As of January 2019, The Forest Trust has become Earthworm Foundation.

Groupe Rocher, a cosmetics company with its origins in 1959 – when Yves Rocher first began selling plant-based creams – is TFT’s newest member. With the release of its Palm Oil Position Paper 2015 in July 2015, Groupe Roucher is reinforcing its dedication to responsible use of palm oil. It will work with TFT to protect high carbon stock and high conservation value forests and peatlands in its supply chains, and ensure that the rights of local communities and workers are respected.

The first step to ensuring this protection achieving traceability all the way to the places that first begin refining the palm oil that eventually ends up in Rocher products. Groupe Rocher intends to reach this level of transparency by the end of 2016. In order to do so, they are working with both their own suppliers and with TFT to achieve transparency and trace-ability throughout their supply chain.

All TFT members undergo a “VTTV” process – standing for Values, Transparency, Tranformation and Verification. The work starts with a clear values statement – which Groupe Rocher has now made – and is followed by an examination of business practice to ensure it is in line with the company’s stated values, a process which is now under way. TFT welcomes this move by Groupe Rocher and looks forward to working with them in making supply chains work better for people and nature.

Read Groupe Rocher’s Palm Oil Position Paper in English [pdf] and in French [pdf], or see its statement on Zero Deforestation Palm Oil here.