Sainsbury's

Now it is Sainsbury's turn in the palm oil spotlight - here is what they have to say on the matter:

"I appreciate your concerns about the use of palm oil in the products we sell. We're aware that palm oil cultivation is a contributor to deforestation and climate change, and has a direct impact on the natural habitat of orangutans. I'm grateful for the chance to let you know what we're doing in this area.

At the end of May 2008, our Basics fish fingers became the first food in a UK supermarket to contain certified sustainable palm oil. Since then, we have also converted the rest of our frozen fish range and our standard bars of soap. Our aim is that all the palm oil in our own-brand products will come from sustainable sources by December 2014. In order to achieve this, we are dependent on may more plantations achieving certificatioon, and the suppliers of our raw materials and ingredients sorcing sustainable palm oil.

We continue to lead the way in supporting those organisataions best positioned to make a difference in this area. We remain fully engaged in the work of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). The RSPO has made significant progress in overcoming the considerable challenges of tracing and certifying palm oil as sustatinable. We recognise that there's a need to review the RSPO certification standard continually to ensure it's alwaus recognised as thorough and robuts. We therefore play an active part in encouraging the RSPO tomake improvements. You can find out more information on this initiative at www.rspo.org

We're very proud that Justin King, our Chief Executive, is part of the steering group of the Prince's Rainforest Project (PRP), which aims to stop the destruction of rainforests. For more on this initiative, please visit the PRP website at www.rainforestsos.org

As most palm oil is still constumed in Asia and the Far East, there is a limit to the difference that Sainsbur's alone an make. However, as well as committing to removing unsstainable palm oil from our products, we are determined to demonstrate to companies in these countries that using certified sustainable pam oil can be both responsible and profitable.

Around 30% of global palm oil comes from small farmers. We recognise the valuable contribution that palm oil makes to the economies of developing countries, and how muchmany individuals and communitities rely on growing palm oil for their lievelihoods. For this reason, we do not fee it would be responsible for us to ban the use of palm oil in our products. This view is supported b y organisations like the World Wildlife Fund and Greenpeace, who are campaigning for improved palm oil sourcing standards. We believe we can make the most difference by promoting hte use of certified sustainable palm oil in our products.

We know that our customers want to know which products contain palm oil. We are in the process of making sure all our products containing palm oil say so on the label. Many other companies conceal the use of palm oil in their products by labelling it as vegetable oil. All our fresh and chilled food containing palm oil is labelled as such, and the packaging of the remainder of our products will be updated by July 2009.

We understand that there is a need for collective action, particularly between retailers, processsors and investors, to bring about change throughout the palm oil sector. In 2007, we established a European Retailers' Working Group, to share experis and give a voice to the concerns of our customers. This forum also provides opportunitiies for us to influence change at a UK, EU and global level. We Have chaired this group since it was established, which further reflects our commitment to bringing about change not only in our own sourcing policies, but in the industry as a whole.

We have been very encouraged by the positive feedback we've received from leading organisations like the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation UK. This support reflects the high regard in which Sainsbury's is held due to the major moves we've made in the sourcing of sustainable palm oil."


I feel this is a much more thorough response than the one I received from ASDA as it addresses more of the issues I raised. I do, however, feel it might be a bit of a standard letter in the sense it was once again not from the CEO (although it did say he normally responds personally but he is on holiday) - and also the phrase "the packaging of the remainder of our products will be updated by July 2009", still sounds like it is an ambition for the future rather than something that has happened (which it should have as we near the end of August).

I was interested and encouraged to read that WWF and BOS UK have given Sainsbury's positive feedback over their actions and would be interested to hear from these organisations themselves on the matter.