Two top food groups recently entered the growing ranks of Chester Zoo’s initiative to battle deforestation activities in palm oil supply chains.
Respected food oil supplier KTC and The Compleat Food Group, a leading manufacturer, will now serve as “Sustainable Palm Oil Ambassadors” for the programme to protect forests across the globe.
The UK food majors have both pledged to only employ palm oil in produce they make and supply that is of sustainable and deforestation-free origins. They have also committed to promoting usage of sustainable palm oil, with the aim of defending vulnerable habitats.
Project Officer for Deforestation-free Campaigns, Eleanor Evans, commented that Chester Zoo was delighted that KTC and The Compleat Food Group had given their support. She stated that it was crucial for deforestation-free palm oil to become standard, adding that only with championing the cause, responsibly sourcing and greater transparency could this become a reality.
An indefatigable conservationist, the zoo started its ongoing efforts on making Sustainable Palm Oil the norm in 2012. Since then, it has worked alongside selected partners in Borneo where oil palm dominates the environment. A common ingredient in a multitude of supermarket produce, palm oil has a poor reputation because many producers use unsustainable farming methods that cause widescale destruction in the rainforests of Borneo, Sumatra and other areas.
Despite this situation, palm oil can be an efficient and versatile product when farmed using forest-friendly methods. The role of Chester Zoo’s ambassadors is to incentivise planters, harvesters and those who purchase palm oil to alter their approach and attitude to protect the forests and the animals that call them home.