RT9 (RSPO) Conference has come to an end and we feel we have
gained a wealth of knowledge. It was
amazing and inspiring that nearly 1000 people from 50 countries came together
to discuss how best to continue to move certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) forward,
but it was also very clear that there is still a lot of work to be done. We heard varying opinions on the best ways to
ensure a better future for not only the palm oil industry, but also the
environment as a whole. There were many discussions surrounding environmental
issues like deforestation, greenhouse gases and HCV (high conservation value) areas. There are solutions but will take all
stakeholders setting aside their differences and working together to make the
changes that are best for everyone involved.
Another interesting thing we found was that the US was very under-represented at
the conference although we are one of the top consumers of palm oil in the
world. This makes us realize is that the
problems of palm oil are still not widely known or understood in the US , and consumers
have yet to inform their favorite companies that they will only accept CSPO in
the products they purchase. Help us
spread the word to giants like General Mills, Pepperidge Farms, and Pillsbury
that joining the RSPO and using 100% CSPO is the right thing to do not only for
the survival of endangered species such as orangutans, rhinos, and tigers but also
for the health of the planet.
When we applied to join RSPO we had a choice to join as
affiliate members or ordinary members.
We chose to pay a higher membership fee in part because we felt it was
crucial to be able to vote in the RSPO General Assembly. So it was extremely gratifying to be able to
vote in the 8th General Assembly on numerous important resolutions.
On Thursday night we did not exactly eat a typical
Thanksgiving dinner…we ate at a seafood restaurant! We had a great conversation with Isabelle
Lackman of Hutan, an orangutan conservation organization here in Malaysia . This morning we spent some time with Adam
Harrison of WWF, who is on the RSPO executive board and is a great resource
regarding palm oil sustainability issues.
We are flying to Sumatra
today to begin the next exciting part of our journey!
Find out more about palm oil and orangutans on our palm oil crisis page and check back soon - we’ll send updates when we can!
Find out more about palm oil and orangutans on our palm oil crisis page and check back soon - we’ll send updates when we can!
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