Wow, things are really moving in the palm oil sector!

So much has happened since we launched this ambitious campaign to save some of the world’s most important rainforests and the last remaining wild orangutans from “Conflict Palm Oil.”         Today is a big step forward. In the face of growing criticism over its use of Conflict Palm Oil, Kellogg has just released a new palm oil sourcing commitment that goes beyond the inadequate standards of  “sustainable” palm oil certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).

This would not have happened without you. Your phone calls, posts, tweets and, for some, your visit with Strawberry the orangutan to Kellogg’s headquarters has really made a difference.

Kellogg has taken a step in the right direction by requiring its global suppliers to provide palm oil that is fully traceable and produced without destroying rainforests, draining carbon-rich peatlands, or violating human and labor rights. But a statement of intent is not the same as a binding, time-bound responsible palm oil policy. If Kellogg is serious about achieving responsible palm oil supply chains by December 31, 2015, it will put its words into action with a thorough and rapid implementation plan.

We’re winning—now we need you to help turn this commitment into real action.

Here are three things you can do right now to let Kellogg know that it is doing the right thing, but needs to do more:
1. Call Kellogg at 1-800-962-1413. Here’s a call script you can use:

“Hi, my name is [your name] from [your city]. I’m a [student, mom..] and one of your valued customers! Thanks for making a commitment to require suppliers to protect forests, peatlands and human rights. Please, don’t stop there. We need Kellogg to put its words into action with a thorough and rapid implementation plan for removing Conflict Palm Oil from its products.”   

2. Post this message on Kellogg’s Facebook wall:

Hey Kellogg Company, thanks for strengthening Kellogg’s palm oil commitment. Don’t stop there, we need Kellogg to put its words into action with a thorough and rapid implementation plan for removing Conflict Palm Oil from its products. The power is #InYourPalm.

3. Tweet at Kellogg.

The @KelloggCompany’s new commitment is a step in the right direction. Now adopt a plan to cut Conflict #PalmOil. The power is #InYourPalm

Give Kellogg a call now, won’t you?

		The Power is in Your Palm,
		Jess Serrante                     Agribusiness National Organizer

RAN activists in Chicago helped launch the Snack Food 20 campaign in 2013. We’re making change, together. Keep up the good work.

Photo: Donte Tatum

By  CAP Action War Room

Obamacare Literally Saved This Man’s Life

As we discussed on Wednesday, Obamacare is working and millions of Americans across the country are getting health insurance coverage thanks to the law, many for the very first time.

Today, we heard about one man’s story that reminds us why we fought so hard to pass the Affordable Care Act, why we’ve spent years defending it against relentless attacks from conservatives, and why we’re working to fully implement the law and get people signed up for coverage.

Mike O’Dell, 41, was able to obtain a heart transplant and the care he needs thanks to an affordable Obamacare health insurance plan that kicked in January 1:

He couldn’t get private health insurance because of his pre-existing heart condition. But as of January 1, with the health care law, insurers can no longer deny coverage. O’Dell and his wife were able to get coverage through the health insurance marketplace for $190 a month. That allowed him to go on the transplant waiting list.

“He wouldn’t be here with me or my children if it weren’t for the Obamacare,” said O’Dell’s wife, Kate.

And his doctors say he clearly wouldn’t have lived long if he hadn’t received the gift of a stranger’s heart last week.

Kansas, O’Dell’s home state, is one of the few states that has done almost nothing to implement the Affordable Care Act. It has also refused to expand Medicaid coverage to almost 100,000 low-income Kansans that would otherwise be newly-eligible under the law. Thankfully, more than 22,000 Kansans (and 3.3 MILLION other Americans) have been able to select a private plan through the insurance marketplace, despite the GOP’s efforts to sabotage the law.

As O’Dell’s story showcases, having health coverage isn’t just about carrying an insurance card around in your pocket, it can be a matter of life and death. A new study found that an average of between 19 to 47 people will die each day, including as many as one every day or so in Kansas, simply because Republican governors and state legislators refuse to expand Medicaid.

BOTTOM LINE: The Affordable Care Act is already helping tens of millions of Americans every day and is literally a matter of life and death for some. That’s why we can never go back to the way it was before.