Demand for certified sustainable palm oil surges 70%

We are extremely excited about the increase in demand for CSPO, please enjoy the article below.

By LIZ LEE 

lizlee@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) saw a 70% surge in demand last month, setting off a round of cheering in the Rountable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).

It was a significant improvement from 48% a year ago. In the last two years, the demand for CSPO had increased from 25.3% in 2009 to 46.2% last year.

The positive market uptake was certainly welcomed as RSPO was recently on shaky grounds after Indonesia withdrew its membership.

Kees Vis: ‘The current number sparks hopes that a breakthrough is near.’

RSPO president Jan Kees Vis said in a statement that “the current number sparks hopes that a breakthrough is near.”

“Historically, there has always been a delay in market take-up versus production increase, as buyers of large companies have to commit as long as a year in advance to buy raw materials,” he said.

“They will only sign on to what they are sure they can actually purchase from the market in the future,” he added.

Secretary-general Darrel Webber also noted that “a significant number of retailers, consumer goods manufacturers, processors and traders have committed to 100% CSPO by 2015.”

In its efforts to further increase CSPO demand, RSPO has launched an awareness campaign. RSPO will also launch the WWF Palm Oil Buyers Scorecard 2011 next month to measure the commitment and performance of over 130 major retailers and manufacturers.

Belinda Howell from the Retailers Palm Oil Group said that “growers who have made significant investments and efforts to achieve RSPO certification have been frustrated by the lack of appetite in the market (so) it is particularly good news to see that now more than two thirds have been taken up”.

RSPO was formed in 2004 to promote the growth and use of sustainable palm oil products through global standards and engagement of stakeholders.

The association covers stakeholders from seven categories of the palm oil industry, namely oil palm producers, palm oil processors or traders, consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, banks and investors, environmental non-governmental organisations (NGO) and social or developmental NGOs.

Justin's Nut Butter

Over the last year, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has been working closely Justin's, a company based in Boulder CO, on becoming RSPO members. Justin's is a company that makes organic nut butter products. Justin's was already sourcing their palm oil from an RSPO certified plantation in South America, but they went a step further and joined the RSPO themselves. Not only did they join the RSPO, they chose to start using our "Orangutan Friendly Palm Oil" logo on their products.

Some of the products with the new labeling have finally hit the shelves! The peanut butter cups now have the logo on the back of the packaging, as well as some jars of the nut butters.

To find a store that carries Justin's products near you, go to the link below.
http://www.justinsnutbutter.com/shop.php

Justin’s Nut Butter, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Raising Sustainable Palm Oil Awareness

BOULDER, Colo.—Justin's Nut Butter and the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (CMZ) are working together to raise awareness regarding the timely issue of producing and using sustainable palm oil. Both members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), Justin’s is including the new CMZ logo for Orangutan Friendly Palm Oil on its squeeze packs hitting shelves July 2011. The new logo will make it easier for consumers to identify products manufactured with sustainable palm oil.

“It’s my belief sustainable, certified palm oil is the most responsible way to use this common ingredient, and Justin’s Nut Butter has been proactive to address this important issue. Having the logo on the packaging also helps create awareness around the issues associated with unsustainably harvested palm oil," said Catherine Greener, principal and co-founder of Cleargreen Advisors.

Demand for palm oil has steadily increased as the health concerns swirling around trans fats continue to have consumers looking for alternatives. However, the practices frequently employed while producing palm oil crops—especially clear-cutting—have had devastating effects to the ecosystem and wildlife living in those areas.

“We don’t believe boycotting palm oil—the harvesting and production of which is the livelihood of so many—is the solution; but rather it’s being conscientious about where and how we source the ingredient. For us the choice was easy: Justin’s has always used sustainable organic palm oil supplied by CIRANDA and sourced from Brazil," explained Justin Gold, CEO and founder of Justin’s.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo's mission is to make a difference for wild orangutans by raising awareness about the palm oil crisis, and encouraging people to take action by providing tools and information allowing them to make globally responsible consumer choices. “By being the first company to use our logo, Justin's is helping us achieve our goal of moving the palm oil industry toward sustainability," said CMZ animal care manager, Dina Bredahl.

For a product to carry the CMZ’s Orangutan Friendly Palm Oil logo, a company must:
- Be a member of RSPO.
- Purchase palm oil and derivatives solely from producers and suppliers who are members of the
RSPO.
- Keep consumers informed via frequent company website updates, announcing what percentage of
certified sustainable palm oil is in their products.

Cargill to supply RSPO certified sustainable palm oil by 2015

July 17, 2011

Cargill has announced that the palm oil products it supplies to its customers in Europe, United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand will be certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and/or originated from smallholder growers by 2015 (this excludes palm kernel oil products).
This commitment will be extended across all Cargill’s oil and trading businesses to cover 100 percent of its palm oil products and all customers worldwide – including China and India – by 2020.

“Cargill is an active supporter of sustainable palm and has been a member of the RSPO since it was founded. We hope this commitment will encourage more participation across the supply chain and help RSPO palm oil become the mainstream”, said Paul Conway, vice chairman of Cargill. “This goal will help us meet the rising demand for sustainable palm oil products amongst manufacturers and retailers, while continuing to encourage palm oil producers to adopt more sustainable practices.”

Cargill already offers RSPO certified palm oil products to its customers. Its European, Malaysian, United States and Australian refineries have received RSPO certification. Its oil palm plantation at PT Hindoli in Sumatra, Indonesia has also been certified and smallholder farmers at this location became the first to be certified under the RSPO’s Smallholder Principles & Criteria in late 2010. The company also has its own policies in place for responsible palm production on its own plantations including commitments to not plant on high conservation value forests (HCVF); to not develop new plantations on deep peat land or land that would threaten biodiversity; and a strict no-burn policy for land preparation.
The RSPO Principles & Criteria define the practices for sustainable palm oil production covering the legal, economic, environmental and social requirements of producing sustainable palm oil. At the end of 2010, 70 percent of Cargill’s total crude palm oil was purchased from RSPO members and Cargill is encouraging its external suppliers to join RSPO and attain certification for all of their palm plantations.

Cargill is continuing to collaborate with the World Wildlife Fund-U.S. (WWF) to gauge the progress its palm oil suppliers in Indonesia are making in implementing the RSPO Principles & Criteria. The process, which began last year, is working with individual suppliers on key areas such as land permitting, and environmental and social practices.
In partnership with Fauna and Flora International (FFI), Cargill is also working in Malaysia and Indonesia to help smallholders understand the RSPO criteria. FFI is also leading an environmental sustainability assessment of the company’s Malaysia smallholder supply chain. Additionally it is working with the RSPO and Control Union Certification – an RSPO approved certification body – to provide training to crude palm oil suppliers in Malaysia.

For more information click here.

Source: Press release

More Big Companies Join RSPO

A couple of recent additions to the growing list of RSPO members are Mars and Walmart. Since these are such large companies, the impact they can make by supporting sustainable palm oil is huge.

With Mars joining, our Halloween candy shopping guide will be much more extensive this year. Mars is best known for making candy like M&Ms and Snickers, but Mars makes many other products like Uncle Ben's rice, Pedigree dog food, and Whiskas cat food.

Since Walmart is a grocery store that carries many brands, they're still going to stock products from non-RSPO companies. What their RSPO membership means is that Walmart is abiding by RSPO rules and regulations regarding the palm oil they use in their own brands such as Great Value and Equate. They have also stated that they will encourage other private brands they carry to join the RSPO.

McDonald's is another company that has recently applied for RSPO membership. Their application is being reviewed, so look for posts in the near future about their membership approval.

Biofuels can be dirtier than fossil fuels

By IBTimes Staff Reporter | May 16, 2011 8:17 PM EDT

Biofuels may pollute the environment much more heavily if the process used to make them isn't done in the right way, researchers say. Conventional fossil fuels may sometimes be much "greener" than their biofuel counterparts, according to a new study.

University Research funded by a pair of U.S. federal government agencies found that taking into account a biofuel's origin is important.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers say, for example that conventional fossil fuels may sometimes be the "greener" choice compared with fuel made from palm oil grown in a clear-cut rainforest.

"What we found was that technologies that look very promising could also result in high emissions, if done improperly," said James Hileman, an engineer at MIT who published results of a study with graduate students Russell Stratton and Hsin Ming Wong.

"You can't simply say a biofuel is good or bad - it depends on how it's produced and processed, and that's part of the debate that hasn't been brought forward."
The study was funded by theFederal Aviation Administrationand Air Force Research Labs.

The study includes a life-cycle analysis of 14 fuel sources, which include conventional petroleum-based jet fuel and biofuels which can include biofuels that can replace conventional fuels with little or no change to existing infrastructure or vehicles, according to the report.

Factors used to calculate emissions include acquiring the biomass, transporting it, converting it to fuel and combustion.

"All those processes require energy," Hileman says, "and that ends up in the release of carbon dioxide."

Biofuels derived from palm oil emitted 55 times more carbon dioxide if the palm oil came from a plantation located in a converted rainforest rather than a previously cleared area, according to the report.

Biofuels could ultimately emit 10 times more carbon dioxide than conventional fuel, the report found.

"Severe cases of land-use change could make coal-to-liquid fuels look green," Hileman said. He added that by conventional standards, "coal-to-liquid is not a green option."

The research may have applications for industry as companies consider using biofuels, Hileman says.

One solution could be to explore crops such as algae and Salicornia that don't require deforestation or fertile soil to grown, according to Hileman. Neither requires fresh water.

New Information on Palm Oil and Asian Elephants

We are pleased to announce the posting of some great new materials regarding the palm oil crisis and its affect on elephants. Based on the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Palm Oil Awareness campaign, these resources have been customized to include information on Asian elephants. These materials have now been posted on the Elephant TAG website and include a palm oil fact sheet, shopping guide, candy guide, and sample letters to companies and government officials. There is still more to come!

Click here to access these materials.

Please share this information and encourage others to make a difference for Asian elephants worldwide!