The Deforestation Call-To-Arms

In recent years, more and more powerful people and corporations have begun to call for changes to the way we treat the Earth. Faced with the results of our use of fossil fuels and rampant deforestation, we need to change our ways if we want our children’s children to experience the environment as we know it. Nestlé just recently declared that they’d be aiming to have 100% of its “key commodities” come from deforestation-free sources by 2020. This is an example for other large corporations to follow, and it highlights just how important it is that we do the same.

Where Are Our Forests Going?

In recent years, many of our forests have been lost as they’re cleared for farmland, but some have been because of urban development or expansion, too. Most of these farms have been for agricultural commodities like palm oil and soy. Palm oil is one of the most contentious contributors to deforestation, as it’s found in about half of our grocery store purchases. It’s the most widely used vegetable oil on Earth, and it’s very profitable to grow and sell. As a result, rampant clearing of tropical forests to create palm oil growth forests has become a huge issue in recent years.

You might be thinking that at least we’re replacing one forest with another, right? And in some cases this does stand true, as global tree cover increased in some areas in recent years. On the other hand, however, species-rich rainforests are cleared for palm oil and other exports, the animals that once lived in those forests lose their homes and food sources. If this continues unchecked, they will inevitably face extinction. The creation of these palm forests also releases massive amounts of previously-fixed carbon into the air, contributing to the over-abundance of greenhouse gases.

What Can We Do About It?

Nestlé is leading the way for other corporations to begin sustainably sourcing their palm oil by tracking where their own comes from as much as they possibly can. Currently, Nestlé is partnering with Air Bus to remotely verify the sustainability of the palm oil that it sources from the sky by using a satellite. Currently, Nestlé can only verify that about 60% of its palm oil comes from sustainable forests, but it’s using technology like the Starling satellite to increase those numbers. In the future, satellite monitoring may be the perfect way to keep an eye on sustainable deforestation and the protection of our planet.