As part of its initiative to advance the responsible manufacture of palm oil, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) recently published over 30 case studies showcasing industry attempts to transformation to 100 % sustainable palm oil. The DuPont Nutrition and Biosciences (DuPont N&B) business was exhibited as a case study contributing to WWF’s goal.
The need for sustainable palm oil has become increasingly critical in recent days, as demand for vegetable oils – particularly palm oil – continues to rise. In 2019, The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) validated that palm oil volume increased by 13 %.
Since 2004, the company has been a leading industry in developing sustainable solutions to palm oil production. It was the first ingredient producer to join RSPO and has since encouraged the inclusive partnerships to uplift the palm oil industry. By emphasizing the company’s attempts, the WWF targets to encourage the joint action required for sustainable palm oil production, marketing and consumption.
Having accomplished its 2017 goal, the company is now putting efforts in view of its 2025 goal to achieve 100% physical certified sustainable palm of grade Mass Balance or above, alongside the phasing out of RSPO credits across the globe. In 2020, the firm acquired a major success by collecting 100% physical RSPO verified palm oil and derivatives for its emulsifiers manufactured in Europe and North America.
In addition, the company has witnessed remarkable advancement in developing honest and accountable supply chains, desiring for 100% traceability to the mill within the next 5 years and executing supplier scorecards.
All these decisions have been endorsed worldwide via public calls for companies to further enhance their global supply chains.
A recent study done published in the Journal of Cleaner Production by 2.-0 LCA Consultants delineated that the carbon footprint of RSPO verified palm oil is 35% smaller than conventional palm oil. By choosing RSPO certified palm oil, companies can make a major reduction in their upstream greenhouse gas emissions, which can be a major move for firms whose climate goals are in line with the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi).
The company has partnered with more than 560 other firms as signatories of the Business for Nature’s Call To Action. This joint effort is appealing governments around the globe to adopt and implement policies to countermand nature loss within the coming 10 years.
Mikkel Thrane, global sustainability leader, DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences stated- “We are inexpressibly glad of our long-standing partnership with RSPO, and the accomplishments we have acquired in leading the industry towards more sustainable palm oil. It’s overwhelming to be featured as a case study by the WWF for our efforts in this field and we anticipate that our story will inspire the inclusive collaborations required for transforming palm oil supply chains across the world.”