{"id":70072,"date":"2025-05-15T15:53:47","date_gmt":"2025-05-15T03:53:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/?page_id=70072"},"modified":"2026-04-08T20:57:28","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T08:57:28","slug":"palm-kernel-deforestation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/explore\/palm-kernel-deforestation\/","title":{"rendered":"Dairy & deforestation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Dairy & deforestation<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The use of palm kernel by the New Zealand dairy industry is linked to deforestation overseas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’re taking action to protect the rainforests. Will you join us?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Join the campaign<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>
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The New Zealand dairy industry, led by Fonterra, is New Zealand\u2019s worst environmental polluter. They are contributing to deforestation of Southeast Asian paradise rainforests, polluting the climate, and contaminating drinking water. We\u2019re taking action to stop that, so that we can protect the homes of precious species like orangutans, Bornean elephants, and Sumatran tigers, and ensure a thriving planet for future generations.<\/p>\n\n

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Take action<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Dairy and deforestation – what\u2019s the story?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

New Zealand\u2019s dairy industry is the world\u2019s largest importer of palm kernel expeller – a dry gravelly  feed made from the ground up kernels of the palm fruit. It\u2019s used as a supplementary cow feed by the dairy industry, because there are so many cows that there isn\u2019t enough grass in New Zealand to feed them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This imported feed comes from oil palm plantations in Southeast Asia. They’re notorious for human rights violations, illegal operating practices, and deforestation in the habitat of endangered wildlife such as the Sumatran orangutan and tiger.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greenpeace has uncovered evidence<\/a> that links the New Zealand dairy industry to palm kernel sourced from plantations in Indonesia that are illegally operating in areas that were once thriving rainforest. Some are even operating within the protected wildlife reserve featured in David Attenborough\u2019s documentary Secret Lives of Orangutans<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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Join the campaign<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It is only through collective action that we can achieve a ban on palm kernel. Use your voice, join us today.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n \t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPETITION: Stop Fonterra using Palm Kernel\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Call on Fonterra to end the use of rainforest-destroying palm kernel on its farms.\n\n<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t \n Sign the petition\n <\/a>\n \t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/section>\n\t\n\n\n

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What about dairy and climate change?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

More than half of New Zealand\u2019s climate emissions come from the agriculture sector, with the majority of that being superheating methane<\/a> emissions from the dairy industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the past four years, Fonterra has been the country\u2019s single worst climate polluter, even worse than fossil fuel companies like Z Energy<\/a>. Meanwhile, New Zealanders are witnessing more frequent and more severe extreme weather events – from droughts, to floods, to wildfires and cyclones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We all want to pass on a thriving planet to our children – a world where they are safe from the worst of the climate crisis. And in order to do that, we have to cut climate pollution from intensive dairy now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Methane is an incredibly powerful greenhouse gas – cooking the climate much faster than other gases like carbon dioxide.<\/a> But it\u2019s also short-lived, meaning that if we cut dairy pollution rapidly – and keep emissions down – we can prevent the worst of the climate crisis<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reducing the number of cows reduces methane emissions. The land cannot sustain this many methane-belching cows in Aotearoa, which is why the use of palm kernel has grown. That\u2019s yet another reason why we need to end the use of palm kernel on all Fonterra farms across Aotearoa.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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What are the issues with palm kernel?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Palm kernel is problematic for many reasons, yet the New Zealand dairy industry continues its use on farms across the country. A snapshot of these issues is below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n