The company primarily under investigation is Wilmar, the world’s largest palm oil producer, but brand names Colgate, Nestlé and Unilever all come under heavy criticism for allowing conditions to emerge in their supply chains that many would regard as shocking.
Amnesty International interviewed 120 workers within Wilmar’s plantations, as well as digging deeper into their suppliers in Indonesia.
"Corporate giants like Colgate, Nestlé and Unilever assure consumers that their products use 'sustainable palm oil', but our findings reveal that the palm oil is anything but," said Meghna Abraham, senior investigator at Amnesty International. "Companies are turning a blind eye to exploitation of workers in their supply chain. Despite promising customers that there will be no exploitation in their palm oil supply chains, big brands continue to profit from appalling abuses."
Palm oil is a highly versatile product that is estimated to be in half of all consumer products, ranging from toothpaste to shampoo. It is mostly produced in Indonesia, which services over half of global demand.
