Efeca is delighted to have supported Chester, who have just been officially confirmed the world’s first Sustainable Palm Oil City. The initiative was led by Chester Zoo and was featured on the BBC programme Inside Out North West in March 2019. The BBC programme explored the issues surrounding sustainable palm oil and what action the businesses of Chester were taking. Palm oil expert and Efeca Associate Judith Murdoch was interviewed for the programme, exploring what consumers could do to increase sustainable palm oil.
The production of unsustainable palm oil has been linked to many negative environmental and social impacts, including deforestation. While some have called for a ban on palm oil, others (such as Chester Zoo) argue that this would transfer the deforestation risk to another, less efficient vegetable oil and ‘move’ the problem rather than solve it. Instead, they advocate for sustainable palm oil, which is grown in a way that protects against deforestation by using land that has already been degraded.
It is for this reason that Chester Zoo has been a significant driver behind the Sustainable Palm Oil City campaign, producing information resources and encouraging local businesses such as restaurants and hotels to take part.
You can watch the full programme on BBC iPlayer here.
If you would like more information on palm oil, or the UK Roundtable on Sourcing Sustainable Palm Oil, that Efeca facilitates, please contact us on info@efeca.com.