Most of the world’s palm oil is set to be sustainably sourced, after Golden Agri-Resources (GAR) became the latest major supplier to commit to forest conservation last week, says Catapult, an organisation working to end deforestation-linked commodities...
While the debate about deforestation due to palm oil rumbles on, new research has suggested that the release of methane from palm oil processing wastewater may also be a significant concern.
Palm oil supplier IOI Loders Croklaan surpassed its goal to increase volumes of certified sustainable palm oil to 30% of total European sales last year – and has certified all its plantations to Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) standards.
The Kellogg Company has pledged to source fully traceable palm oil by the end of next year, a move that has been welcomed by NGOs that have been fighting for the cereal giant to change its policies for months.
Mondelez International reached its 2015 goal of sourcing 100% RSPO-certified palm oil for all its purchases last year – two years ahead of schedule, the company has said.
HSBC has said that despite challenges market tides deciding the sustainability of the palm oil industry are changing - although an environmental group has published a damning report of the bank’s investment practices.
Unilever and Ferrero both said they would strengthen their commitments to sustainable palm oil this week – a sign of an industry in transformation, according to Catapult, an organisation working to end trade in commodities linked to deforestation.
Do consumers vote with their feet when it comes to palm oil? Probably not — or at least that seems to be the case in emerging markets, where the lion’s share of palm oil is processed and consumed.
Mondelēz International is pouring cash into sustainable farming projects, including $400M in cocoa farms in developing economies, to secure a strong and stable supply base.
Kellogg cannot shirk its palm oil responsibility by deflecting attention to its supplier, says RAN following a statement from Kellogg calling for productive talks between its supplier Wilmar and the environmental group.
A new report from Rainforest Action Network says food giants supporting "weak" and "diluted" Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) standards or buying GreenPalm certificates are kidding themselves if they think this will save...
Palm oil production is a major cause of deforestation, loss of habitat and – let’s not forget – dismal working conditions for people in growing areas, mainly in Southeast Asia. But Europe needs palm oil and palm oil producers need European consumers to...
French and German palm oil industries and users have joined a handful of other European countries in committing to source all palm oil sustainably with national pledges announced at the European Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) summit in Berlin...
Food companies that only use certified sustainable palm oil have been accused of “certifying destruction”, according to a Greenpeace report released to coincide with the first European Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) summit in Berlin this week.
By Dave McLaughlin, vice-president of agriculture, WWF US
Currently, RSPO certified palm oil represents 15% of global production, and many of the global brands have made commitments to source 100% certified palm oil by 2015.
On Tuesday, palm oil industry representatives will gather in Berlin for the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil’s first ever European summit. FoodNavigator will be there, moderating a discussion on the credibility of RSPO standards – and is looking to...
Boosting industry commitment to sustainable palm oil, the impact of upcoming EU regulation and improving certification credibility are among the topics on the agenda at the first European Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) summit.
A third consecutive fall in global food prices during the month of July was largely driven by lower international prices for grains, soy and palm oil, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is not in a position to monitor over 1,100 members from more than 60 countries, but it does take violations extremely seriously, its secretary general says.
The Rainforest Action Network (RAN) has accused Cargill of using child labour in its palm oil supply chain – and Cargill says it has registered its concern with supplier KLK.
By Darrel Webber, secretary general of Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil
Increasing global consumption of palm oil poses serious sustainability challenges and raises questions about leading consumer nations’ responsibility in managing the footprint of its global supply chain.
The Malaysian palm oil industry has called on the French Prime Minister to put an end to an ‘ongoing campaign of misinformation’ on palm oil among French politicians and companies, ahead of his visit to the country on Sunday.
Mapping of the oil palm tree genome has revealed a single gene responsible regulating its yield, offering the possibility to breed new variants for increased production, say scientists behind the project.
As the pressure to source sustainable palm oil has intensified, several big names in the US from Kroger and Walmart to McDonald’s and Dunkin Donuts have said that by 2015, they will only use RSPO (Round Table for Sustainable Palm Oil) certified products.
The good news: Around 15% of global palm oil produced in the past year was certified by the Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). The bad news: Only half of it earned a premium, which doesn’t sound like a great recipe for inspiring more producers...
Kellogg says it takes palm oil sourcing extremely seriously and is defending its joint venture with Wilmar International after accusations that the Asian agri giant is involved in illegal palm oil activities.
The third largest palm oil producer in the world, Thailand has now joined a select group of nations that supply certified sustainable palm oil (SCPO), with a first consignment ready for export to Europe.
Five RSPO-certified palm oil producers accused of contributing to Indonesian forest fires have submitted digital images of their plantations in an effort to clear their names – and the RSPO has commended them for fast action.
The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has given five of its Indonesian members 48 hours to submit satellite images of their plantations, as evidence that they are not responsible for the forest fires that have engulfed several South East Asian...
A new European palm oil supply agreement should make it easier for companies to source 100% segregated palm oil across the continent, say the companies behind the deal.
International NGOs accused sustainable palm oil organisation RSPO of lacking credibility and losing consumer faith during a live online debate on Tuesday, including for widespread use of GreenPalm certificates in developed markets.
A Rainforest Foundation ethical food product guide based on companies’ palm oil use unjustly discourages the use of palm oil even if it is sustainably sourced, claims the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).
Food and drink production in the EU remained flat in the fourth quarter of last year as some raw materials became costlier, according to data from FoodDrinkEurope.
The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has welcomed the decision of the world’s biggest sovereign wealth fund to pull investment from certain palm oil companies – but has disagreed with its divestment from firms that are on the path to RSPO certification.
Norway’s US$710bn sovereign investment fund has pulled its investment from 23 Southeast Asian palm oil companies, claiming that they source palm oil unsustainably.
Sternchemie says its new red palm oil provides a clean label way to colour foods naturally without using food colourings that have to be listed on ingredient lists.
The Rainforest Action Network (RAN) has urged Cargill to take clear, decisive action to ensure its palm oil suppliers commit to sustainable production, while Cargill has said that RAN allegations of malpractice are unfounded and untrue.
The French Senate rejected its so-called ‘Nutella tax’ on Thursday, which aimed to quadruple the tax on palm oil, a key ingredient in the hazelnut-chocolate spread.
A proposed 300% increase on French palm oil imports could lead to increased consumption of harmful trans fats and ignores the primary sources of saturated fat in the French diet, says the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC).
Unilever and Walmart are hoping to drive increased production of certified sustainable palm oil, as they unveiled new purchasing commitments at the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) annual meeting in Singapore last week.
Palm oil producers who use fire to clear land for plantations should be named and shamed, urged Professor Tommy Koh, ambassador-at-large for Singapore’s ministry of foreign affairs and keynote speaker at the RSPO meeting in Singapore this week.
A UK government statement drawing together new and existing pledges on sustainable palm oil falls short of a real commitment to sustainable sourcing, according to the president of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) Dr Jan Kees Vis.
Palm oil producers and traders have been looking for new production areas as expansion in environmentally sensitive regions in Southeast Asia has become increasingly difficult - but Latin American and African production must embrace sustainable standards...
Greenpeace has published a scorecard rating palm oil producers’ sustainability efforts, in order to provide food and other consumer goods companies with better information about how their palm oil is produced.
Manufacturers are increasingly sensitive to sustainability issues around palm oil, but it would be disastrous to stop using it altogether, says secretary general of the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) Darrel Webber.
Products labelled ‘no palm oil’ have proliferated on French supermarket shelves in recent years but Malaysian officials have said that such labels misrepresent an industry that has made strides toward greater sustainability, in a meeting with French officials...
