From Parliamentary Information Office : UK to lead way on sustainable palm oil The Parliamentary Information Office is currently gathering news items on Environmental matters in the next edition and will be monitoring progress. DEFRA reports as follows:

1. From Parliamentary Information Office :
UK to lead way on sustainable palm oil
The Parliamentary Information Office is currently gathering news items on
Environmental matters in the next edition and will be monitoring progress. DEFRA
reports as follows:
By the end of 2015 all palm oil used in central Government
food and catering services will come from environmentally
friendly sources, Environment Minister Richard Benyon
announced today.
Government, supermarkets, manufacturers, charities and
WWF have also joined forces to work towards ensuring that,
by 2015, all palm oil used in everyday food and products such
as soaps, biscuits and cosmetics is responsibly-produced and
does not contribute to deforestation.
Environment Minister Richard Benyon said:
“The Government is leading the way by ensuring that only
environmentally friendly sourced palm oil is used in its central
food and catering services. This is great news for wildlife and
forests around the world.
“People want to know that the products they are using are not
contributing to deforestation and climate change and many UK
businesses are already starting to make changes. Producers,
manufacturers and charities will continue working together to
speed up the move to 100% sustainable palm oil in everyday
products.”
This announcement comes as the International Roundtable on
Sustainable Palm Oil annual conference takes place in
Singapore from 29-31 October 2012.
The Government will also set up an advice and information
service to help UK businesses and government procurers work
towards 100% sustainable palm oil. This includes a helpline,
web pages, newsletters and seminars. Latest figures show that
in 2011 the UK imported 450,000 tonnes of palm oil and palm
kernel oil.
Food and Drink Federation Director of Sustainability Andrew

2. Kuyk, said:
“Many food and drink manufacturers have in place long-
standing commitments to using 100% certified sustainable
palm oil and the national statement is an important step
towards a wider reassurance for consumers that the products
they enjoy contain oil from environmentally friendly sources.
“We have seen significant progress towards achieving this aim
since the first shipment of RSPO-certified sustainable palm oil
arrived in November 2008 and we believe the joint agreement
will encourage increased uptake by British industry.”
Palm oil and palm kernel oil are used in the food industry as
frying fats and as ingredients in a wide range of foods such as
biscuits, margarine, snacks and bakery products. They are also
used in the production of biodiesel, in animal feed, and soaps
and other cleaning products and cosmetics.
Notes to Editors:
The Government, oil processors and distributors, food and
drink manufacturers, retailers, animal feed manufacturers,
hospitality sector, renewable energy sector, cleaning products
industry, speciality chemicals sector and World Wildlife Fund
UK (WWF), have all stated their ambition to source 100%
sustainable palm oil by 2015.
The joint statement is published here
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/natural/deforestation/.
The Government Buying Standard for Food and Catering is
available here http://sd.defra.gov.uk/2011/06/new-
government-buying-standards-for-food-and-catering/.
Defra has mapped the UK palm oil supply chain and estimated
that 24% of palm oil consumed in the UK in 2009 was
sustainably sourced. The study is available here:
http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=
More&Location=None&Completed=0&ProjectID=17170.
The Government advice service on sustainable palm oil is
accessible here: http://www.cpet.org.uk/.
WWF publishes a „scorecard‟ which measures the performance

3. of major retailers and consumer goods manufacturers in terms
of moving to sustainable palm oil. It is available
here: http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/footprint/agriculture
/palm_oil/solutions/responsible_purchasing/scorecard2011/.
Changes to food labelling will make it easier for consumers to
identify which products contain palm oil. Changes to the
European Food Information Regulations will mean labels have
to identify the specific types of vegetable oils that have been
used. Businesses are already starting to implement the change,
and it will be mandatory on all food products from 13
December 2014. There is more information about the
European Food Information for Consumers Regulations
available here
http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/labellingnutrition/foodlabelling/
proposed_legislation_en.htm.
According to Eurostat data 2011 UK imports
comprised: • 397,000 metric tons of palm oil, • 53,000
metric tons of palm kernel oil
The Parliamentary Information Office will continue to report on environmental issues
and their impact on the UK as we go through the months ahead.
Web: Parliamentary Information Office
Email: parliamentaryyearbook@blakemedia.org