Greenpeace protests against Fonterra’s use of palm kernel for cattle feed, highlighting environmental risks linked to deforestation and the destruction of wildlife habitats. The campaign urges investors to reconsider their support for practices impacting global ecosystems and calls for sustainable agricultural reforms within New Zealand’s dairy industry.
In Auckland, New Zealand, supporters of Greenpeace, an international environmental organization dedicated to preserving ecosystems and combating climate change, gathered outside Fonterra’s headquarters to protest the dairy giant’s use of palm kernel expeller (PKE) for cattle feed. The demonstrators assembled a large puzzle symbolizing the environmental impact of Fonterra’s reliance on palm kernel. The protest coincided with a meeting of Fonterra’s external investors, aiming to draw attention to what Greenpeace argues is a harmful dependency on imported PKE linked to deforestation and ecosystem damage.
This protest follows a recent lawsuit filed by Greenpeace against Fonterra under New Zealand’s Fair Trading Act. Greenpeace alleges that the dairy company misled consumers about the environmental consequences of its PKE use, claiming it drives deforestation, human rights abuses, and habitat destruction for endangered species such as orangutans and pygmy elephants. Speaking to these environmental issues, Greenpeace spokesperson Sinéad Deighton-O’Flynn stated that Fonterra’s palm kernel consumption is a key component of its intensive dairy model, contributing to the destruction of critical rainforests and cementing Fonterra’s place as a significant polluter in New Zealand.
New Zealand, currently the world’s largest importer of palm kernel, brought in over 1.7 million tonnes of PKE in 2023 to meet the feed needs of cattle herds that exceed the country’s natural grassland capacity. Greenpeace argues that Fonterra’s reliance on palm kernel not only harms biodiversity but also increases the dairy sector’s vulnerability to global sustainability trends, as consumers increasingly favor eco-friendly products.
“The pressure for sustainable practices is growing,” Deighton-O’Flynn warned. “By investing in Fonterra, shareholders are indirectly supporting deforestation. Investors should carefully consider the long-term risks of association with environmentally damaging practices.”
Greenpeace has also called on Fonterra to reduce herd sizes and adopt sustainable plant-based farming methods. A Greenpeace petition launched in late September demanding that Fonterra phase out palm kernel use has already gathered over 11,000 signatures, highlighting public concern over the environmental footprint of the dairy industry.
While Fonterra has not yet responded to the latest appeal, the protests and legal actions signal intensifying scrutiny of New Zealand’s dairy sector and its environmental impact.
