How sustainable can palm oil be?
Orangutans sitting in fear at the top of trees while men with chainsaws and large cranes tear down trees in the Asian wilderness. Everyone knows these images. And for what? Palm oil?
Palm oil is found in countless products from shampoo to biscuits, but also meat substitutes. It is a much-discussed ingredient, with often outspoken supporters and opponents.
Consumers are increasingly opting for an alternative to meat. A frequently cited reason is the impact that eating meat has on the environment. Yet palm oil is still a fairly common ingredient in plant-based protein products.
Why is palm oil in plant-based protein products?
Palm oil is often used in plant-based protein products because it is a good substitute for animal fat. Palm oil solidifies at room temperature but melts at higher temperatures.
Plant-based protein products are developing very quickly. In addition to the increase in supply, technological knowledge about development is also increasing. There are also increasingly better and more sustainably obtained ingredients available. For example, palm oil is increasingly being replaced by an alternative, but a sustainable alternative to conventional palm oil is also available.
What RSPO – Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil?
RSPO Certified Sustainable Palm Oil is palm oil that has been obtained as sustainably as possible, both environmentally and socially friendly. Social organisations and companies that process palm oil founded the “Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil” (RSPO) in 2004. The round table wants to make palm oil production increasingly sustainable by certifying palm oil plantations with RSPO quality marks. Important features of this quality mark are:
- The cultivation of RSPO certified palm oil is not at the expense of virgin forests.
- Areas with high natural and/or cultural values must be preserved.
- Less use of pesticides and fertilizers during cultivation.
- Criteria for respecting the rights of farmers and the local population.
Every year, the set of requirements for the RSPO becomes more stringent, so that the use of this RPSO palm oil is made even more sustainable.
Palm oil in Schouten’s products
Several of Schouten’s products contain palm oil. But we are also aware of the impact we make and the role we have. Responsible is thus one of our core values.
So Schouten believes it is important that the raw materials that are used do not unnecessarily harm the world around us. That is why we only use RSPO Certified Sustainable Palm Oil.
In many of our products we have replaced palm oil with an alternative. No palm oil is used at all in new product launches.
