Marks & Spencer has publically announced its Plan A - a plan of action on how to be greener. Here is what have to say on the use of palm oil.
"You may have heard that in January 2007 we launced "Plan A", a business wide £200m "eco-plan" which will have an impact on every part of M&S operations over five years. As a major feature in our 100-point plan, we have committed to ensuring that all of the key raw materials used in our business, come from the most sustainable source possible, in order to protect the environment and the world's natural resouces.
The committment will extend to the use of palm oil in our products and as we are a 100% own brand business, this will apply to all of our M&S branded products. We use palm oil as a minor ingredient in a range of our food and cosmetic products, although I'm afraid I can't provide you with an exact figure. We believe that ensuring the use of sustainable materials in all of our products will help to drive demand for sustainable raw materials in the marketplace and as a result increase the supply.
We are acutely aware of the environmental and sustainability concerns related to the production of palm oil, while recognising the importance of palm oil to the countries which supply it. As a result we are members of the Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) as you have observed. We joined to ensure we are part of a global force striving for a responsible approach to palm oil production.
M&S is actually a very small user of palm oil (the amount we use amounts to less than 1% of the palm oil imported into the UK). However, we know we can only drive global change and achieve our Plan A goals by working in conjunction with other, bigger users.
As an active member of the RSPO, we're encouraging our sources and industry partners to adopt the RSPO standard. During 2009, we expect seven of our products to receive RSPO certification.
By 2015, we aim to use only 100% fully traceable certified sustainable palm oil - but of course we'll review this timetable regularly, to take into account global availability of certified sustainable palm oil and its derivatives.
During our move to sustainable palm oil, we'll make sure that there's never any compromise on the safety, quality and value of any of our products. We'll also clearly label all our products containing oil (something we started in December 2007), so the type of oil is identified - palm, rapeseed etc. Blends of oils are labelled as vegetable oils. If you go into one of our stores today, you will find that many of our products that use palm oil already have the stated in the ingredients.
Our work on palm oil ties in with our partnership with the WWF which was formed in 2007. In particular, our support of their conservation work in the Heart of Borneo region. This project aims to work with Malaysian, Indonesian and Brunei governments to end deforestion and to create incentives to make forests more valuable standing. The project will rehabilitate 50 ha of forest - the size of 50 football pitches - a vital habitat for Orangutans and other wonderful creatures of Borneo. As part of this initiative, WWF will also be working with forestry and plantation management companies to obtain sustainable certification for their practice."
I recently went shopping in M&S and was sidetracked by a delicious looking display of biscuits - and they were 2 for 1. Never finding it easy to turn down chocolate biscuits I turned to the ingredients. Sadly palm oil was in some of the biscuits, but it was clearly labelled. This meant that I had the choice of whether or not to consume palm oil - I obviously chose the biscuits without it. So, these snacks were doubly delicious - double chocolate and palm oil free. I was able to enjoy them knowing that no palm oil had been used. Though M&S are a user of palm oil, I give them credit for clearly admitting this and putting it clearly on their labels. Now if we could just get the other manufactuerers to do the same!
Monday 28 September 2009
Sunday 27 September 2009
Project 18 & Cate Bolt
In this world of so many problems - poverty, climate change, deforestation, famine, war - it seems like nothing can be done to make it a better place to live.
Occasionally, however, one person decides that they are going to do whatever it takes to do just that. Through the marvels of Twitter & the internet I've recently come across one of these incredible people - Cate Bolt.
If you've not heard about Cate and her mission, then visit her website at www.catherinebolt.com to learn more. In brief Cate is a mother of 9, who runs a small business as well as a writer and photographer. Added to all of this she's now dedicated her life to build an orphanage and wildlife refuge.
Over 50% of Indonesians live on less than 2US$ a day. Can you
do that? In fact, such low incomes force parents to put at least one of their children into an orphanage in the hope that someone will adopt them and be able to offer them a better life.
Cate's dream is to establish an orphanage on Sumatra. In the long term it will make up a village with 18 homes each with 3 bedrooms for 8 children and a house mother. She believes this is a more effective model than a large building with dormitories housing several children in one room - the kind we are more used to seeing on the news. It is hoped that the village will also contain a school, a community cetnre and a medical centre. It will be built using sustainable methods and involve solar power and rain water collection.
In addition to this huge ambition, there are also plans to include a conservation program, primarily to offer refuge for the orangutan who is suffering at the hands of palm oil. This will involve the children in the hopes that educating them and showing how important wildlife conversation is, they will take this with them into their future and help change the things that need to be done.
This is a huge dream; a major endeavour. They always say, if you want something done, give it to a busy person. I truly believe that if anyone's going to be able to fulfil this dream - it's Cate Bolt.
But, she can't do it alone. All dreams need a bit of help.
If you would like to help visit www.catherinebolt.com - donate to Project18 if you can. Every dollar really will help and make a difference to the children and orangutans of Indonesia. So, if you'd like to make a change to the world, but don't know how, then this is a simple option - help Project18 and spread the word.
Occasionally, however, one person decides that they are going to do whatever it takes to do just that. Through the marvels of Twitter & the internet I've recently come across one of these incredible people - Cate Bolt.If you've not heard about Cate and her mission, then visit her website at www.catherinebolt.com to learn more. In brief Cate is a mother of 9, who runs a small business as well as a writer and photographer. Added to all of this she's now dedicated her life to build an orphanage and wildlife refuge.
Over 50% of Indonesians live on less than 2US$ a day. Can you
do that? In fact, such low incomes force parents to put at least one of their children into an orphanage in the hope that someone will adopt them and be able to offer them a better life.Cate's dream is to establish an orphanage on Sumatra. In the long term it will make up a village with 18 homes each with 3 bedrooms for 8 children and a house mother. She believes this is a more effective model than a large building with dormitories housing several children in one room - the kind we are more used to seeing on the news. It is hoped that the village will also contain a school, a community cetnre and a medical centre. It will be built using sustainable methods and involve solar power and rain water collection.
In addition to this huge ambition, there are also plans to include a conservation program, primarily to offer refuge for the orangutan who is suffering at the hands of palm oil. This will involve the children in the hopes that educating them and showing how important wildlife conversation is, they will take this with them into their future and help change the things that need to be done.
This is a huge dream; a major endeavour. They always say, if you want something done, give it to a busy person. I truly believe that if anyone's going to be able to fulfil this dream - it's Cate Bolt.
But, she can't do it alone. All dreams need a bit of help.
If you would like to help visit www.catherinebolt.com - donate to Project18 if you can. Every dollar really will help and make a difference to the children and orangutans of Indonesia. So, if you'd like to make a change to the world, but don't know how, then this is a simple option - help Project18 and spread the word.
Tuesday 22 September 2009
United Biscuits
United Biscuits is a large company responsible for such yummy delights such as McVities, Jaffa Cakes, Jacob's & McCoy's. Unfortunately these snacks contain palm oil.
Here is what United Biscuits have to say on the matter:
"You raise concerns in your letter about Indonesia for the productioon of palm oil. We are aware of these in our sourcing of this ingnrediencct and can confrim that we are a user of palm oil. All sourcing policies for hte ingredients we use are discussed and agreed at senior levels within the company, and indeed we do operate an Ethical Sourcing policy in conjunction withour retail customers and their requirements of us as a business.
Organisations such as Friends of the Earth are key participants in the move towards Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) and have urged that companies do not boycott palm oil and move to other oils. They recognise that other replacement crops such as Soybean oil have an equal issue associated with deforestation. Moving out of palm oil would potentially only switch the issue elsewhere.
One of the key achievements of the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is that although they have not yet certified oil as sustainable, they have identifed valuable rainforest and ensured that any land converted from this rainforest to palm oil plantation after November 2005 will never achieve sustainability status. Moreover, such forest when they fall within land owned by palm oil plantations will, under the RSPO scheme, need to be actively protected, not just shut off and neglected. For instance, plantations will need to ensure that water supplies remain open and that animals are able to move along corridors between rainforests. This will cost the plantations time and money to achieve and they need support to do this.
Boycotting palm oil on an individual basis could very slightly reduce the world wide demand for palm oil, but would also remove the incentive to attain accredited status. It is also seen that once certification becomes a reality, it will help improve the sociological situation for many people and again, ongoing support to achieve the right outcome is important.
As a business, we have reduced the amount of palm oil we use in recent years. We continue to undertake development work which will help us to move this further. However, alternative oils are very different and present technical issues which we have not always been able to overcome. Supporting the aims of the RSPO will ensure that the best outcome is achived."
I'm glad they are able to see the big picture, and discuss the issues of protecting the rainforest and the people who rely on it, however yet again they fail to admit why they don't put palm oil in their list of ingredients. I am completely baffled why so few companies have the guts to do this.
Here is what United Biscuits have to say on the matter:
"You raise concerns in your letter about Indonesia for the productioon of palm oil. We are aware of these in our sourcing of this ingnrediencct and can confrim that we are a user of palm oil. All sourcing policies for hte ingredients we use are discussed and agreed at senior levels within the company, and indeed we do operate an Ethical Sourcing policy in conjunction withour retail customers and their requirements of us as a business.
Organisations such as Friends of the Earth are key participants in the move towards Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) and have urged that companies do not boycott palm oil and move to other oils. They recognise that other replacement crops such as Soybean oil have an equal issue associated with deforestation. Moving out of palm oil would potentially only switch the issue elsewhere.
One of the key achievements of the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is that although they have not yet certified oil as sustainable, they have identifed valuable rainforest and ensured that any land converted from this rainforest to palm oil plantation after November 2005 will never achieve sustainability status. Moreover, such forest when they fall within land owned by palm oil plantations will, under the RSPO scheme, need to be actively protected, not just shut off and neglected. For instance, plantations will need to ensure that water supplies remain open and that animals are able to move along corridors between rainforests. This will cost the plantations time and money to achieve and they need support to do this.
Boycotting palm oil on an individual basis could very slightly reduce the world wide demand for palm oil, but would also remove the incentive to attain accredited status. It is also seen that once certification becomes a reality, it will help improve the sociological situation for many people and again, ongoing support to achieve the right outcome is important.
As a business, we have reduced the amount of palm oil we use in recent years. We continue to undertake development work which will help us to move this further. However, alternative oils are very different and present technical issues which we have not always been able to overcome. Supporting the aims of the RSPO will ensure that the best outcome is achived."
I'm glad they are able to see the big picture, and discuss the issues of protecting the rainforest and the people who rely on it, however yet again they fail to admit why they don't put palm oil in their list of ingredients. I am completely baffled why so few companies have the guts to do this.
Friday 11 September 2009
Twitter and Procter&Gamble
Social media's a fabulous thing - it allows you to get in touch with all sorts of people, from all sorts of places, both to learn something new and also to share what you have in common. I'm a huge fan of Twitter - and since signing up I've made a great network of people who are passionate about the environment and in particular the plight of the orangutan and the devastation caused by palm oil.
Today I 'met' a new friend @RikaNauck who has kindly forwarded me a response she received from Proctor & Gamble regarding their thoughts on palm oil. Thank you Rika! Here it is:
"We can confirm that Procter & Gamble (P&G) supports a moratorium on the illegal conversion of High-Conservation-Value (HGV)-designated forests for the production of palm oil. This approach is consistent with the principles and criteria set forth by the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), which has been largely-embraced as an industry-accepted, responsible practice.
P&G remains fully-committed to the sustainable sourcing of palm oiil and its by-products. We have followed the work of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) since its inception, through FELDA, our joint venture partner in Malaysia.
We share our sustainability guidelines with our suppliers, which can be found on our website at http://pg.com/company/our_commitment/sustainability.jhtml We also encourage and reward sustainable and responsible behaviour on behalf of our suppliers. P&G buys its palm products from a variety of reputable sources with the majority of these products originating in Malaysia and Indonesia, the world's two largest palm oil producers with the majority of suppliers being members of the RSPO.
We agree that illegal deforestation and land usage remains a pivotal issue for all stakeholders associated with palm oil supply and utilization. Our partners and suppliers have strict policies in nplace ensuring they do not initiate nor contribute to illegal deforestation practices and/or behaviour, based on the laws in place in the specific country or region in which they operate. They are also strictly adhering to RSPO-specifed criteria in the selection, designation and protection of HCV forests in both existing and proposed plantation sites. In addition, our suppliers also have "zero burn" polices in place, forbidding the use of fire for site-clearing, andselection, use and allowable depth of peat-lands for use in the planting of palm plantations.
In summary, we share your conerns regarding illegal deforestation practices and continue to support and advocate the need for sustainable behaviour as it relates to the sourcing of palm oil and its by-products with all of our suppliers and partners moving forward."
Today I 'met' a new friend @RikaNauck who has kindly forwarded me a response she received from Proctor & Gamble regarding their thoughts on palm oil. Thank you Rika! Here it is:
"We can confirm that Procter & Gamble (P&G) supports a moratorium on the illegal conversion of High-Conservation-Value (HGV)-designated forests for the production of palm oil. This approach is consistent with the principles and criteria set forth by the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), which has been largely-embraced as an industry-accepted, responsible practice.
P&G remains fully-committed to the sustainable sourcing of palm oiil and its by-products. We have followed the work of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) since its inception, through FELDA, our joint venture partner in Malaysia.
We share our sustainability guidelines with our suppliers, which can be found on our website at http://pg.com/company/our_commitment/sustainability.jhtml We also encourage and reward sustainable and responsible behaviour on behalf of our suppliers. P&G buys its palm products from a variety of reputable sources with the majority of these products originating in Malaysia and Indonesia, the world's two largest palm oil producers with the majority of suppliers being members of the RSPO.
We agree that illegal deforestation and land usage remains a pivotal issue for all stakeholders associated with palm oil supply and utilization. Our partners and suppliers have strict policies in nplace ensuring they do not initiate nor contribute to illegal deforestation practices and/or behaviour, based on the laws in place in the specific country or region in which they operate. They are also strictly adhering to RSPO-specifed criteria in the selection, designation and protection of HCV forests in both existing and proposed plantation sites. In addition, our suppliers also have "zero burn" polices in place, forbidding the use of fire for site-clearing, andselection, use and allowable depth of peat-lands for use in the planting of palm plantations.
In summary, we share your conerns regarding illegal deforestation practices and continue to support and advocate the need for sustainable behaviour as it relates to the sourcing of palm oil and its by-products with all of our suppliers and partners moving forward."
Tuesday 8 September 2009
Green & Blacks
Another response from a company on their use of palm oil. This time it's Green & Black's.
"Thank you for contacting Green & Black’s concerning the sourcing of palm oil we use in our products. It is always helpful for us to know the concerns of our customers so thank you sincerely for taking the time to contact us.
"Thank you for contacting Green & Black’s concerning the sourcing of palm oil we use in our products. It is always helpful for us to know the concerns of our customers so thank you sincerely for taking the time to contact us.
Most of the fat used in our chocolate is cocoa butter derived from the cocoa bean. However, we do have a small number of products which have components containing palm oil.
• Butterscotch chocolate range: palm oil is found within the butterscotch pieces so this affects the Butterscotch bar and Butterscotch Easter egg range
• Hazelnut Spread
• After Dinner Mint Chocolate Leaves
• The Assortment
• Soft- filled milk chocolate eggs
• Nut & Seed and Fruit & Nut cereal bars
• Hazelnut Spread
• After Dinner Mint Chocolate Leaves
• The Assortment
• Soft- filled milk chocolate eggs
• Nut & Seed and Fruit & Nut cereal bars
I can confirm that where we do use palm oil, this oil comes from a supplier who is a member of the recently established Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). The RSPO set the gold standard for the sourcing of palm oil. This body was established to address the issue of sustainable production of palm oil. You can find out more about their work through their website: www.sustainable-palmoil.org.
Thank you once again for your interest in our brand and I hope that with these reassurances you will continue to enjoy our products in future."
This is a very similar response to the one reported on @kusasi blog at http://nopalmoil.wordpress.com/ . Hopefully, the fact that they have a 'standard' answer ready to go to enquiries of this nature, mean that they are getting enquiries. With any luck customer pressure will encourage them to reduce this list of products containing palm oil further, perhaps getting rid of it all together. Let's keep it up people. Change can happen.
Saturday 5 September 2009
Waitrose
Another response to my letter campaign - this time from Waitrose:
"I am sorry that you are concerned about our products and apologise for the inconvenience you have been caused.
Palm oil, a versatile raw material, is an ingredient included in many products including soap, chocolate, biscuits, ready meals, ice creams, cereal, margarine, paints, make up, shampoo, shower gels, washing powder and fabric softeners. As such it plays a valuable role in the economic development of many countries but as demand for plantations increases, so does the threat to the habitats and biodiversity of tropical forests in Asia, Africa and South America.
As a responsible retailer Waitrose constantly aims to minimise the impact of its operations on the environment and we are keen to see the wide-scale implementatioons of a robust and auditable traceability system for palm oil.
"I am sorry that you are concerned about our products and apologise for the inconvenience you have been caused.
Palm oil, a versatile raw material, is an ingredient included in many products including soap, chocolate, biscuits, ready meals, ice creams, cereal, margarine, paints, make up, shampoo, shower gels, washing powder and fabric softeners. As such it plays a valuable role in the economic development of many countries but as demand for plantations increases, so does the threat to the habitats and biodiversity of tropical forests in Asia, Africa and South America.
As a responsible retailer Waitrose constantly aims to minimise the impact of its operations on the environment and we are keen to see the wide-scale implementatioons of a robust and auditable traceability system for palm oil.
Waitrsoe joined the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), a global forum that encourages sustainable palm oil production and sue, in January 2006. We firmly believe that its work is essential to ensure that production and use of palm oil is carried out in a sustainable manner based on economic, social and environmental viability. Waitrose is committed to the organisation's objectives and we will actively contribute to the growth of sustainable palm oil through its practices and the implementation of relevant projects.
Waitrose does not sell any own brand palm oil. We do sell own brand productws containn palm oil as an ingredient and it is our strict policy to individually name 'palm oil' in our ingredients lists, not to use the term 'blended vegetable oils'. This means that our customers can easily identify which of our own label products contain palm oil. For branded products, the labelling of ingredients is the responsibility of the brand manufacturers. However, we are committed to sharing best practice and we encourage branded suppliers to apply the same principles and polcies as Waitrose. A number of brand manufacturers are also members of the RSPO.
In light of our concerns about the sustainability of palm oil we have developed a firm Sustainable Palm Oil Policy and sourcing guidelines in partnership with the oil producers who supply us. After an extensive consultation period, the RSPO have recently finalised a credible definition of sustainable palm oil production and a set of under pinning criteria. Working with other members of the RSPO Waitrose is helping to devise systems to trace palm oil back to the plantation so that once palm oil is certified as sustaineble (using the RSPO criteria) our suppliers can purchase it.
We will continue with our existing activities - implenting our Sustainable Palm Oil Policy and engaging suppliers in this issue through our Producer Group - until such a time certified sustainable palm oil becomes available and a viable option for retailers and their suppliers."
It might be my previous experiences with Waitrose that are clouding my judgement, but I am more reassured that Waitrose are actively trying to work towards getting sustainable palm oil and taking the matter seriously, than others I have heard from, like Tesco. They are the only company so far to actually label palm oil in their products which, at the very least, gives the consumer the choice of whether to make the purchase or not. If all companies followed suit then the 'power of the people' could really make a point by not buying any products containing palm oil which would mean it would soon prove not to be as profitable as it is now.
Friday 4 September 2009
Mars
So, one of the other manufacturers that's responded is Mars. Looking at what it produces it covers a lot more than I thought. Here is what their customer service team had to say on the issue of palm oil:
Mars deals only with those suppliers who have respect for the environment and is committed to working with all stakeholders to make progress towards more sustainable production.
"We support the environment and the sustainable production of palm oil. Currently we ONLY use palm oil suppliers that are members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). We are going further and our aim is to move to 100% RSPO certified palm oil, originanting from sustainable sources by 2015.
It was a nice, quick reply - but didn't answer my questions. I would have thought a company that was responsible for making something we eat, would know what ingredients were going in to the product. It amazes me how so far no one has specified which products have palm oil in and which do not. None of them admit why they don't label it - is it because they actually don't care what type of 'vegetable oil' goes into the food as long as it's the cheapest the supplier can get hold of. That doesn't sound very responsible to me. The other, quite worrying, point in Mars' response is that they 'ONLY use palm oil suppliers that are members of the RSPO" - yet still have the aim of using 100% certified palm oil by 2015, which means that members of the RSPO are producing non-sustainable palm oil. The RSPO sounds like a very good idea in theory, but the more I hear, the more I wonder what effect it is actually having in the real world, or whether it is just being used by big companies as a PR tool to 'show' people they're doing something.
Finally, what concerns me most is that Mars and many others aim (which doesn't even amount to a promise) to be using 100% certified sustainable palm oil by 2015. That's another 6 years away. Experts are predicting the orangutan will be exinct in the wild in 10 years. 2015 might be too late.
Kelloggs
Whilst I'm waiting for the rest of the large supermarket / shops to respond in my letter campaign (only half have responded so far) I decided it was time to hit the manufacturers. So I've sent off my letters and emails this week. It's surprising how many 'brands' are under the one company.
One of the companies I targeted was Kelloggs. I was first alerted to the fact they were using palm oil in their products through @kusasi on Twitter who had noticed the confusing labelling on Special K. The Independent's black listed (viewable at Kusasi's great blog) labelled it as containing palm oil, but on examination, none of the ingredients mentioned anything remotely vegetable oily. So he contacted Kelloggs. Then, along with some other 'Twits' (including @DAYLEE) I contacted Kelloggs. Together we can make them sit up and take notice. I was told "We use minimal amounts of palm oil in 50 of our products - most of which are snacks" and @kusasi & @DAYLEE were both told "Yes we do use a limited amount of Palm Oil in our products. In 2009, Kellogg will offset 4 percent of its worldwide palm oil use."
If anyone can tell us what 'offset 4 percent of its worldwide palm oil use" - we would really like to know. Surely if it's not sustainable, it's not sustainable and to be honest 4% is an extremely low number and not something to be proud of.
So, to be honest, I'm not really any the wiser to what Kelloggs products are orangutan & forest friendly, so I think the best thing to do is to avoid them as much as possible until they get their act together!
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