TRAPA Saves Area of Rainforest with New 'Unrepeatable Photograph' Campaign

In order to emphasise the decision to remove palm oil in its products, the Spanish brand TRAPA Chocolates sent an expedition to Borneo in September 2018. There, TRAPA took a photograph of one of the rainforests threatened by the deforestation caused by palm oil plantations. TRAPA used this photograph - which was published as a press ad in different national magazines - and the broadcast of a documentary, (released on social media as "An Unrepeatable Photograph?") as a warning that, if the jungle were to be deforested, Trapa would return to Borneo to repeat the same photo, in the same place, and thus publicly denounce its destruction.

According to local sources, between the months of December 2018 and January 2019, the deforestation of the area where the "Unrepeatable Photograph" was taken had stopped, so Trapa began the common legal requirements to return to Indonesia in the near future. However, for reasons beyond TRAPA’s control, this trip could not be carried out.

Not being able to travel to finish the project, the Spanish company has contracted the services of a satellite with which it has been confirmed that the photographed area is still standing. This satellite image clearly shows how all the bordering areas are deforested or exploited with new palm oil plantations, leaving only the area captured in "The Unrepeatable Photograph".

"They may make it difficult for us to complete the project, the palm oil lobby can try to withdraw every campaign we do, but what can not be hidden is the deforestation caused by palm oil plantations, which continue to threaten animals in danger of extinction”, the Spanish company stated, adding that "if in an effort to hide the reality, the deforestation of a part of the rainforest has been halted, we are glad to be able to contribute to save a part of this threatened rainforest".

As soon as the first part of "The Unrepeatable Photograph" became public in Spain, the palm oil lobby (an association made up of powerful multinationals) reacted immediately by putting pressure to withdraw the campaign. They did this by filing a complaint with the self-regulatory body "Autocontrol", to which TRAPA Chocolates is not assigned to. The company did not let itself be intimidated, and responded by maintaining the publication of the photograph and the documentary on the Internet.