Snack attack: Doritos under fire for palm oil provenance

The consumer group SumOfUs has launched an international ad campaign slamming Doritos and parent company PepsiCo for its 'destruction of the rainforest' and 'unsustainable use of palm oil'.


The campaign features posters on UK buses and an online video called A Cheesy Love Story – the Ad Doritos Don’t Want You To See, backed by a ‘five figure ad-buy”.

The ad is also scheduled to undermine Doritos’ high-profile ‘Crash the Superbowl’ campaign, which offers a member of the public a chance to create an advert to be aired during America’s most watched television event.

“We’re calling on PepsiCo to stop using irresponsible palm oil in its products because it comes at a terrible human and environmental cost,” said SumOfUs senior campaigner Hanna Thomas.

“Workers in Southeast Asia, including children, are trapped in modern slavery and the clearing of rainforests and peatlands are driving species like the orangutan and Sumatran tiger to extinction, as well as releasing massive amounts of greenhouse gases into our atmosphere.”

Response

PepsiCo was considering a request to comment at the time of publishing, but in response to a similar campaign in November which temporarily forced Pepsi True of Amazon, the company said: ““Our critics would be hard pressed to find many companies who have taken PepsiCo’s holistic approach to land policy, forest stewardship and responsible sourcing.” 

It also pointed to its most recent Sustainability Report, which committed the company to a policy of reforestation and sourcing 100% sustainable palm oil by 2015.

The SumOfUs ad

Brad Allen

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