Palm oil

Palm oil is an important and versatile raw material for both the food and non-food industries, accounting for more than 28m tonnes of the world's annual 95m tonnes of vegetable oil. However - as oil palm can only be cultivated in the tropical areas of Asia, Africa and South America - there are concerns that the soaring global demand is causing the expansion of some plantations into eco-sensitive areas.

In March 2006, Waitrose became a Member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) - a global, multi-stakeholder forum set up to encourage the sustainable production and use of palm oil. As a member in the RSPO's Retailer category, Waitrose commits to the organisation's objectives and 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-label palm oil and - because of its strict technical specifications and the importance it places on traceability - is aware of the small but growing number of own-brand products in which palm oil is used as an ingredient. Also, because of its concern about sustainability, a policy to govern its sourcing has been developed and guidelines for implementation in partnership with the oil producers who supply it are being developed. Waitrose are keen to see the industry develop robust and auditable traceability systems for commodity oils such as palm oil.

able to source sustainable palm oil in the future. Many media reports focus on how land conversion in areas like Indonesia is endangering species such as the orangutan. This is occurring because of the huge increase in the demand for palm oil, whether as a biofuel, or as a replacement for Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils (HVO) used in foodstuffs. Waitrose has already taken significant steps to remove HVOs but we are conscious that if palm oil is to be used as a replacement, it must originate from sustainably certified plantations.

The Roundtable has brought about significant developments, for example, the agreement of international standards for sustainable palm oil production,. It is expected that a small number of plantations will produce the first batch of certified sustainable palm oil later this year. However, as an international traded commodity the industry needs to ensure appropriate systems are established to show the availability and traceability of certified palm oil before food producers and retailers can purchase it in any quantity.

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Our policy

Waitrose is committed to offering quality food and drink. As a responsible retailer we aim to source ingredients with the least possible impact on the environment. We recognise that with rising demand, it is essential that palm oil is sourced from sustainable plantations to ensure that we do not contribute to the destruction of high value conservation forests which is threatening the biodiversity and the livelihoods of the local communities that are dependent on it.

To achieve our objective of only sourcing palm oil from sustainable sources, Waitrose are committed to the following:

• To clearly label our food. Waitrose already has in place a technical policy to name oils, rather than use the term 'blended vegetable oils'. As a result we can confirm that palm oil is used as an ingredient in only a small number of our own branded products, which are identifiable to our customers.
• To support the work of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. As members Waitrose are committed to actively participate and promote its principles and goals and to work with our suppliers and the Roundtable to help develop robust and auditable traceability systems for the international supply of commodity oils such as palm.
• To communicate our policy with our suppliers and encourage them to adhere.

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Waitrose makes palm oil commitment

Waitrose announced in December 2009 that it will use only Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) in its own label products by the end of 2012

We have committed to achieving a quarter of the conversion within the next year. And will be using Greenpalm, a certified trading programme which is endorsed by RSPO, as an interim measure for 100 per cent of our remaining products, while we works through the range between now and the end of 2012.

Currently, very low levels (0.001 per cent - 4 per cent) of palm oil are in around 1,000 Waitrose branded products (which represents just 10 per cent of our total own-label range). Waitrose already works to minimise or eliminate palm oil but the ingredient continues to be important to the texture of cakes, patisserie, biscuits and sweet and savoury pastry products.

Our recent scorecard showed that few companies had followed up their commitments with action but it is good to see a well known company like Waitrose putting its words into practice by ensuring that they will start using CSPO from next year. We hope that this will encourage many other household names to take responsibility for their actions.'

Waitrose will be focusing first on two of our largest palm-oil containing categories - soaps and biscuits. These two categories alone account for 25 per cent of the palm oil the that we use.

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For more information

For more information about responsible sourcing of palm oil, visit the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil at http://www.rspo.org (this link opens in a new window).

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