Demand Surges For Sustainable Palm Oil

According to a recent report by the RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) Certified Sustainable Palm Oil is now in higher demand than ever before. A surge in the market uptake of Sustainable Palm Oil in September saw a record 70% market demand for the product, which is an increase of 48% from September last year.

The RSPO has been working since 2004 to promote the growth and use of sustainable palm oil products throughout every stage of the palm oil chain. It is a non-profit organisation that has united all sectors of the palm oil industry including producers, processors and traders, manufacturers, retailers, investors and environmental conservation groups.

May 31st 2011 also saw the release of the new RSPO trademark that finally gave companies the opportunity to clearly display to their consumers, that their products only contain sustainable palm-derived ingredients. According to the RSPO, the majority of their members aim to only use Certified Sustainable Palm Oil by 2012 to 2015.

Palm Oil comes from the fruits of the Oil Palm Tree which prefers tropical conditions. Natively found in Eastern Africa, the Oil Palm was introduced to South-East Asia and South America, where the fast growing nature and high yield of the fruits led to the farming of the Oil Palm becoming increasingly popular.

Vast areas of ancient tropical rainforest in some of the most bio-diverse regions on the planet have been cleared throughout the tropics to create enormous plantations to grow Oil Palms. This has ultimately led to numerous unique species to become endangered or even extinct, along with the hardship that is also endured by the native people in the face of the palm oil industry.

Save the rainforest. Save the orang-utan. Save the world. Sign the petition today at Palm Oil Campaign