If you’ve heard of palm oil, you’ve probably heard
it’s bad for the environment. The truth is that it doesn’t have
to be. Our global need for food and food products increase substantially
every year. There is always a need for more production. Unfortunately, the
impact of unsustainable agriculture can be devastating for the planet:
forests are cleared to make way for farmland – habitats destroyed,
animals and insect species dependent on the land are wiped out and
communities suffer as their land and water become polluted with chemicals
and pesticides. Companies talk about the value of local farmers and
sustainable farming whilst consumers are more educated and want to learn
where most of their food comes from. Thus palm oil of course has been one of
the ingredients at the centre of real concern from consumers, NGO’s
and different stake holder of the food supply.
Palm Oil crops are incredibly high yielding making it the least expensive
vegetable oil in the world. This, combined with its tolerance for high heat
cooking and versatility as an ingredient in food to cosmetics, means that
the world demand only continues to grow. DAABON Group understands the
importance of palm oil for food production. We believe that if it is grown
sustainably, palm oil production can benefit local communities, and help to
protect valuable species and forests. By using sustainable practices,
farmers can increase their income by making more palm oil from less land.
We not just pledge and advocate it, we are fully committed to be one of the
key drivers of the sustainable palm industry. One way companies can foster
trust is to be completely transparent on their approach and report progress
along its journey. It is crucial that manufacturers worldwide can trace the
palm oil they use back to the plantation and that those plantations meet
strong standards. 13 countries currently have RSPO certified producers.
Manuel Davila CEO of DAABON group says: “We believe the industry needs
to keep momentum and to continue the conversation going about good palm oil,
to ensure that this is the way forward”. We pledge to share best
practices and encourage all companies to care. It’s the right thing to
do - for people today, for social sustainability tomorrow and for
prosperity. It’s our responsibility as palm oil producers. Let’s
get some motion and support the #goodpalmoil campaign!
