#GoodBadPalmOil

RSPO has launched an exciting new campaign, aimed at consumers, which highlights the many products that contain palm oil and the distinction consumers should make between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ palm oil.

Animated films show everyday items like noodles and ice cream that contain palm oil and asks, is it good palm oil or bad palm oil. The films and campaign website feature knitted foods created by a popular British artist, Jessica Dance. With support from bloggers in the US and Europe and a big push on social media we’re asking everyone to get become better informed about the palm oil debate and help raise awareness of GOOD palm oil

Approximately 50% of common consumer products contain palm oil; from margarine and chocolate to donuts and cookies, and even many personal care items like lipstick, shampoo and soap. In fact, around 70% of our cosmetics and household detergents contain some materials derived from palm oil.

There are close to 20 million hectares of land covered with palm oil plantations and much more land is farmed by palm oil smallholders across the tropics. But only 21% of the palm oil produced globally is certified by the RSPO as being produced to sustainable standards. The RSPO is working to change this and made sustainable palm oil the norm.

The RSPO is working with our members around the world to scale up both the production and consumption of sustainable palm oil. We have for example set a target to achieve 100% certified sustainable palm oil in Europe by 2020. We believe that our ambition to make sustainable palm oil the norm is not only a realistic ambition but a vital one too.

The production of ‘bad’ palm oil is rapidly destroying virgin rainforests and ecosystems, causing greenhouse gas emissions to rise and putting many species at risk of extinction. If grown sustainably, ‘good’ palm oil can benefit local communities with fair working conditions while also helping protect our invaluable species and forests.

The good news is that we are already starting to see change; 13 countries currently have RSPO certified producers, which translates to 3.6 million hectares of land, and many companies are displaying our RSPO trademark on their product packaging. We now need to build on this momentum, so we’re asking you to get involved with the debate and share our campaign about good palm oil.

You can read more about the campaign, watch Jessica Dance’s knitted food videos and share the positive message of good palm oil on social media via our new website: goodbadpalmoil.org.

The conversation about sustainable palm oil is already happening and we want as many people as possible to get involved and share their views. To join the debate on social media, use our hashtag #GoodBadPalmOil.

Look out for the RSPO symbol on products, reassurance it only contains RSPO-certified sustainable palm oil. See examples of products with the RSPO symbol here.

To find out more about our work here at RSPO, visit: rspo.org/about.

Want to see what’s been achieved so far? We update our progress every month, keep up-to-date here.

Explore the story of palm oil to discover more – click here.