Cargill publishes first palm oil progress report

SINGAPORE: Cargill released its first progress report on sustainable palm oil which l aid out the company’s action plan to achieve a fully sustainable supply chain.

Cargill is one of the world’s largest, privately-owned businesses, providing food, agricultural, risk management, financial, and industrial products and services around the globe, with 143,000 employees in 67 countries.

Cargill Tropical Palm chief executive officer John Hartmann said: “Sustainability has long been part of our oil palm plantation culture, and has resulted in a business that our employees are very proud of.

“We must account for impact on the environment and local communities for the sake of future generations.

“That notion is shared by our smallholders.

“They, too, have achieved multiple global sustainability certifications, and today are the pride and joy of their communities.” For more than ten years, Cargill has taken significant steps to improve the sustainability of the palm oil i ndustry throughout Indonesia and Malaysia — both in its own plantations and in those of smallholders.

Cargill is committed to sustainable, deforestation-free, socially responsible palm oil in its new palm oil policy, launched in July 2014, and repeated that pledge at the UN Climate Summit last September in New York City.

Regular progress reports are part of the commitments made in the new policy.

Palm oil is found in everything from candy bars to shampoos.

Hundreds of millions of people around the world depend on it for their diets.

But the palm oil sector often has been marred by unsustainable practices.

In close cooperation with nongovernmental organisations, suppliers, workers, local communities, government agencies and other major palm oil producers, Cargill is keeping up efforts to change that and transform the industry.

Cargill is on track to map 80 per cent of its palm oil in key markets back to individual mills by yearend, and 100 per cent of all mills by December next year.

Cargill President and CEO, David MacLennan meanwhile said, the company would build sustainability in all its dimensions. — Bernama