Palm Done Right Launches Campaign to Urge Transparency in Consumer Product Labeling

Published on: May 19, 2020

#SayItOnTheWrapper Encourages Clear Labeling Around Palm Oil

Boulder, Colo. May 18, 2020 — Mission-based educational platform Palm Done Right (PDR), launches a new campaign, #SayItOnTheWrapper as a call to action for transparent communication around palm oil.

Palm oil, the world’s most consumed vegetable oil, has long been criticized for its role in deforestation, wildlife habitat loss and human rights abuses in Southeast Asia, and that criticism impacts consumer purchasing decisions. Growing awareness about the effects of palm oil on the environment, biodiversity, and local communities has led some consumers and brands to utilize palm oil-free options, reformulating products and labeling them ‘palm oil-free’. However, reformulating and using alternative vegetable oils instead has several negative impacts:

1. Product quality and performance. The functional characteristics of palm oil improve quality, taste, shelf life and overall performance of a broad range of products consumers use on a daily basis. Using alternatives to palm oil will negatively impact product performance.
2. Palm oil alternatives use more land, impacting forests, wildlife and communities. Palm oil is the most efficient vegetable oil, generating up to 10 times more volume than some of its alternatives. Replacing palm oil by other vegetable oils will mean much more land is needed, leading to more land use change for agricultural crops.
3. Income and livelihoods for the millions of farmers and workers in the palm oil sector globally would be negatively affected.

The #SayItOnTheWrapper campaign is a call to action to encourage manufacturers and retailers to be open about their palm oil use. This means that brands should provide clear labeling on packages and have an open conversation with their consumers explaining why they choose palm for their products, and why they will continue to use it. Committed PDR partners understand the importance of buying palm oil from sustainable sources AND providing clear labeling, transparency, and consumer education.

“Nutiva is committed to revolutionizing the way the world eats, so we take ingredient transparency as well as social and environmental responsibility seriously,” said Steven Naccarato, CEO of Nutiva. “That’s why our products made with Organic Red Palm Oil bear the Palm Done Right seal—it signifies our commitment to sourcing red palm oil from small organic family farms in Ecuador. This level of supply chain transparency and environmentally-conscious ingredient sourcing assures that our products do not contribute to deforestation or habitat destruction, but rather protect the planet and support farmer livelihoods.”

Monique van Wijnbergen, Sustainability and Corporate Communications Director of Natural Habitats Group advises that “one of the best ways for consumers to both educate themselves and keep the pressure on producers and retailers is to ask them questions. If you’re unsure about the ingredients in your product or where they came from, don’t be afraid to enquire – and use the power and reach of social media to ensure they respond to you.” She says, “Start asking the manufacturer questions and demand they start sourcing or scale up their sourcing from sustainable sources.”

This campaign will run leading up to September’s Third Annual Palm Done Right Month, an opportunity to reinforce the Palm Done Right mission and increase awareness for palm oil that is organic, deforestation-free, wildlife friendly, fair and social. To learn more or get involved, visit www.palmdoneright.com.

About Palm Done Right

Natural Habitats Group is leading positive change in the palm oil industry by proving that palm oil can be grown for good. This approach demonstrates that palm oil grown organically and third-party certifications, can preserve the environment and native species, bring positive economic support to local communities and create sustainable livelihoods for everyone involved. Palm Done Right, a movement, aims to connect the benefits of organic, responsible palm oil, with brands, suppliers, manufacturers, media and consumers, to change the conversation about palm oil and bring positive impact to scale. For more information, visit www.palmdoneright.com.

About Natural Habitats USA, Inc.

Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, Natural Habitats USA, Inc. is a group fully committed to the sustainable production of Certified Organic and fairly traded products, including organic palm oil. Natural Habitats products are cultivated using 100% organic practices by independent farmers in South America and add organic credibility to food, personal care and animal nutrition products. Natural Habitats USA, Inc. supports the communities in which it operates through Fair for Life fair trade partnership, social programs for farmers, workers and communities and funding for services including support to local schools, health care and housing to improve the quality of life for all stakeholders in the supply chain, from Farm to Fork. For more information, visit www.natural-habitats.com

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Contact

Susan Fecko, Black Dog Studio, 307-690-8381, sfecko@blackdogstudiopr.com