Peet Bros. supports COVID-19 response in indigenous communities

1% for the Planet business member Peet Bros. is a 100% palm oil-free personal care company dedicated to educating people about the environmental harm of palm oil while providing incredibly moisturizing soaps and lotions with ZERO palm and giving back to organizations that are working to protect global rainforests.

Peet Bros. has chosen to partner with the Rainforest Foundation, an incredible organization working to empower Indigenous peoples of the world’s rainforests to lead the charge of rainforest protection. The Rainforest Foundation is both a forest protection organization and a human rights organization. Though they make up less than 5% of the world’s population, Indigenous people protect 80% of global biodiversity, and the Rainforest Foundation works directly with these Defenders to save our rainforests, their native territories, and our climate. This support of the Rainforest Foundation has become more important in 2020 than ever before, with COVID-19 leading to less government oversight and more illegal deforestation than ever, the role of Indigenous peoples of the rainforest has become even more vital than before.

Indigenous communities are uniquely vulnerable to epidemics such as COVID-19. There is no evidence that Indigenous immune systems are more susceptible to COVID-19, as has been the case with other introduced diseases in the past. However, due to communal lifestyles, remote locations, and lack of access to health care services, outbreaks in Indigenous communities are can be more pervasive and harder to properly address. Because of this, the Rainforest Foundation has been working to respond to the crisis by developing an array of emergency response solutions that leverage existing connections and tools within the communities, as well as partnering with outside organizations including nonprofits and governments. Since the pandemic began to hit Latin America, the Rainforest Foundation has been tirelessly working to provide relief to communities in four main areas: information & communication, humanitarian support, medical supplies & protective equipment, and supporting sustainable economic activities. This is a complex and dynamic global health crisis that requires support and collaboration from all sides to support and protect the most at-risk communities. It is times like this that partnerships such as these are most important and 1% for the Planet is grateful to be able to help support companies and non-profits such as Peet Bros. and the Rainforest Foundation in their efforts to address these issues.