First and foremost, Size of Wales advocates for reducing consumption of highly or ultra-processed foods (UPF) due to their impact on human and planetary health. Not only does demand for UPF drive unsustainable palm oil production – a cause of deforestation and nature loss – but there is a growing body of research on many of the derivatives used in UPF, (including palm oil derivatives), and their links to poor health outcomes and mortality, including obesity, cancer and Type 2 diabetes. For this reason, we promote reducing UPF, which is the main way we consume palm oil.
However, we do not support a blanket boycott on palm oil, as this could lead to more deforestation, not less. For example, if we were to switch to an alternative oil, such as soybean, sunflower or sesame, this would require much more land to produce the same amount of oil, leading to more deforestation and habitat conversion. It would also mean less pressure for companies to switch to sustainable production, allowing unsustainable practices to continue unchecked.
A boycott could also drive down the price of palm oil, making it more attractive to markets with less focus on sustainability. What’s more, there are millions of people, particularly in Indonesia and Malaysia, who are reliant on palm oil as their main source of income.
Therefore, if you are buying or selling packaged or processed foods or you’re sourcing palm oil for use in your own products, we would recommend sourcing palm oil that has been physically certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). RSPO physically certified supply chains – Identify Preserved and Segregated – are traceable back to the unique mill or mills. These can reduce deforestation risk and demonstrate stronger commitments to social and environmental sustainability.
The other two types of RSPO certification – Mass Balance (MB) and Book and Claim (BC) – only support sustainable production and are not consistent with a deforestation free approach. MB mixes certified palm oil with uncertified and BC allows companies to purchase credits from sustainable palm producers, whilst continuing to use uncertified palm oil.
To become certified, farmers and producers should meet certain environmental, social and economic standards. While RSPO is industry led and far from perfect, these standards have improved with the demand for sustainable production, and since 2019, have included standards for no further deforestation, peat development or burning of land. (As this precludes direct deforestation for palm plantations that occurred before 2019 it is impossible to completely remove the risk of deforestation).