Consumers show no interest in eco-certified palm oil

Lack of interest in eco-certified palm oil among buyers threatens to undermine efforts to improve the environmental performance of the industry, reports the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Analysis by the environmental group shows that only 1 percent of the palm oil certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has been purchased since it became available in November 2008. Certified palm oil carries a 8-15 percent premium over conventional palm oil.
“So far, around 1.3 million tons of certified sustainable palm oil have been produced, but less than 15,000 tons have been sold,” said David McLaughlin, vice president of agriculture for WWF. “This sluggish demand from palm oil buyers, such as supermarkets, food and cosmetic manufacturers, could undermine the success of sustainability efforts and threatens the remaining natural tropical forests of Southeast Asia, as well as other forests where oil palm is set to expand, such as the Amazon.”

The findings are a black mark for green groups that have campaigned for environmental standards for palm oil production, suggesting they have failed to drum up interest among buyers.

In an effort to address the “sluggish performance” of RSPO-certified palm oil, WWF said it will issue a report to name and shame companies that are failing to support the initiative.

Mongabay