Sustainability in Palm Oil

When produced responsibly, it can support millions of livelihoods and reduce pressure on forests and sensitive ecosystems. Because effective management of risks requires industry-wide change, we are committed to collaborating with our partners, suppliers and industry peers to drive innovation and industry-wide transformation.

Our Actions: 

Nestlé has pledged to source only sustainable palm oil by 2015 and are making rapid progress towards this.

• Palm oil is an essential ingredient in a number of our products. We are working in partnership with suppliers, NGOs and governments to address the environmental threat to rainforests and peat fields caused by palm oil plantations.
• Although Nestlé worldwide only buys 0.7% of the world’s palm oil production, we are conscious of our responsibility in contributing to effective and sustainable solutions.
• In May 2010 we announced a partnership with The Forest Trust (TFT). Together with TFT, we have defined Responsible Sourcing Guidelines, and committed to ensure that our products do not have a deforestation footprint – we were the first company to make such a commitment.
• From January 2012, 70% of the palm oil used in manufacturing by Nestlé UK will come from certified sustainable sources. The remaining 30% of the palm oil used in Nestlé UK products will be covered by GreenPalm Certificates, which support the production of certified sustainable palm oil.  

To address key challenges in our palm oil supply chains, we cannot work alone. That is why we continue to collaborate with industry partners to achieve lasting change.

Based on insights from our satellite monitoring, supplier engagement and Forest Footprint pilot, we prioritized collaboration in 2020 around addressing the increasing trend of small-scale clearance outside of concessions. We also focused on the need for common monitoring and reporting frameworks and collaboration around landscape-level interventions.