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Sustainable Palm Oil
Responsible Production
and Sourcing
A Positive Future for Palm Oil
A
t least half of the items found
in any supermarket contain
palm oil, palm kernel oil or their
derivatives—from cleaning supplies and
personal care products to baby food
and chocolate. Yet this ubiquitous commodity presents a complex dilemma for
companies. On the one hand, growing
global demand for this inexpensive and
versatile ingredient drives economic
growth in developing countries. On the
other, conventional production methods
fuel rampant deforestation, greenhouse
gas emissions, habitat destruction and
the displacement of indigenous forest
communities.
Forward-thinking companies can counter these negative impacts by sourcing
responsibly produced palm oil. In
doing so, they are taking an important
step to secure their supply chains with
traceable, certified sustainable palm
oil and safeguarding their reputations—
while also improving environmental and
social performance.
Sustainable palm oil production can
benefit local communities, businesses
and countries. A “positive palm” future
is one in which degraded lands are
restored, palm oil yields are increased
without destroying forests, and responsible smallholder farmers are included
in the supply chain. These measures
can help restore critical ecosystems,
improve farmer livelihoods and pave
the way for more companies to source
palm oil sustainably.
“How we select and source our ingredients can be a catalyst for change.
Our goal is to source 100 percent of
our palm kernel oil from Rainforest
Alliance Certified farms by the end of
2015. We chose Rainforest Alliance
certification because its comprehensive social and environmental
commitments most closely match our
company’s goals.”
Ella Rosenbloom
Senior Manager, Sustainable Food
Supply, Clif Bar & Company
Our Services for Sustainable Palm Oil Sourcing
The Rainforest Alliance can help your business in many ways:
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Develop responsible sourcing policies and supplier requirements
•
Map your supply chains all the way to origin and assess risks
•
Explain certification standards and audit requirements for farms
and supply chains
•
Implement sourcing policies, improve traceability and facilitate
supplier compliance
•
Achieve independent third-party assurances for your
sustainability claims
•
Monitor and evaluate your achievements against your policies
•
Communicate your goals and progress to external stakeholders
The Rainforest Alliance – Your Sustainability Expert
Since 1987, the Rainforest Alliance has
partnered with producers, businesses,
NGOs, governments and scientists
to create innovative solutions to the
world’s most pressing environmental
crises. We have a long and proven track
record in sustainable agriculture (including the entire palm oil supply chain),
forestry and tourism, as well carbon
services. For example:
•
•
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Forestry: We co-founded the
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®)
and remain the world’s largest
FSC-accredited certifier, evaluating
businesses around the world from
South America to Southeast Asia.
Agriculture: With the Sustainable
Agriculture Network (SAN), we
developed certification standards
for more than 80 crops, and the
Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal
of approval appears on thousands
of products across the globe.
•
Sustainable Palm Oil Standards:
The Rainforest Alliance is a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and the
Roundtable for Sustainable Biofuels
(RSB). After the SAN standard was
adapted for palm oil in 2008, we
have applied it in both plantation
and smallholder landscapes with
positive results.
Traceability and Third-Party Assurances: We’ve worked with leading companies—such as Unilever,
Clif Bar & Company, and others—to
improve traceability and claims
verification, educate manufacturers
and build supplier capacity.
Stakeholder Engagement:
Through our engagement with
The Consumer Goods Forum, the
Tropical Forest Alliance and others,
we’re actively shaping the market
for sustainable palm oil and other
tropical commodities.
A Snapshot of Our Global Experience in Palm Oil
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into responsible supply chains
and make their production
more socially, economically and
environmentally sustainable.
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1. Large and small Rainforest
Alliance Certified palm oil farms
in Central and South America—
such as Daabon, Hondupalma
and Agrocaribe—are now
supplying palm oil products to
both export and local markets.
2. In West Africa, we’re working
to integrate small producers
3. As part of a consortium with
Proforest and Daemeter
Consulting, we’re helping
Unilever trace its palm oil supply
chain back to Southeast Asia and
assess its suppliers for social and
biophysical risks.
4. In the Pacific region, we’re
assisting New Britain Palm Oil
Ltd. to prepare for Rainforest
Alliance certification of its
operations in Papua New Guinea
and the Solomon Islands.
To find out how the Rainforest Alliance can help you with sustainable
palm oil sourcing, please contact:
North & South America: Nicole Pasricha
+1.647.479.2510 • [email protected]
Europe, Middle East/Africa & Asia: Eric Servat
+44.788.102.5306 • [email protected]
233 Broadway, 28th Floor
New York, NY 10279-2899
T: +1.212.677.1900 F: +1.212.677.2187
www.rainforest-alliance.org
The Rainforest Alliance works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods
by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior.
USA • Bolivia • Cameroon • Canada • Costa Rica • Ecuador • Ghana • Guatemala
Honduras • Indonesia • Kenya • Mexico • Nicaragua • Peru • United Kingdom
orangutan photo © Paul Hillman