total population of fewer than 400 individuals and a fragmented, low-lying coastal habitat of #Brazil, this species is on the edge of extinction. Threats include logging, the illegal #pettrade, palm oil, #soy and #meat deforestation and urban expansion. Conservation efforts have begun, but there is still enormous work to do to protect these irreplaceable #primates. Protect this rare and charismatic #primate by taking urgent action. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan
Hoge’s Side-necked Turtle Mesoclemmys hogei
The Hoge’s Side-necked Turtle Ranacephala hogei—also known as Hoge’s Toadhead Turtle—is one of #Brazil’s rarest and most endangered reptiles. Having diverged from other turtles some 80 million years ago, they are evolutionary survivors now on the brink. With fewer than 2,000 individuals thought to remain, their populations have plummeted due to #palmoil #soy and #meat #deforestation, damming, water pollution, and incidental deaths in fisheries. Once feared lost from parts of their range, new research using citizen science and extensive fieldwork has rediscovered them in previously unknown areas, sparking renewed hope. But the threats remain. Help them every time you shop and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife, be #Vegan and #BoycottMeat
Sinu Parakeet Pyrrhura subandina
Help find the Sinu Parakeet. With no confirmed sightings since 1949, these vibrant parrots may already be extinct, victims of relentless palm oil expansion.
Bald-headed Uacari Cacajao calvus
With their long shaggy coats and striking bright red faces, Bald-headed Uacaris are true icons of the Amazon rainforest and are found in #Brazil, #Peru and #Colombia. When a #Uacari has a bright red face this indicates they are in good health. A pale face indicates a sickly physical state. These remarkable #monkeys spend most of the year in the tree tops to avoid the seasonal flooding of their Amazonian habitat. During the dry season, they return to the ground to look for seeds. They face an existential threat from #palmoil, #soy and #meat #deforestation in the #Amazon. Once their unmistakeable scarlet faces were a common sight in the dusky green of the rainforest. Now they are rapidly disappearing, victims of a relentless drive for land, gold, and profit. Listed as Vulnerable, you can help them to survive every time you shop! #BoycottGold be #vegan for them and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife
Pernambuco Pygmy-owl Glaucidium mooreorum
The Pernambuco Pygmy Owl Glaucidium mooreorum is among the rarest birds on Earth, known from just two museum specimens and a few recorded vocalisations. Officially described in 2002, this tiny owl is no larger than 13 cm and is likely the rarest bird in the world. They have not been sighted since 2001, and may already be extinct. Rampant #deforestation for sugarcane plantations, #palmoil, #soy and #meat and ongoing habitat destruction have decimated their native range. If this species still survives, fewer than 50 adults remain. The continued decimation of #Brazil’s Atlantic Forest leaves no margin for error. Act now to protect what remains. Help them every time you shop and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan #BoycottMeat
Pied Tamarin Saguinus bicolor
Pied #Tamarins are fascinating and vibrant black-faced #monkeys with a shock of white fur around their muzzle and chest and expressive brown eyes. They are found only in the shrinking forests of Manaus, #Brazil. As bulldozers carve roads and cities sprawl, their home is being destroyed for #palmoil, #soy, #beef farming, #gold #mining, and relentless urban expansion. These tamarins also face threats from disease, predators, and the illegal pet trade. Use your wallet as a weapon and BoycottPalmOil, Boycott4Wildlife, BoycottGold4Yanomami, and be #Vegan to help their survival.
Cotton-headed Tamarin Saguinus oedipus
Known for the characterful head crests giving adults a plucky and “punk” look, the Cotton Top #Tamarin, also known as the Cotton-headed Tamarin is a diminuitive #monkey living in the humid forests in the south to dry deciduous forest in the north of #Colombia. They are now critically endangered and face multiple serious threats from capture for primate experiments, to the illegal pet trade and deforestation for palm oil, soy, meat deforestation and the cultivation of ilicit coca. Help these spritely and remarkable tiny primates to survive, every time you shop be #Vegan and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife
Asia: Species Endangered by Palm Oil Deforestation
Discover the diverse wildlife of Asia and the devastating effects of palm oil deforestation. Learn how to protect these species and #BoycottPalmOil. #Boycott4Wildlife
Palm Oil Detectives 