Chicago, IL – As Mondelēz International (Nasdaq: MDLZ) prepares for its 2025 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, public pressure is mounting. Today, activists gathered outside the company’s Chicago headquarters, calling out its weak environmental commitments and ties to rainforest destruction and Indigenous rights violations. The protest, organized by Rainforest Action Network (RAN) and allies, gathered to deliver a unified message using songs, theatrical skits, and flashy banners: Mondelēz and its leadership must cut deforestation and human rights abuses from its supply chain now.
“Mondelēz continues to profit from the destruction of some of the world’s most critical forests, while frontline communities face threats, arrests, and even violence,” said Daniel Carrillo, Forest Program Director at RAN. “It’s unacceptable—and the company’s recent updates to its deforestation policies do not go nearly far enough.”
Under growing scrutiny from investors, NGOs, and consumers, Mondelēz quietly revised its public statement on deforestation in 2025. The update came after widespread criticism that its 2023 version weakened previous commitments, especially concerning its palm oil supply chain, and failed to clearly link forest protection with Indigenous land rights.
While the revised statement now acknowledges the impact of deforestation on Indigenous communities and claims to support responsible land use, Rainforest Action Network has serious concerns. The company continues to rely on ineffective and misleading tools. Worse, Mondelēz has excluded embedded palm oil used in cattle feed from its deforestation-free goals despite making a public commitment in 2022 to address this risk in its dairy supply chain.
“The growing violence against forest defenders and Indigenous leaders is a direct result of companies failing to take responsibility for their supply chains,” said Maggie Martin, RAN’s Senior Forest Campaigner. “Mondelēz’s new deforestation statement still falls short of best practices. If the company is serious about change, it must publish and enforce a strong NDPE policy across all its suppliers and all forest-risk commodities.”
Mondelēz sources large amounts of palm oil, pulp, paper, and other commodities from controversial suppliers linked to illegal logging and land conflicts.
This is not an isolated case. Global Witness has reported a rising number of attacks on environmental and land defenders worldwide, with agribusiness as one of the leading industries behind the violence. Yet Mondelēz’s updated policy fails to acknowledge the dangers frontline defenders face or outline how it will protect them.
RAN’s annual scorecard evaluating corporate deforestation policies gave Mondelēz an “F” grade, placing it among the worst performers in its sector. As other companies take steps to improve, Mondelēz’s inaction stands out.
Today’s protest makes it clear: consumers, shareholders, and communities won’t wait for another vague promise. Mondelēz must immediately act to end its role in deforestation, uphold human rights, and support Indigenous land defenders.