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

Leading food retailer Delhaize Group has outlined its commitment to source only traceable, No Deforestation palm oil by updating its responsible palm oil sourcing policy. Building upon the work it began in 2012 to increase the transparency of the palm oil, it is working to ensure that all the palm oil it sources for its private brand products is 80% traceable and deforestation-free by 2018, and 100% by 2020.

Delhaize Group’s updated policy includes the commitment to protect peatlands, High Carbon Stock (HCS) forests and High Conservation Value (HCV) areas, including wildlife habitats. It will also respect the free, prior and informed consent of indigenous and local communities in the development of new plantations.

This updated commitment comes after a year-and-a-half of working with us as a TFT member, and building knowledge of its palm oil sourcing. It is important Delhaize’s customers have the confidence that the palm oil used in its products has been responsibly sourced from known and verified sources that do not contribute to deforestation. We will continue to support Delhaize to achieve its aims in a completely open and transparent manner, producing regular progress reports.

Megan Hellstedt, Delhaize Group Vice President of Sustainability said reaching this commitment will take collaborative effort across the palm oil supply chain: “We look forward to continued engagement with our suppliers, other retailers, NGOs, and palm oil producers in the transformation to responsible palm oil.”

TFT Director Bastien Sachet believes Delhaize’s plans take great courage: “There are no ready-made solutions out there for the retail industry when it comes to successfully verifying traceable No Deforestation palm oil supplies, but the commitment shown by Delhaize will be a big driver for innovation and solutions.”