Clear Labels, Not Forests - Europe-wide campaign helps to secure vital victory for forests
08 July 2011
Members of the European Parliament have voted 'Yes' to the labelling of palm oil on food products, allowing shoppers to make choices about what they buy, and supporting vital changes in the palm oil industry as food companies will be encouraged to shift to sustainable sources of the ingredient.
A coalition of conservation organisations, including Elephant Family, the Sumatran Orangutan Society, the Orangutan Foundation, Save the Rhino, The Jane Goodall Institute-UK, the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, and the Ape Alliance have, with their supporters, been lobbying MEPs to ensure that a new regulation on food information to consumers includes the mandatory labelling of palm oil on food packaging. On 6th July, with an overwhelming majority of 678 votes, MEPs voted in favour of clear labelling of specific vegetable oils, including palm oil.
There is an enormous and rising demand for palm oil and with the rapid expansion of the industry tropical forests and carbon-rich peatlands are being systematically destroyed to make-way for oil palm plantations. The United Nations has stated that the expansion of oil palm cultivation is the most significant cause of permanent forest and peat land loss in South East Asia, causing considerable greenhouse gas emissions and an unimaginable loss of habitat and biodiversity. As a result Asian elephants, orangutans, tigers and rhinos are losing their forest homes and being pushed closer to extinction.
Clear labelling will provide the impetus for more companies to make time-bound pledges to source certified sustainable palm oil, supporting the palm oil industry in a move towards more sustainable production, reducing a significant driver of deforestation and threat to tropical ecosystems and biodiversity.
As it stands palm oil is normally labelled under the generic term 'vegetable oil'. The new agreement, which requires all vegetable oils to be labelled individually, will come into force early 2012 and the new labelling rules will begin to apply in 2015.
Joanna Cary-Elwes from Elephant Family stated that 'The response to the 'Clear Labels, Not Forests' campaign was phenomenal. The ordinary consumer has spoken up to show that they do not want to unwittingly consume forest-destroying palm oil. The success of this YES vote creates the opportunity to urge companies to behave more responsibly and take steps towards sustainability. '
Helen Buckland, UK Director of the Sumatran Orangutan Society said “Consumers want to know if products contain palm oil, and where that palm oil comes from. This new regulation will make palm oil visible on ingredients lists, enabling consumer choice and ultimately providing leverage for European companies to clean up their supply chains and only use certified sustainable palm oil. Currently around 8% of the global palm oil supply is certified sustainable, but on average only 51% of available CSPO has been purchased in the last 12 months. It is time for retailers and manufacturers to play their role in supporting the transformation of the industry.”
Cathy Smith from the Orangutan Foundation said “Our supporters and members often feel powerless when it comes to trying to reduce their impact on habitat loss of endangered wildlife species, such as the orangutan. Now, with clearer labels that this new regulation will bring about, people can easily identify those products that damage the world's tropical forests - our planet’s life support to wildlife and people."
For more information, high resolution images, or to arrange an interview,
call Helen Buckland on +44 (0)1865 403341 or email helen@orangutans-sos.org
Notes to editors:
The directive on the “Provision of food information to consumers”
Further information on the Directive (reference COD/2008/0028) is available from: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/FindByDocnum.do?lang=en&docnum=COM/2008/40
About
palm oil
Palm oil is a hidden ingredient found in up to half of packaged food products
across Europe, including chocolate, biscuits,
cereals, margarine, soup, crisps and ice cream. Usually listed simply as
‘vegetable oil’, consumers are currently unable to make informed decisions
about the products they purchase not
only on health grounds (due to its high saturated fat content) but also based
on the palm oil industry’s well-documented negative environmental and social
impacts.
Palm oil is the world’s most popular vegetable oil, primarily produced in Indonesia and Malaysia, and with rapid expansion now being seen in Africa. Its production is often at the expense of tropical forests and carbon-rich peatlands, hindering the global effort to reduce carbon emissions to prevent dangerous climate change. The rapid expansion of the industry into these areas is having disastrous consequences for a multitude of critically endangered species, including the orangutan, elephant, rhino and tiger, as well as local communities.
Coalition member organisations:
Sumatran Orangutan Society
The Sumatran Orangutan Society is dedicated to the conservation of Sumatran orangutans and their forest home. Together with a team of committed Indonesian conservationists, we work with local communities living alongside the last remaining orangutan habitat. We plant trees to restore damaged ecosystems and provide training to help the local people work towards a more sustainable future for their forests. www.orangutans-sos.org
Orangutan Foundation
Founded in 1990, the Orangutan Foundation's aim is to ensure the survival of orangutans and the biodiversity of its habitat through the protection of the tropical forests of Borneo and Sumatra. The Orangutan Foundation recognizes that orangutan habitat is unique in its richness of biodiversity and is crucial for local communities, who are as dependant on the forest as is the orangutan. www.orangutan.org.uk
Elephant Family Elephant Family exists to save the endangered Asian elephant from extinction in the wild, along with tigers, orang-utans and all the other animals who share their habitat. Registered in 2002, they are a young yet hugely ambitious charity that has become the UK’s biggest funder of Asian elephant conservation. Massive habitat loss in the past 100 years has caused Asian elephant populations to plummet by 90%. This iconic animal is now on the IUCN red list, and without action could be extinct within 30 years. Elephant Family invests where they are needed most: to protect habitat, prevent conflict and reconnect the forest homes of the endangered Asian elephant.
In 2010 the charity made its mark on London by unleashing 260 brightly painted elephant sculptures on the capital’s streets, parks and landmarks as part of their memorable fundraising and awareness campaign, Elephant Parade London 2010. www.elephantfamily.org
Save the Rhino
Save the Rhino International works to conserve viable populations of critically endangered rhinos in Africa and Asia. We recognise that the future of wildlife is inextricably linked to the communities that share its habitat. By funding field projects and through education, our goal is to deliver material, long-lasting and widespread benefits to rhinos and other endangered species, ecosystems and to the people living in these areas. www.savetherhino.org
The Jane Goodall institute
Founded by renowned primatologist Jane Goodall, the Jane Goodall Institute is a global organisation that empowers people to make a difference for all living things. Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots groups work in over 1,000 UK schools inspiring action for people, animals and the environment. In Africa we help local people take charge of the conservation and development of their own communities, thus protecting chimpanzees and their habitats. www.janegoodall.org.uk
Ape Alliance
The Ape Alliance is an international coalition of organisations and individuals, working for the conservation and welfare of apes. With Friends of the Earth, the Palm Oil Working Group published 'The Oil for Ape Scandal' the first major report on this issue, available from
www.foe.co.uk/resource/reports/oil_for_ape_full.pdf
The
European Assoication of Zoos and Aquaria
EAZA, the
European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, represents and links
more than 325 institutions and organisations in 36 countries. Formed in 1992, EAZA’s mission is to
facilitate cooperation within the European zoo and aquarium community towards
the goals of education, research and conservation.
www.eaza.net