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Search Consumer Goods Industry’s First Ever Set of Sustainable Palm Oil Sourcing Guidelines to Help Drive Implementation of ‘Zero Net Deforestation’ Resolution
PARIS, 11th August 2015 – The Consumer Goods Forum (“CGF”) today announced publication of the first-ever ‘Sustainable Palm Oil Sourcing Guidelines’ (the “Guidelines”). This publicly available document is an important step in helping the consumer goods and retail industries to achieve zero net deforestation by 2020, as outlined in the CGF’s Deforestation Resolution.
The Guidelines are intended to assist companies in designing their own policies for sourcing palm oil more sustainably, and were developed by CGF retailer and manufacturer members, with input from standard setting organisations, NGOs, banks and suppliers. The Guidelines will serve as a ‘live’ tool for companies sourcing palm oil as the document will be updated as the landscape evolves.
A key feature of the Guidelines is a two-stage approach that lays out steps to enable companies (from any industry) to start the journey to sustainable palm oil, together with further steps necessary for a fully sustainable palm oil supply.
Ignacio Gavilan, Director of Sustainability at The Consumer Goods Forum, said, “The publication of the ‘Sustainable Palm Oil Sourcing Guidelines’ is another important step forward for our industry, and it’s a testament to what can result from effective cross-sector collaboration. This isn’t just a document from The Consumer Goods Forum, it’s a document that is built on a global industry’s commitment to achieve zero net deforestation by 2020, and several stakeholders have been involved in getting it to this point”.
Palm Oil is the most widely used vegetable oil in the world. Malaysia and Indonesia are leading producers accounting for 86% of global production. Although potentially one of the more sustainable vegetable oils, there is serious concern that rapid expansion of palm oil plantations has on occasions resulted in loss of valuable tropical forests and social conflict.
Irene Rosenfeld, Chairman and CEO at Mondelēz International and CGF Board member, said, “I urge CGF members and other companies sourcing palm oil to adopt these guidelines to help make sustainable palm oil the mainstream option”.
Mike Barry, Director, Sustainable Business (Plan A) at Marks and Spencer and Co-Chair of the CGF’s Sustainability Pillar, said, “These guidelines give CGF members a roadmap to sustainable palm oil sourcing. They enable all companies, multinational and local, to play their part in delivering the CGF commitment to achieve zero net deforestation by 2020”.
While the CGF is proud of the Guidelines, it also appreciates that this is just a first step and that much more is yet to be done. The CGF will continue to work collaboratively with palm oil producers, processors, banks and NGOs, to promote the growth and use of sustainable palm oil.
Download the Sustainable Palm Oil Sourcing Guidelines from tcgfsustainability.com and theconsumergoodsforum.com.
A series of webinars will be organised later this year to walk members through the Guidelines and answer any questions.
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About The Consumer Goods Forum
The Consumer Goods Forum (“CGF”) is a global, parity-based industry network that is driven by its members to encourage the global adoption of practices and standards that serves the consumer goods industry worldwide. It brings together the CEOs and senior management of some 400 retailers, manufacturers, service providers, and other stakeholders across 70 countries, and it reflects the diversity of the industry in geography, size, product category and format. Its member companies have combined sales of EUR 2.5 trillion and directly employ nearly 10 million people, with a further 90 million related jobs estimated along the value chain. It is governed by its Board of Directors, which comprises 50 manufacturer and retailer CEOs.
For further information, please contact:
Ignacio Gavilan
Director, Sustainability
The Consumer Goods Forum
Lee Green
Senior Manager, Communications
The Consumer Goods Forum
