KFC JOINS DAISHOWA BOYCOTT
DAISHOWA DROPPED FROM OVER 2600 STORES
A major victory has been scored by Friends of the Lubicon (Toronto) as
KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) confirmed today that they have joined the
growing Lubicon Lake Indian Nation boycott of Daishowa paper products.
The coup capped one month of talks between KFC and Friends of the
Lubicon. In a letter to Friends of the Lubicon, KFC stated that "our
intentions are to deplete our inventories of the Daishowa bag and
discontinue its production." The correspondence was received shortly
after Friends of the Lubicon warned KFC of their upcoming status as
boycott targets.
Friends of the Lubicon initiated a nationwide boycott of Daishowa Canada
Co. Ltd. paper products 11 months ago. To date, 18 companies
representing over 2600 retain outlets across Canada have stopped using
Daishowa products. Boycott pressure on Daishowa prevented clearcut
logging of unceded Lubicon Lake Indian Nation territory in northern
Alberta last winter.
Friends of the Lubicon are pleased that the buying power of the 840 KFC
outlets are now off limits to Daishowa. However, in an October 28 letter
to KFC, Friends of the Lubicon expressed disappointment that KFC's
decision was based "only on financial considerations and fear of negative
publicity while dismissing Daishowa's mammoth clearcut threat against the
tiny band of Lubicon people."
LUBICONS FACE IMPENDING CLEARCUTS...AGAIN
Information from northern Alberta suggests that Daishowa plans to begin
clearcutting unceded Lubicon territories as soon as the ground freezes
this fall. Despite being forced by public pressure to abandon clearcut
plans last winter, Daishowa has never made a clear, public and
unequivocal commitment not to cut or to buy wood cut on unceded Lubicon
territories until a land rights settlement is reached with both levels of
government and a harvesting agreement is negotiated. The Lubicon society
has been devastated by ongoing oil and gas exploration and Daishowa now
presents the greatest single threat to their survival. The federal
government is continuing to sabotage Lubicon affairs and has repeatedly
proven unwilling to negotiate in good faith, therefore only massive
public pressure can stop their impending genocide.
For more information please contact:
Stephen Kenda, Friends of the Lubicon (416) 763-7490
Fred Lennarson, Lubicon advisor (403-436-5652
Tim Hilliard, KFC (416) 674-0367
Tom Hamaoka, Daishowa Canada (604) 689-1919
* * * * *
October 27, 1992, letter to Friends of the Lubicon (Toronto) from Tim
Hilliard, Director, Marketing, KFC
Dear Mr. Kenda:
Re: KFC Packaging
I am writing in response to your concerns regarding KFC Canada's use of
packaging provided by Daishowa.
KFC Canada currently purchases limited quantities of a "carry-all" bag
from Daishowa, accounting for a fraction of one per cent of all packaging
purchases. Plans have been under way for some time to replace this
product with updated packaging, manufactured by another supplier, as part
of a major package re-configuration and design project.
Our intentions are to deplete current inventories of the Daishowa bag and
discontinue it's production.
It should be understood that this decision was made on it's own financial
and operational merits, independent of the ongoing issues between the
Lubicon people and Daishowa.
I trust that this letter adequately communicates KFC Canada's intentions
in this matter.
Sincerely,
Tim Hilliard
* * * * *
October 28, 1992, letter to KFC's Tim Hilliard from Stephen Kenda,
Friends of the Lubicon (Toronto)
Dear Mr. Hilliard,
Thank you for your letter dated October 27, 1992.
Friends of the Lubicon are pleased to note that KFC is depleting
inventories of its Daishowa bag and discontinuing its production. As
such, we consider KFC as having joined the Lubicon boycott of Daishowa.
However, Friends of the Lubicon are disappointed that KFC has based its
decision only on financial considerations and fear of negative publicity
while dismissing Daishowa's mammoth clearcut threat against the tiny band
of Lubicon people. An opportunity for KFC to demonstrate environmental
and social responsibility has been missed.
Please note that all former Daishowa users are periodically monitored for
the duration of the boycott.
Thank you for your time.
Yours Truly,
Stephen Kenda