Mongabay: Will there really be enough sustainable palm oil for the whole market?

And then there is the issue of the quality of the RSPO’s green label itself.

The roundtable’s standard only protects old-growth primary forests and deep peat swamps. But the trend among companies now is to swear off clearance of any tract of forest or carbon-rich peat soil.

Emma Lierley of Rainforest Action Network told Mongabay: “RAN seriously questions the legitimacy of the ‘certified sustainable’ palm oil on the market. The RSPO is inadequate as a standard, and cannot be trusted as a source of truly responsible palm oil — responsible palm oil being made without deforestation, the destruction of peatlands and the abuse of workers’ and human rights.” (read more)