Promoting certified sustainable palm oil

WWF is encouraging retailers and manufacturers to purchase certified sustainable palm oil produced according to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) standards.

Certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO), which is produced according to the standards established by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), provides assurance that valuable tropical forests have not been cleared and that environmental and social safeguards have been met during the oil's production
/ ©: RSPO
RSPO trademark logo
© RSPO

For companies

Sales of sustainable palm oil more than tripled from 0.4 million tonnes in 2009 to about 1.3 million tonnes in 2010. While there is a delay in market uptake, 56% of certified palm oil was purchased as such in 2010.

WWF is working to encourage retailers and manufacturers of everyday products to support the RSPO and only source certified sustainable palm oil – and so help to slow down deforestation and the disappearance of some of Earth’s most amazing and threatened wildlife, including elephants and orangutans, as well as put a cap on climate change.


What is WWF asking from companies buying palm oil?

  • Become an active member of the RSPO
  • Put in place policies and systems to control where palm oil is sourced from
  • Make public commitments for the use of 100% Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) by 2015 at the latest
  • Begin purchasing certified sustainable palm oil immediately

Related information

Palm oil: how our consumer choices affect wildlife


Click here to view on Youtube
  • / ©: WWF
    How green is the palm oil purchased by major European manufacturers and retailers? Find out...

What can I do as a consumer?

  • By requesting that retailers and manufacturers use sustainable palm oil in every day products – like margarine, ice cream, frozen foods, shampoos, soap, and  cosmetics – consumers can help motivate these companies to increase their commitments.

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