Palm oil is used by almost one-third of the world.  It’s stabilizing qualities and ability to improve texture has resulted in its application in processed foods. Almost all processed food products use palm oil. More than half the world’s population consumes palm oil. The demand is increasing because approximately a quarter of production is also used in sectors like cosmetics, cleaning products and biofuel.

The increased demand for palm oil has led to vast forest clearances and a steep decline in endangered wildlife. According to a satellite data, Palm oil harvesting uses almost 25 million hectares. The major supplies come from Malaysia and Indonesia. Unsustainable palm oil production has increased greenhouse gas emissions. above all the climate change issues, forced labour and other human rights abuses that have negatively impacted palm oil sourcing communities.

Many environmental groups have campaigned to boycott palm oil or pushed to make industry practices to be more sustainable.

Boycotting Palm Oil Could Result in More Environmental Damage.

This is one of the main findings from a new report from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which has comprehensively analysed the current state of play within the palm oil industry.

Boycotting palm oil seems like a good solution. If the consumer demand switched to alternatives, such as vegetable oil, it would result in biodiversity loss. This is because vegetable oil crops require almost nine times as much land in production. As a result, deforestation would be increased for agriculture lands.

Sustainable practices and policies around the cultivation of palm oil crops help to prevent further damage. Current approaches to preventing deforestation have only made marginal improvements, but that there is potential to improve sustainability.

Thankfully, many food companies paying closer attention to their palm oil sourcing practices.

Sustainable Palm Oil.

Sustainable palm oil encourages responsible production and consumption. As a result, more industries come forward to use the oil produced in a sustainable way. The good news is that a progress is gaining momentum in the food industry; as demand for increased transparency continues to grow among industry stakeholders, consumer advocates, and consumers themselves.

This process requires time as many producers and consumers are not yet aware of it.  However, many food companies have already taken an important first step toward sustainable production by becoming members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and getting their products RSPO certified.

RPSO certification contains globally recognized standards that help verify companies making sustainable palm oil. Probably this will help the consumers to choose products. The RSPO trademark and Supply Chain Certification give businesses the assurance that the palm oil in their supply chain is sustainable. This certification meets the global Principles & Criteria for sustainable palm oil.

To accelerate demand for sustainable palm oil, RSPO launched the North American Sustainable Palm Oil Network(NASPON) in December 2017. NASPON collaborators include associations, civil society organizations, palm oil traders and producers.

Many food brands have already signed on to NASPON, including Dunkin Brands, Kraft Heinz, PepsiCo and more. Since 2017, Kraft Heinz, an RSPO member aims to use of 100% RSPO certified resources in almost all of its products.

Likewise, other food brands, large and small, should amplify the use of sustainably produced palm oil. Collectively, we can have a positive impact on sourcing communities, the environment and labour rights within the palm oil supply chain. In order to attain the Sustainable development goal-12, we all need to be a responsible consumer and support sustainable production.

SOME FAQ’S

Question: What is the significant difference between unsustainable and sustainable palm oil?

Anwer: A direct answer to this question is sustainable palm oil is much more eco-friendly than unsustainable palm oil, which leads to cutting down forests at a massive scale, removing local people from their lands. 

Question: Can palm oil be grown sustainably?

Answer– Yes. It’s possible. All you need to do is adopt policies that promise no exploitation, no deforestation.

Companies that are associated with NDPE policies produce sustainable palm oil.

This decision came into a role when RSPO was founded, and since then, it has brought many changes in the palm oil sector and discussed guidelines and standards for sustainable palm oil. 

These policies are applicable across the company’s supply chains, including third party suppliers and small vendors or suppliers. 

Question-Where can I find sustainable palm oil products?

Answer– Products that have RSPO trademark, which only found products that contain certified sustainable palm oil. 

You may also purchase palm oil as a sustainable products (palm oil) through the RSPO website as well as their mobile app.