Ferrero, the world's second-largest chocolate producer, has released its Palm Oil Progress report for 2020, outlining measures taken to ensure sustainable sourcing of the commodity.
The Italian manufacturer has also reiterated its commitment to sourcing sustainable palm oil that is 100% RSPO certified and segregated, and traceable to plantations.
The group publishes a list of its sources every six months to ensure transparency.
While all of Ferrero's original products source their palm oil sustainability, its recently acquired companies have yet to meet 100% RSPO Certification.
The company is working to ensure that these companies procure sustainable palm oil, it added.
The group's Palm Oil Charter sees them work with suppliers to engage them on the issue of palm oil, and the group is currently drafting a new charter to put greater emphasis on the process.
Palm Oil Monitoring
Since October 2020, Ferrero has used the Starling satellite monitoring and verification service across its palm oil supply chain spread across approximately one million hectares.
Starling uses a combination of satellite imagery and on-the-ground expertise to monitor land cover change and forest cover disturbance in near real-time.
This allows the manufacturer to 'identify grievances' in its supply chain, such as deforestation.
Ferrero's other measures to combat deforestation include a pilot project with the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) that aims to advance Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and biodiversity conservation practices at the farm level for palm oil producers.
The confectionery giant is a member of the European Palm Oil Alliance and the Palm Oil Innovation Group, both of which are involved in setting standards for manufacturers in relation to sourcing palm oil sustainably.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Conor Farrelly. For more A-Brands news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
