Nestlé Commits to Sustainable Palm Oil, Ending Rainforest Deforestation

Enlarge Image Image Gallery Demand for palm oil has led to rainforest deforestation, which has pushed the wild orangutan population to the edge of extinction. Photo Courtesy http://www.flickr.com/photos/rashdan/

Demand for palm oil, a common ingredient in countless household products, has led to significant rainforest deforestation in the past few years, endangering ecosystems and pushing the wild orangutan population close to extinction. If left unchecked, the demand for palm oil could put other species such as the Sumatran tiger and Asian elephant in critical danger. Cutting trees also releases significant amounts of greenhouse gas emissions; Indonesia, the leading producer of palm oil, currently ranks third on the list of world’s largest greenhouse-gas-emitting countries.

Groups such as Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund have campaigned for sustainable palm oil, but real change won’t come until manufacturers decide to change their ways. Thankfully, Nestlé, the world’s largest food and drink company, announced that it will stop using palm oils products linked to rainforest deforestation and will use only sustainable palm oil in its products by 2015. To solidify its commitment, Nestlé has joined the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil and has also joined a coalition calling for a moratorium on rainforest destruction for palm oil in Indonesia.

Nestlé plans to meet its goal by reevaluating its supply chain. It’s starting by no longer purchasing from Indonesia’s largest palm-oil supplier, Sinar Mas, whose forestry practices contribute to deforestation. Nestlé has also partnered with The Forest Trust to create responsible sourcing guidelines, which will help the food and drink company ensure that its palm oil purchases are protecting endangered forest and peatlands, supporting indigenous populations and coming from plantations and farms that use sustainable practices.