Q&A: Rainforest Action Network's Lindsey Allen on palm oil, human rights and more
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"More shoppers than ever understand the interconnections between issues like climate change and deforestation. We get a lot of traction with human and indigenous rights violations, like poor working conditions, and making sure that people are being compensated and treated fairly as they produce commodities like sugar, rice, coffee and cocoa. Responsibly sourced palm oil in particular is resonating with consumers who appreciate the value of rainforests."
"I would get rid of corporate personhood and eliminate the ability for corporations to finance elections to support candidates. This would pull the tentacles of corporate financing away from our democracy."
"Companies each need to understand supply chains to a much deeper level and make sure they aren’t outsourcing their values to a [Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil] label that can’t hold up. This means a combination of direct relationships with farmers and understanding what your supply chain is. When you can trace an ingredient back to the source, you can get a better level of assurance that it was responsibly sourced. There's massive exploitation with producers who feel like they can hide within a convoluted supply chain. Some middlemen traders, who often buy low and sell high, don't have any reason to add transparency and traceability. Last September, Cargill said they would eliminate deforestation and long supply chains. This is a result of a brand saying, 'you can't hide this information from us.' Especially in the natural foods market, consumers have a level of expectations around ingredient quality that includes consciousness."
"We take the 'network' part of our name very seriously. Synergy with other organizations is key. The model of one organization being so strong and powerful that it can save the planet in isolation doesn’t ring true anymore. It's important that RAN can share, support and listen to grassroots leadership. That's what is going to be really effective in the long run."
"We take the 'network' part of our name very seriously. Synergy with other organizations is key. The model of one organization being so strong and powerful that it can save the planet in isolation doesn’t ring true anymore. It's important that RAN can share, support and listen to grassroots leadership. That's what is going to be really effective in the long run."
Q&A: Rainforest Action Network's Lindsey Allen on palm oil, human rights and more
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