Buy green, ethical oil or palm forests suffering: Roundtable on Sustainable Oil Palja

New rules to stop deforestation caused by palm oil production can only be successful if consumers buy brands and larger amounts of & # 39; oil certified as green and ethical, industry officials and environmental activists said.

The Roundtable based in & # 39; Kuala Lumpur on the Sustainable Palette Oil (RSPO), a global watchdog b & # 39; more than 4,000 members including manufacturers, traders, buyers and environmental groups, adopted a set of & # 39; lines stricter guidelines in & # 39; & # 39 meeting; this month.

The new standards include a ban on logging or conversion of & # 39; peatlands for palm oil plantations, and increased protection for labor rights and land.

"I hope the rest of the supply chain taspirax their responsibilities … because most of the producers are taking a big leap of faith," said Darrel Webber, RSPO chief executive officer, the Foundation Thomson Reuters.

The palm oil is edible oil mainly used in the world, found everything from margarine to biscuits and soap to soup.

But the industry has undergone close scrutiny in & # 39; in recent years by green activists and consumers, which akkużawha loss of & # 39; and forest fires, as well as the exploitation of workers.

This month, the chain & # 39; British supermarkets Iceland was banned from showing Christmas television advertisement to highlight the destruction of rain forests associated with oil production of palm because it was deemed to have infringed the rules of & # 39; political advertising.

Under pressure to tighten the standards by investors, buyers, retailers and even some large producers, the RSPO has faced the difficult task of trying to get rid of members & # 39; different interests in & # 39; critical time for the industry.

"The new RSPO is transforming the production of palm oil (but) which is similar action to transform the purchase & # 39; sustainable palm oil?" Lord Simon said, leading sustainability officer Sime Darby Plantation in the Malaysia. "It's not there."

DEMAND FOR & # 39; AFFAIRS

latest revision before completion of & # 39; the standards & # 39; five years & # 39; RSPO, major buyers & # 39; palm oil as Nestle, PepsiCo and Unilever have already committed to zero deforestation by 2020.

It will cost more money to adhere to the new rules, said palm producers. To justify the expenditure, and other big brands need to increase demand for RSPO certified palm oil, experts said.

"To make these high standards is not cheap, so it is only fair that the costs be shared throughout the supply chain", said Grant Rosoman, the Asia-Pacific campaign advisor at Greenpeace International.

The sustainable palm oil accounts for around five global production, with an estimated & # 39; 12.3 million tons per year, and sold at a premium – but demand covers only about half the supply.

While the new standards represent a "quantum leap & # 39; & # 39; & # 39; environmental and social commitments, the risks & # 39; failure will be high without a new push to boost demand for certified palm oil, said Carl Bek-Nielsen, chief executive director & # 39; plantations.

"Now it's about pushing demand and absorption. Otherwise … this great movement can & # 39; dissociates," said the producer, who is also co-chair of the RSPO.

Nestle supports higher standards and will work with & # 39; to implement the RSPO, Benjamin Ware, global head & # 39; responsible sourcing multinational company & # 39; food, said through & # 39; e-mail.

The firm aims to buy 100 percent young RSPO certified oil by 2023. It is also using satellite monitoring, helplines workers and projects to help small enterprises get no deforestation by 2020, Ware added.

The new rules & # 39; RSPO as the risk of orienting smaller producers of palm oil, most of which are already struggling to meet the old standards.

To avoid this, the RSPO will develop standard & # 39; separate sustainability for small producers, after discussing their needs, said Chief Executive Webber.

Greenpeace Rosman said the new rules should be enforced on the spot, and warned that period & # 39; one to two years to implement can & # 39; sees continued deforestation.

"We see strengthening & # 39; existing implementation," he said, and urged more transparency and monitoring for plantations.