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Procter & Gamble sets new goals on palm oil

Procter & Gamble says it's committing to no deforestation in its palm oil supply chain.  The Cincinnati-based consumer products company says it's going to improve its practices with all its suppliers, including small local farmers, to ensure protection of forests.  

Greenpeace activists staged several protests last month around the world, including one at the company's downtown headquarters. They said P&G used palm oil from a supplier tied to tropical forest destruction.

In a statement, the company says 100 percent of its purchased palm oil is certified by the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil standards.  P&G Vice President of Global Sustainability Len Sauers says the new goals go beyond the company's current commitments.

The company says specific commitments include:

1. Establish traceability of palm oil and palm kernel oil to supplier mills by December 31, 2015.

2. Ensuring no deforestation in the palm supply chain to plantations by 2020.

  • For palm oil, require suppliers to submit plans by December 31, 2015 that demonstrate how they will ensure no deforestation in the supply chain for their mills by 2020.
  • For palm kernel oil, begin investing in and working with small farmers, with the aim of improving their practices to ensure no deforestation in the supply chain by 2020.

3. Working with suppliers, industry peers, NGOs, academic experts and other stakeholders to promote consistent industry standards and practices for sustainable palm oil sourcing.
4. Continuing to support universal human rights as outlined in P&G’s existing Sustainability Guidelines for Suppliers, and to support the rights of indigenous people.

5. Reporting annually on progress toward achieving these goals.

"Greenpeace applauds P&G for making a much stronger commitment to sourcing sustainable palm oil”  Joao Talocchi, Greenpeace Palm Oil Campaigner, said in a statement.

"The important thing now is for P&G to push all its palm oil suppliers to live up to these standards and do this as quickly as possible, in order to make a real difference to the rainforests of Indonesia and the lives of people and tigers that depend on them.”