Chester Zoo, MPs, leaders from the UK food industry, NGOs and key players in the sustainable palm oil industry will gather in Westminster on June 13th to launch a campaign to inspire wider use of sustainable palm oil and tackle the deforestation from unsustainable palm oil production.
As event partner, Efeca is supporting Chester Zoo – the event organisers – and City of Chester MP Chris Matheson in their pioneering campaign to make Chester the UK’s first Sustainable Palm Oil City. Backed by global partners from the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, WWF, UK zoo association, Orangutan Land Trust and the Sumatran Orangutan Society, this high-level reception aims to bring deforestation free, sustainable palm oil onto the political agenda and increasing awareness of the UK as a global leader providing this market.
Public awareness of deforestation and the subsequent impacts on biodiversity including key species such as orangutans has grown, leading to some calls to move away from palm oil and use other vegetable oils. However, when grown sustainably, palm oil is the most productive crop with Cat Barton, Field Programmes Manager at Chester Zoo stating, “To boycott palm oil and increase the demand for other, less efficient oils could have a negative impact on wildlife in other areas of the world… Palm oil has the potential to be very environmentally friendly if it is grown sustainably.”
The UK market has a target of importing 100% certified sustainable palm oil by 2020. Currently total palm oil imports to the UK stand at 78% RSPO certified, so Efeca is focussing on helping the sectors that need support to reach that target, including the food service sector.
Emily Fripp, Efeca Director said “As the facilitator for the UK Roundtable on Sourcing Sustainable Palm Oil and writer of the annual industry progress report since 2012, Efeca is delighted to be supporting this event, encouraging key players across the food service sector and informing MPs to be part of the solution.”
For more information on the event, please contact us at info@efeca.com.
Efeca has written several reports about palm oil including the UK Annual Progress Reports 2012 – 2015 and the UK Industry Progress Report 2016, a food service briefing note, and a series of webinars. The webinars cover the consequences of the purchasing strategies for oil and fats with a focus on palm oil: to buy or not to buy.
Webinar 1 sets the scene of the Oils and Fats markets
Webinar 2 looks in more detail at palm oil and alternatives, and asks whether it is that easy to move away from palm oil; what the alternatives are; and is supporting sustainable palm oil crucial to the world.
Webinar 3 takes an in-depth look at the importance of palm oil in personal and home care products.
For information about these webinars, or to talk to us about palm oil, please contact us at info@efeca.com.