Instant noodles are cheap, convenient, and popular, but today they're mostly a threat to our planet. Two of the biggest instant noodles producers in the world, Nissin Foods Holdings and Toyo Suisan Kaisha (Maruchan), have failed to adopt a truly responsible palm oil policy or cut ties with bad actors that clear rainforests, peatlands and abuse the rights of communities and workers in the palm oil sector.
Hundreds of thousands of us have helped to make the past few months a turning point in the international movement to reform the notoriously destructive palm oil industry. Many of the fast food sector's biggest players, like McDonald's and KFC, announced groundbreaking, globally responsible palm oil commitments.
We need to keep the momentum going and ramp up the pressure on instant noodle companies. They are under the spotlights after being identified as laggards of the industry in Rainforest Action Network's recent Snack Food 20 report. It's their turn to commit to a supply chain that protects the rainforest, workers, communities, and our planet.
Demand that Nissin and Maruchan cut conflict palm oil -- NOW.
Nissin Foods Holdings and Toyo Suisan Kaisha (Maruchan) use massive amounts of palm oil in their top selling instant noodles — Instant Lunch, Top Ramen and Cup Noodles. And these two companies haven't even taken the first step to create a palm oil policy. Up to 20% of their package contents is some of the cheapest and most environment-wrecking palm oil in the world -- directly linked to deforestation, responsible for the death of endangered orangutan, and the displacement of communities.We have a real chance to make change in the palm oil sector by convincing these two laggards to cut conflict palm oil for good. In the past three months, SumOfUs has pushed McDonald's and KFC to adopt global responsible palm oil policies and go deforestation-free, so we know it's possible.
Obsessed with maximizing profits, corporations are trying to pretend that what happens at the ends of their supply chains doesn't matter. But we're showing them that we're on the lookout, and won't let them get away with making excuses or ignoring the problem. Whether it's standing up for workers making LG-brand TVs, or pressing mining companies to stop stealing land from indigenous people, we are working together to hold corporations accountable for their behavior.
Tell Maruchan and Nissin to adopt a time-bound responsible palm oil policy and cut conflict palm oil from their supply chains.
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More information:
Call on the conflict palm oil laggards, Rainforest Action Network, June 2015
2013 palm oil buyers scorecard, WWF