RSPO’s 2018 Principles & Criteria make Selfridges’ stance unnecessary

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, 08/05/2019 - The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) aims to deliver change where it matters most – on the ground; where oil palm, the environment, and local communities can co-exist in harmony. We do this by working to address the problems in the industry directly and collaboratively, through a multi-stakeholder process. 

We know that sustainable palm oil can help fulfil increasing global food demand, support affordable food prices and poverty reduction; safeguard social interests, communities and workers, while dramatically reducing stress and degradation on the environment and wildlife. The new, transformative 2018 RSPO Standard gives verifiable assurances that the oil palm is not only produced sustainably but also deforestation and exploitation free.

Sustainability is a global challenge that requires all players to come to the table in the spirit of shared responsibility – it cannot be addressed by simply removing palm oil. It’s unfortunate that Selfridges has taken a stance from which it cannot have a positive impact, influence improvements in the sector, and indeed join other major retailers in their commitment to transparent, verifiable sustainability. We hope that Selfridges will make evidence publicly available that the commodities substituted for palm oil meet equally stringent sustainability standards.

Contact the RSPO Media Team