Ensuring that only sustainable palm oil is used in your products is of the utmost importance.
Unsustainable palm oil practices are detrimental to the environment. With more organisations examining their supply chains for adverse impact, it’s important to be diligent surrounding the origins of palm oil in your supply chain.
What are the key environmental concerns associated with palm oil production?
Palm oil production causes a high-level of deforestation. It is a versatile crop, which appears in a wide range of household products, from food, to cleaning products. However, the demand for this crop means increased deforestation of tropical rainforests.
This damages the environment and forces endangered animals into small pockets of land where they cannot survive. The unsustainable production of palm oil threatens over 193 species worldwide.
Additionally, the existence of illegal palm oil plantations is unquestionably dangerous for the environment, animals, and workers. However, organisations such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) campaign for standards to source palm oil sustainably.
Which products commonly contain palm oil in the UK?
The use of palm oil extends beyond its use in food products. Palm oil is used in almost half of the packaged products in UK supermarkets. Its efficiency is one of the reasons palm oil is the most produced and consumed vegetable oil across the world.
What is the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil?
The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is a global non-profit that aims to transform the industry. Collaborating with over 250 organisations, they enforce standards for sustainable palm oil. Their certification system allows companies to demonstrate that they are adhering to sustainability standards when sourcing palm oil.
What does RSPO certification mean for palm oil products?
RSPO accreditation stipulates all oil must be traced to its source, restricts the use of pesticides and fires, and ensures the oil is not the product of deforestation or unethical treatment of workers.
Currently, 20.1% of the world’s palm oil is certified by the RSPO, equating to 16.1 million tonnes. However, increasing awareness about the dangers of unsustainably produced crops could also increase consumer demand for ethically sourced oils.
What companies in the UK are leading in sustainable palm oil sourcing?
There are over 500 companies in the UK who hold an RSPO certification. The RSPO have mentioned the following other UK retailers as top performers in this area, including:
- Marks & Spencer
- John Lewis Partnership
- Greggs
- Bidfood UK
- Lidl
- Co-op
How can you verify ethical palm oil suppliers for procurement?
Deforestation, adverse impact, and unethical treatment of workers are all concerns for many companies. However, using ARCUS® Supplier Management Software increases transparency, and traceability in the supply chain. This provides confidence in suppliers’ adherence to company regulations regarding unethical practices.
For example, ARCUS® Product Information Management (PIM) allows organisations to collect detailed specifications on their products, including whether they are sourcing palm oil sustainably, to facilitate a sustainable and ethical supply chain.
Ensuring a supplier is regulated by a membership organisation like the RSPO is one method of verifying whether your supplier is using sustainable palm oil.
By increasing transparency between organisations, and their suppliers, it’s easier to identify areas of non-compliance. Additionally, with our ARCUS® smart technology tech pack, users can integrate with the RSPO database directly. This ensures that their supplier’s RSPO certifications and membership are consistently up-to-date.
Key Takeaways:
- Unethically and unsustainably sourced palm oil contributed to copious levels of deforestation of vital tropical rainforests.
- Palm oil is used widely, found in a vast range of products including food and other household goods.
- The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) advocate for sustainable palm oil sourcing, championing a global set of standards and a certification system.
- ARCUS® Supplier Management Software integrates with the RSPO database to ensure your suppliers RSPO certifications are consistently up to date within your system without any manual intervention.