Global palm oil producer commits to No Deforestation and No Exploitation
As of January 2019, The Forest Trust has become Earthworm Foundation.
We are very pleased to announce that the major palm oil business Musim Mas has become a TFT member and announced a series of commitments to ensure its supply chain is free from deforestation and exploitation.
These commitments, part of the company’s new Sustainability Policy, take immediate effect across Musim Mas’ global operations. They include no peatland development and respecting the rights of smallholder farmers.
They also extend to all third-party suppliers with whom Musim Mas has a purchase agreement or a trading relationship. This move has great significance for the work being done to bring about transformation in the palm oil industry; Musim Mas is a dominant player and owns of one of the world’s largest palm oil refineries. The company operates across 80 countries.
Musim Mas believes achieving a fully traceable supply chain is important, and TFT will work with the company to map its supply chain back to plantation and support change on the ground, helping suppliers to understand and embed the commitments. TFT founder Scott Poynton agrees that traceability is key: “In a relatively short space of time a number of companies in the palm oil sector have become TFT members and made No Deforestation and No Exploitation commitments.
These commitments include full supply chain mapping back to all palm oil plantations, irrespective of whether the plantation is certified or not. This is challenging work because it means a step into the unknown. But it is the only way to achieve real transparency and therefore transformation in the palm oil industry.”
TFT members now account for around 80% of the world’s palm oil trade. Scott Poynton continues: “There is clearly a willingness to change practices in the palm oil industry and de-link it from deforestation and exploitation. What’s vital is implementing the policies that govern this. By doing so and being transparent about how progress is made, we can share knowledge and create further innovation.
