Sustainable food and agriculture

Premier Foods brought forward its target to source 100% certified sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) to January 2010.

Premier Foods is concerned over the environmental and social impacts linked to our procurement of Palm Oil from South East Asia. Our customers, and consumers, rightly demand that all ingredients, that form part of our food products, are sourced in line with both agricultural and socially responsible best practices.
 
We are aware that areas of tropical rainforest are being converted to agricultural use, in Malaysia and Indonesia, to facilitate the extension of palm oil plantations in order to enable the economic development of this region. A consequence of this conversion is a reduction in the natural habitat of the large ape, Orang-utan, and the associated biodiversity of this region.
 
We are advised that there is sufficient existing cleared land in the region not currently being put to agricultural use that could, and should be utilised to meet the increasing global demand for palm oil, in preference to clearing additional rainforest.
 
Premier Foods have in place a Palm Oil procurement policy which clearly states that we will only source Palm Oil from suppliers who are members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and follow the development, and implementation, of the RSPO guidelines.
 
In June 2008, Premier Foods set a target to source 100% certified sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) by 2011 and communicated both our policy, and our challenging target, to our palm oil suppliers. In October 2009, at the meeting of our Corporate Social Responsibility Steering group this target was reviewed and updated.
 
Premier Foods then committed to bringing forward its' target to source 100% certified sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) by January 2010, which we have achieved.

Visit the RSPO website at: http://www.rspo.org/