Smith quoted on Kellogg's pledge to make palm oil supplies greener
Palm oil is used in a huge range of consumer products, from food and fuel to beauty products and cleaning agents, meaning that demand for palm oil has risen fast. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), growing demand is driving increases in deforestation, which accounts for 10 percent of the emissions that cause global warming. Clearing forest for plantations also destroys trees that are home to endangered species and a resource for forest communities, the U.S.-based UCS said.
Sharon Smith, campaign manager with UCS’s tropical forest and climate initiative, welcomed the Kellogg announcement, especially the inclusion of peatlands and forests that store high levels of carbon.
"Their efforts to source sustainable deforestation-free palm oil will help pull the industry towards palm oil that is deforestation-free," Smith said in a statement. "If companies start demanding palm oil that doesn’t contribute to deforestation, isn’t grown on peatlands and doesn’t exploit human rights, palm oil producers on the ground will start to provide a better product. This better oil will ultimately protect our environment by reducing emissions.
