Palm Oil Sourcing Position Statement
Background Context
Palm Oil has become the ingredient of choice in a variety of industries, including the food sector, for many years, with UK palm usage increasing from 150,00mt to 450,000mt in the last 10 years. This is primarily due to adaptability and crop yield, with palm trees producing 4-10 times more oil than other crops per unit of cultivated land. The palm oil industry has been instrumental in providing social and economic benefits to thousands of smallholder farmers in some of the most deprived areas in the world. The top exporters of Palm Oil are Indonesia, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Guatemala and Papua New Guinea. However, this increase in demand for Palm Oil has put significant pressures on land use in these areas, leading to environmental issues such as the rapid loss of valuable rainforests and destruction of important habitats that support biodiversity.
Samworth Brothers Internal and External Position
As a manufacturer of high-quality prepared foods, we purchase palm oil and palm oil derivatives for a number of our products, sourced from reputable producers who have direct contact, and in some cases ownership, of the palm plantations and palm mills. Our usage is not significant in relation to global production. However, we are using palm oil and palm derivatives in our facilities and products and it is an important raw material for Samworth Brothers, most particularly in our savoury pastry production. We are committed to ensuring that no palm oil or derivatives we purchase contribute to any negative impact on environmental or ethical grounds. We demonstrate this commitment by:
– being Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) members and fully supporting the principles and criteria of the scheme;
– purchasing from certified RSPO producers/processors;
– moving beyond using GreenPalm certificates;
– achieving 96% RSPO certified fully segregated palm oil in our products year to date;
– committing to moving the remainder of the palm oil used to RSPO certified fully segregated by end of 2020, or mass balance where fully segregated is not available.
Our responsible sourcing commitments are continually reviewed, and we will ensure our position on palm oil is reviewed in line with market and industry best practice.
September 2019