Posted on April, 18 2013

A Rainforest Foundation ethical food product guide based on companies’ palm oil use unjustly discourages the use of palm oil even if it is sustainably sourced, claims the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). The Rainforest Foundation had previously published a guide that ranked chocolate products based on their palm oil use, with a top score available to companies that use no palm oil, as well as those that use 100% segregated RSPO-certified palm oil. Marks were not given to companies that use other RSPO-certified mechanisms.

According to the RSPO, there are some organizations/brands in the Rainforest Foundation listing that have received very low rankings despite the fact that they have made commitments and taken significant actions according to the RSPO mandate. The organization goes on to argue that supporting the sustainable production of palm oil is a more constructive approach than boycotting palm oil outright.

Food Navigator, RSPO