Morrisons makes palm oil pledge

UK supermarket Morrisons has announced that it is to take part in international efforts to combat the issues surrounding palm oil procurement, following a widespread campaign. The development means that each of the UK’s major supermarkets have now pledged to take action on palm oil, through the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil.

The voracity of palm oil harvesting in South East Asia is leading to massive deforestation, with knock-on effects for local communities and sensitive wildlife including the orang-utan. Palm oil is an ingredient found in around 10% of products on supermarket shelves, and experts have claimed that current usage – with the current procurement process – could lead to extinction of the orang-utan within 12 years.

"It is great news that Morrisons has finally recognised that it can play a role in cleaning up the trade in palm oil,” commented Friends of the Earth's Corporate Accountability Campaigner Ed Matthew. “Palm oil production in South East Asia not only threatens the survival of the orang-utan, it is also affecting millions of people who depend on the rainforest for their way of life. By joining the Roundtable, Morrisons is supporting the only process committed to developing sustainably produced palm oil for the international market. The true test of Morrisons commitment will be how fast this can be achieved."

"It has taken two years of campaigning to get UK supermarkets to agree to look at sustainable sourcing for palm oil. A supermarket has over 10,000 product lines. It would take several hundred years for us to campaign on every destructive product. If the Government faced up to its legislative responsibilities, it could ensure that supplies chains did not damage our environment,” added Mr. Matthew.