Unilever: Deforestation Award attracted a lot of attention
Demonstrator protest in front of "Terminal Tango" at Hamburg Airport
Sep 26, 2011
On Friday, September 23, Rainforest Rescue and over 30 of its supporters tried to present the "Deforestation Award" especially created for this purpose to Unilever. This action was motivated by an environmental award which Harry Brouwer, Chairman of Unilever, was supposed to receive at the Hamburg Airport.
On Friday, September 23, Rainforest Rescue and over 30 of its supporters tried to present the "Deforestation Award" especially created for this purpose to Unilever. This action was motivated by an environmental award which Harry Brouwer, Chairman of Unilever, was supposed to receive at the Hamburg Airport.
The "Deforestation Award" – an award comprising three tree stumps on a blood-stained background - symbolizes the Indonesian rainforest that is being destroyed for Unilever’s palm oil. With this award, we protest against close business ties between Unilever and Wilmar International. Unilever’s major palm oil supplier cuts down Indonesian rainforests and drives peasants and indigenous people off their land.
Our presence in front of the airport event hall did not remain unnoticed for very long. We started a conversation with participants and had a chance to explain to them the reasons for our demonstration. After a heated discussion in front of the airport terminal, we also managed to have a personal talk with Harry Brouwer, confronting him with the scandalous production practices of Unilever’s palm oil supplier. Brouwer purported to be clueless and promised to verify our information.
We will continue to exert pressure on the Unilever group to make sure they will heed our calls and finally put their self-promoted image as a "sustainable enterprise" into practice.
For more information on our protest click here; for press releases including images click here.