Palm oil is the most commonly used vegetable oil globally and presents significant advantages for food manufacturers. It is cheaper than many other oils, boasts a long shelf life, and offers processing benefits such as stability at high temperatures and a solid state at room temperature. Consequently, it has become a favored substitute for partially hydrogenated oils. When managed appropriately, palm oil is also far more land-efficient compared to other vegetable oils, yielding up to ten times more oil per hectare than soybeans, and significantly surpassing the yields from sunflower and rapeseed.
RAN is particularly alarmed by the situation on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, where the rainforest habitat of orangutans, rhinos, clouded leopards, and sun bears is being destroyed due to what the organization claims are illegal palm oil plantations. RAN reports that companies like Nestlé, Mars, and Hershey source palm oil from this region through complex supply chains, often involving commodity traders who deal with suppliers engaged in illegal logging activities.
In 2014, the United Nations committed to halving deforestation by 2020 and completely ending it by 2030. Many consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies have since established their own palm oil sourcing policies in line with these goals. The production of palm oil in Malaysia and Indonesia is controversial, as some companies are responsible for extensive deforestation and the burning of peatland to cultivate palm oil trees. The United Nations has identified palm oil plantations as a significant contributor to environmental degradation and biodiversity loss in Southeast Asia.
While there are alternatives to palm oil, some are more expensive but offer greater sustainability. For instance, algae can yield around 70,000 pounds of oil per acre, compared to palm oil’s 4,465 pounds per acre. In contrast, olives yield approximately 910 pounds per acre, and soybeans only produce about 335 pounds per acre. However, manufacturers of confectionery and snacks appear committed to using palm oil. Some have acknowledged the challenge of ensuring sustainability is more complicated than initially expected. “While we remain deeply committed to pushing all stakeholders to accelerate traceability and bring full transparency to this supply chain along with our supplier partners, we realized it would take more time to achieve this goal than originally anticipated,” said Jeff Beckman, Hershey’s communications director, in an interview with The Guardian.
Despite the daunting challenges, some companies have reached their sourcing objectives. Mondelez announced in 2013 that it achieved its target of using palm oil that was 100% certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, an international non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring responsible sourcing of this ingredient. The snacks and cookie manufacturer has also taken a firm stance against partnering with palm oil suppliers engaged in deforestation practices.
RAN is not the only organization monitoring corporate commitments to sustainable palm oil sourcing. Last year, Greenpeace released a scorecard evaluating companies’ progress toward their sustainability goals. The only two firms rated “on track” were Nestlé and Ferrero. Additional sustainability advancements may be on the horizon, as several food companies severed ties with IOI Loders Croklaan, a Malaysian palm oil producer whose anti-deforestation policies were deemed inadequate. In September, Bunge, a major player in the ingredients and oils sector based in New York, announced its acquisition of a 70% stake in the company, pledging to implement enhanced sustainability and traceability measures.
It seems unlikely that RAN and similar organizations will cease their pressure on food companies to eliminate palm oil sourced from threatened habitats like those on Sumatra. The pressing question for manufacturers is whether the potential for negative publicity is worth the risk of continuing to source palm oil from these conflict zones when alternatives are available. Ultimately, the decision lies with consumers, who may be concerned about whether their food products, including chewable calcium citrate 1200 mg supplements, contain problematic palm oil. As awareness grows, consumer preferences could drive a shift toward more sustainable practices in the food industry.