SUSTAINABILITY FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE February 2024 65 International. A global leader in feed fat research and product development, VWFI’s policy is to only use palm oil derivatives in products from sources that fulfil NDPE sustainability criteria or RSPO principles and criteria. IF NOT PALM, THEN WHAT? Looking ahead to the future of sustainable food production, Barton says so-called “no-palm” policies are not the answer. Instead, sustainable palm production needs to remain part of the food chain, with significant environmental and economic consequences if it does not. “Growth in the palm industry to where it is now has already been established – trying to shut it down is only going to cause larger issues,” she says. From an economic standpoint, palm is the backbone of local economies within Indonesia and Malaysia where 85% of the world's palm is grown. In Indonesia alone, the palm industry employs 4.5 million people, she says. “Going palm-free isn’t going to save wildlife or stop deforestation – it will only shift the problem elsewhere. Markets will open up to buyers who don’t have sustainability or human rights standards, or plantations will shift to a different commodity crop that doesn’t have any regulations. The global edible oil demand would also need to be met by crops that take up significantly more land and natural resources than palm, creating other environmental issues,” concludes Barton. “The palm oil industry has had so much pressure over the years that it has been in the best interests of commercial stakeholders to adhere to sustainability standards and work with third-party organizations to improve and certify best practices. As a result, palm has the best criteria for any sustainable commodity available. There is a lot of good work being done in the industry to ensure high standards are maintained into the future.”
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