Podcasts about sustainable palm oil

This week: Ian Welsh talks with Scott Poynton, CEO and founder of A Different Way and founder and former CEO of the Earthworm Foundation. They discuss the current and future challenges, and some positive thoughts as we look into the second half of the decade. Scott highlights how regulation might develop and what companies should do to stay ahead of the curve (listen from 21:06) Plus: Wayne Jordash, managing partner at Global Rights Compliance, talks about the challenges for business in changing regulatory climates. In conversation with Ian, they discuss the importance of getting risk assessments right (listen from 01:17). And, Brazil halts Chinese vehicle manufacturer BYD's factory construction due to labour law violations; UK Business and Trade Select Committee question big brands such as McDonald's and Shein on their labour rights policies and sourcing practices; UK generated its cleanest electricity ever in 2024, with renewable energy supporting 45% of the country's electricity; and, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil expands its certification scope through a jurisdictional approach, in the news digest, by Ellen Atiyah (listen from 16:29). Host: Ian Welsh

Joining the Eco-Business Podcast to discuss the implications of RSPO's draft revised standard is the organisation's director of standards and sustainability, Yen Hun Seng. Tune in as we discuss: What's changed about RSPO in the last five years How has RSPO managed lobbying from various interest groups? How has the new standard changed on deforestation? How does the standard align with EUDR? What about smallholders? What to expect from RSPO's annual conference this month?

Is Sustainable Palm Oil Ethical – or Just Greenwashing? By Seth Milstein at SentientMedia.org Original post: https://sentientmedia.org/is-sustainable-palm-oil-ethical/    Related Episodes: 205: Is There Slavery in Your Seafood? By James O'Donovan at VeganSustainability.com 32: 5 Takeaways from 'Seaspiracy', the Viral New Netflix Documentary by Courtney Davison at ForksOverKnives.com Sentient Media is a nonprofit news organization that is changing the conversation around animal agriculture across the globe. They seek to create and sustain a sense of global urgency about the agriculture industry's impact on the climate crisis, extraction of natural resources and systematic exploitation of the fringes of society. They're doing this through critical commentary, investigative journalism, creating resources, strengthening the journalist and advocate community, partnering with publishers and holding the media accountable when it fails to report on the most pressing issues of our time.    How to support the podcast: Share with others. Recommend the podcast on your social media. Follow/subscribe to the show wherever you listen. Buy some vegan/plant based merch: https://www.plantbasedbriefing.com/shop  Follow Plant Based Briefing on social media: Twitter: @PlantBasedBrief YouTube: YouTube.com/PlantBasedBriefing  Facebook: Facebook.com/PlantBasedBriefing  LinkedIn: Plant Based Briefing Podcast Instagram: @PlantBasedBriefing   #vegan #plantbased #plantbasedbriefing #palmoil #rspo #greenwashing #deforestation  

Joseph D'Cruz, CEO of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, and Olivier Tichit, chief sustainability officer at Musim Mas, talk with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the European Union's deforestation regulation and its resulting reverberations across the palm oil sector and beyond. They discuss the complexities this black or white regulation will bring, including the potential removal of smallholder farmers from EU supply chains. They explain how they expect EUDR's  implementation to play out and discuss the future of sustainability regulations.

This week: Joseph D'Cruz, CEO of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, and Olivier Tichit, chief sustainability officer at Musim Mas, talk with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the impact of the EU's deforestation regulation on the palm oil sector. They discuss its potential unintended consequences, such as impacting smallholder farmers' market access and the development of segregated supply chains. They also share action points for stakeholders across the value chain as the regulation is due to be fully enforced by the end of the year.   Plus: PepsiCo achieves its 2025 water efficiency target two years early; the UK government rows back on deforestation-related products import ban; and, the US state of Florida's new bill banning legislation to protect agricultural workers from heat exposure, in the news digest.   Host: Ian Welsh

Sime Darby Plantation's chief financial officer, Renaka Ramachandran, speaks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about the challenges in net zero target setting and shares guidance on how to effectively develop short- and long-term targets. They discuss the importance of addressing transparency, considering environmental impact in making financial investments, and collaboration across the supply chain to meet the targets.    

This week: Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh speaks with Renaka Ramachandran, chief finance officer at Sime Darby Plantation, about some of the challenges around interim and 2050 net zero target setting, and the importance of transparency on environmental and social impacts.    They also discuss the challenges of setting baselines, and waiting for the right technology to address hard-to-abate emissions.    And, in the first of a new factory voice series, Innovation Forum's Savanna Razzaque talks with Salman Azim from denim manufacturer Azim and Sons in Bangladesh. They discuss some of the initiatives the company has developed to support the wellbeing of its workforce, and the impact of climate change on production processes.   Plus, new South Pole report suggests rise in greenhushing; Drax gets the go-ahead on CCS technology development; and, Know the Chain benchmarks action on labour rights in apparel and footwear, in the news digest.    Host: Ian Welsh 

Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil is a multi-stakeholder non-profit organization that unites members from across the palm oil value chain to develop and implement global standards for sustainable palm oil. CEO, Joseph D'Cruz shares with us the latest development in its certification scheme, their efforts to engage with smaller players, and why it deserves the premium.

Palm oil can be found in roughly 50% of products on supermarket shelves.  But, this extremely versatile product is also a highly contentious one.  That is because of the way sustainability and ethical concerns surrounding palm oil farming. Golden Agri Resources is a global leader in palm oil production, it says that sustainability is at the heart of its daily operations, and has been for more than two decades, since it became the first Indonesian palm oil company to adopt a Zero Burning Policy in 1997. To find out more about sustainable palm oil production - Rachel Kelly spoke with Anita Neville, Vice President of Corporate Communications and Sustainability Relations, Golden Agri-Resources.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Little do most people know that they are directly contributing to the destruction of the “lungs of the earth” (the most sensitive ecosystems in the world, the Rainforest) by using products that contain non-RSPO palm oil. That is non-sustainably harvested palm oil. Listen to this interview with the U.S. Outreach Representative for the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil.This is perhaps the most important interview I've done because it will directly inform you about how your specific product purchases are contributing to Rainforest destruction globally and contributing to the demand for Non-RSPO certified palm oil products.Long ago we decided to commit to having our C8 Keto MCT Oil product RSPO Certified . Now you'll know why this is so incredibly important. Our hope is that we begin to ‘set the bar higher' in terms of encouraging other companies to convert their products, or the ingredients in their product to RSPO-certified palm oil ingredients…and consequently halt the massive destruction of a remarkable ecosystem: The Rainforest of South East Asia, and around the world. —————————COME SAY HI!!!  ——————————Facebook Group about Keto: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ketonaturopath/OUR NEW MEMBERSHIP GROUP FOR EVERYTHING KETO                        Labs, Research and cooking, Implementationwww.ketonaturopathmembers.comWeekly Live Zoom Q&A Sessions and private FB groupBLOG: https://ketonaturopath.com/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ketonaturopathYouTube channelwww.youtube.com/ketonaturopathPodcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/482971/episodesOur Youtube Podcastshttps://studio.youtube.com/channel/UC6LBX8_RDaXtzF_Z02jvl0QJudi's NEW cooking channelKeto Naturopath Kitchenhttps://www.youtube.com/c/KetoNaturopathKitchen                      ———————————  OUR COURSE ——————————PSMF 30 day course:                 https://www.thebiointegrationcode.com/courses/PSMFChallenge————————  WHERE WE GET OUR WINE (an affiliate link) ——————————Dry farm wines        www.dryfarmwines.com/ketonaturopath—————WHERE WE GET OUR Uric ACID FORA 6 METER ————————https://www.fora-shop.com/              (that measures  Glucose, Ketones, and Cholesterol together with Uric Acid)                      Get a 10% discount with this Discount Code: Ketonaturopath10                                           How we use the Fora 6 Meter                                         https://youtu.be/0V5B_SXR6qM       ——WHERE WE GET OUR GENOME SNP ANALYSIS  DONE———————————                                                              Strategene                                                                                                     &nbs

Today, the Safari heads to Denver, Colorado, to sit down with Chelsea Wellmer of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. We talk about what palm oil is, what it means for it to be sustainable, and what that means for you and how you shop! Along the way we talk about Chelsea's work at the Cincinnati Zoo and Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. The RSPO is a really unique organization, inviting stakeholders from all sides to participate, with incredible results. Patrons, this episode includes bonus audio for you!EPISODE LINKS: www.rspo.org @supportsustainablepalmoilROSSIFARI LINKS: rossifari.com patreon.com/rossifari @rossifari on socials @rossifaripod on TikTok 

Encore! Look for pod favourite episodes being re-released outside of the regularly scheduled show. In this episode, Kyla and Kristen talk about palm oil and the environment. Topics: what is palm oil; why is palm oil in everything; palm oil and deforestation, biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution; working conditions; food security; the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil; boycott versus labelling; what you can do. Leave us a voicemail! https://podinbox.com/pullback Harbinger Media Network: https://harbingermedianetwork.com Website: https://www.pullback.org/research/palmoil Twitter: https://twitter.com/PullbackPodcast  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pullbackpodcast/?igshid=i57wwo16tjko  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PullbackPodcast/  Pullback is produced and hosted by Kristen Pue and Kyla Hewson. Logo by Rachel Beyer and Evan Vrinten.

Clean Food Group, a food tech company based in the UK, plans to commercialize a yeast-based palm oil alternative that could reduce global deforestation. In this episode of the Xtalks Food Podcast, Sydney talks about a palm oil alternative that uses fermentation technology to grow yeast in tanks while using lignocellulosic waste as a feedstock and renewable energy as an energy source. The sustainable alternative can be used in all products that currently require palm oil and may also reach price parity with conventional palm oil. The team wonders why palm oil is so ubiquitous in food production and discuss why a multi-faceted approach is needed to address all the negative environmental impacts of palm oil production.Also, in this episode, Sydney talks about Monster Energy's entrance into the alcoholic beverage category with Beast Unleashed. It will be the energy drink brand's first new alcoholic beverage since the beverage maker acquired CANarchy Craft Brewery Collective for $330 million in early 2022. Beast Unleashed will also be the first time Monster has leveraged its namesake brand in the alcohol space. Since alcohol remains a small but growing segment for Monster Beverage, the company has been exploring other avenues for growth, including releasing a 100 percent vegan energy drink and a zero-sugar beverage. The team wonders whether Monster will find success in alcohol in such a crowded market and whether the branding will confuse consumers. Read the full articles here:New Palm Oil Alternative Receives $2.2 Million InvestmentBeast Unleashed: Monster Energy's Long-Awaited Alcoholic BeverageFor more food and beverage industry content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage.Follow Us on Social Media Twitter: @XtalksFood Instagram: @Xtalks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Xtalks.Webinars/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtalks-webconferences YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/XtalksWebinars/featured

As humans increasingly dominate the landscape through building homes, farms, highways, etc, the territories of wildlife are getting smaller and smaller. Animals are finding themselves in what are now our backyards as they are trying to satisfy their own needs for food, shelter, water, and finding mates. Elephants in Malaysia are no exception. Dr. Nurzhafarina Othman is a Bornean Elephant researcher and founder of the organization Seratu Aatai whose mission is to create a society that is willing and capable of protecting and coexisting with elephants and other wildlife. We talk about how teaching people about wildlife's behavior has helped increase tolerance of their presence, what has helped her the most in protecting the animals, and her thoughts on the palm oil industry (they might surprise you!).HighlightsWhy human-to-human conflict may be the bigger issue compared to human-wildlife conflict?The importance of understanding animal behavior where you live.How the palm oil industry can be an asset.What YOU Can DoAwareness is important! Learn more about the Malaysian elephants and share that knowledge with those you know.Palm oil is found everywhere, from the daily soap you use to the delicious Nutella you spread on your toast. Seek out the products that use certified palm oil. This creates a demand that the companies can hear loud and clear.When visiting Malaysia, choose responsible tours that let you view wild elephants at a distance. Getting too close can change their behavior which can be dangerous for both you and them.Create a wildlife neighborhood watch team. Learn about the wildlife in your area and share resources with your neighbors to develop a communal sense of pride and acceptance of the other beings that share your space.Support the work being done by researchers like Dr. Farina.ResourcesSeratu Aatai FacebookInstagramTwitter Want a free guide to help you become a force for nature? Get it at https://forcesfornature.com/becoming-a-force-for-nature-free-guide/If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, rate and review! This helps to boost its visibility.Hit me up on Instagram and Facebook and let me know what actions you have been taking. Adopting just one habit can be a game-changer because imagine if a billion people also adopted that!What difference for the world are you going to make today?Check out the new The Healthy Seas Podcast on your favorite podcasting app and meet those doing all they can to ensure our oceans and seas thrive!

In this episode, Gabe Eickhoff walks us through the different businesses of Lestari Capital from driving forest restoration through the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil and other certification schemes to closing the time and finance gap for carbon projects. Gabe also discusses stacking and bundling and the role of technology in improving efficiency of project development.

Victor Tamanjong, assistant technical manager for Africa at the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, outlines the history of the palm oil sector in Africa, and the more recent growth of certified crop. He discusses how to engage smallholder farmers with the benefits of certification and adopting a more sustainable approach in general – including market access, training, increased yields and farm income. As in many palm oil growing regions, land tenure is a major challenge – but an approach that respects local land-holding customs is proving to be successful. With Ian Welsh.

Despite the fact that Indonesia's deforestation rate reached a historic low in 2020, the social, cultural, and ecological wellbeing of people whose livelihoods depend on forests has continued to suffer greatly. The indigenous Marind people in Papua, for example, have seen 1.2 million hectares of their lands and forests targeted for oil palm and timber plantations as part of the Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate. This has led not only to food and water insecurity but also fundamental shifts in the food and eating habits of the Marind people. Why is this happening? Joining Talking Indonesia for a second time is Dr Sophie Chao, postdoctoral research associate in the Department of History, University of Sydney. Dr Annisa Beta chats to Chao about her extensive work with the Marind people and the intersections of race, food, and development in Papua. Chao has recently published articles on gastrocolonialism and on the political symbolism of the monkey from the perspective of West Papuan indigenous communities. Chao's first book, In the Shadow of the Palms: More-Than-Human Becomings in West Papua, was awarded the inaugural Duke University Press Scholars of Color First Book Award in June 2021 and is forthcoming with Duke University Press in June 2022. In her first appearance on the podcast in 2019, Chao spoke with Talking Indonesia co-host Dr Jemma Purdey about the violence, displacement, and dispossession experienced by the Marind people. Chao previously worked for the international human rights organisation Forest Peoples Programme in the United Kingdom and Indonesia and has undertaken consultancies for the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. For more information about Sophie, please visit morethanhumanworlds.com.

Samuel Avaala, general manager of Benso Oil Palm Plantation in Ghana, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about how the business uses the Accountability Framework to help engage non-certified suppliers so they align with BOPP's no deforestation, no damaging of peat lands and no exploitation commitments. They talk about how the framework can be complementary to membership of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil's certification scheme.    This is latest in a series of content supported by the Accountability Framework initiative. The Accountability Framework – set up by a coalition of 24 members to accelerate progress and improve accountability for ethical supply chains in agriculture and forestry – has recently passed the second anniversary of its launch. A number of the coalition members have recognised the achievements of the past two years – click here for more information.    

This week: Samuel Avaala from Benso Oil Palm Plantation in Ghana, talks about how to work with suppliers to improve traceability and transparency from non-certified sources, to tackle deforestation and ensure sustainable supply. The discussion includes how initiatives and tools, including the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil and the Accountability Framework help, and the need for careful alignment of farmer incentives so the entire value chain benefits.   Plus: new food eco labelling scheme, backed by Nestlé, Tyson Foods, Sainsbury's and others, to cover all environmental impacts; southeast Asian working group on standards for corporate communications on sustainability; and, PepsiCo backing PET bottles with unlimited recyclability, in the news round up.     Host: Ian Welsh

An EU ban on the vegetable oil's use in biofuel has upset Indonesia and Malaysia. Meanwhile critics say it will only worsen the problem of tropical deforestation by palm oil farmers. Manuela Saragosa looks at this most divisive of commodities, and moves to ban it impact the smallholder farmers behind almost half of global production. Sustainability researcher Gernot Klepper of the Kiel Institute explains why he thinks the European position is irrational, while Indonesian palm trade journalist Bhimanto Suwastoyo says palm growers could simply switch to markets in India and China where buyers care much less about deforestation. Meanwhile Greenpeace's Grant Rosoman explains why the environmentalist group is so sceptical about existing certification schemes, while Tiur Rumondang of the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil - the biggest such scheme - defends their work. Producers: Laurence Knight, Joshua Thorpe (Picture: A farmer carries palm oil fruit at a plantation in Malaysia; Credit: STR/AFP/GettyImages)

“Sustainable Palm Oil” is deceiving and does not ensure ethical ingredients. Palm oil is everywhere – in our foods, cosmetics, cleaning products, and fuels. It’s a source of huge profits for multinational corporations, while at the same time destroying the rich biodiversity of tropical rainforests and the livelihoods of Indigenous Peoples and small landholders. Displacement of indigenous Peoples, deforestation, and loss of biodiversity are all consequences of our palm oil consumption. Thus, the palm oil inherent in a purchase of a $5 box of Girl Scout Cookies is connected to child labor, deforestation and displacement, climate disruption, and human rights atrocities. But there are solutions. Our show’s guests are working to demand accountability from business and campaigning for solutions that support the climate, human rights, and indigenous self-determination. Olivia Chaffin [https://girlsagainstpalmoil.wixsite.com/my-site] is a 14 year old Girl Scout, vegan, and activist. She became concerned about palm oil in 2016 when she learned about the issues surrounding its production. SIGN HER PETITION TO THE GIRL SCOUTS: https://www.change.org/p/girl-scouts-of-the-usa-remove-palm-oil-from-girl-scout-cookies Daniel Carrillo is the Forest Campaign Director for Rainforest Action Network [http://ran.org]. Daniel has worked over a decade in organized labor. He also has worked on international corporate campaigns in Latin America and Southeast Asia to defend worker rights and the environment. RAN Keep Forests Standing Campaign: https://www.ran.org/campaign/keep-forests-standing/ More Info: AP: https://apnews.com/article/palm-oil-forests-indonesia-scouts-83b01f2789e9489569960da63b2741c4 RAN: https://www.ran.org/the-understory/destroying-lives-and-stealing-land/ Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: https://socal350.org/contribute-to-socal-350-climate-action/ Hosted by Jessica Aldridge Engineer: Blake Lampkin Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Assoc. Producer: Emilia Barrosse Show Created by Mark and JP Morris Music: Javier Kadry Episode 89

Als der Volkswirtschaftsminister Guy Parmelin im Dezember für das Freihandelsabkommen mit Indonesien warb, über das wir am 7. März abstimmen, sagte er: «Mit diesem Abkommen gibt es keine Verlierer.» Das sieht das Referendumskomitee «Stop Palmöl» diametral anders. Das sagen die Befürworter Dass die Schweizer Pharma- und Maschinenindustrie, aber auch andere Schweizer KMUs einen einfacheren Zugang zum boomenden Markt in Südostasien erhalten, sei wichtig für unser Land. Im Gegenzug poche man beim Import von Palmöl auf mehr Nachhaltigkeit, sagen die Befürworter. Ein faires Handelsabkommen. Deshalb plädieren sie für ein Ja am 7. März. Das sagen die Gegner Eine ganz andere Vorstellung von Nachhaltigkeit hat das Referendumskomitee mit dem Titel «Stop Palmöl». Das Freihandelsabkommen sei schädlich und befeure die Palmölindustrie in Indonesien zusätzlich. Diese zeige einen wenig verantwortungsbewussten Umgang mit dem Regenwald und den aussterbenden Tier- und Pflanzenarten. Zudem käme es immer wieder zur Missachtung der Grundrechte der indigenen Landbesitzer. Deshalb plädieren die Gegner für ein Nein am 7. März. Das sind die Gäste in der Sendung: • Befürworter Eric Nussbaumer, Nationalrat SP: «Es ist das erste Mal überhaupt bei einem Freihandelsabkommen, dass Zolltarife gekoppelt werden an die Frage, wie ökologisch und sozial verträglich ein Produkt, in dem Fall Palmöl, hergestellt wurde. Ein Meilenstein.» • Gegnerin Irena Wettstein, PanEco: «Auf dem Papier sieht das Kapitel über nachhaltige Entwicklung schön aus. Es bietet jedoch keine Garantien, Nachhaltigkeit zu gewährleisten. Leider ist es ein trauriger Fakt: Auch nach 15-jährigem Bestehen ist es dem RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) nicht gelungen, Biodiversität und Menschenrechte in den Anbaugebieten wirksam zu schützen. Und das soll plötzlich funktionieren?» Was ist Ihre Meinung? Warum sind Sie für oder gegen ein Freihandelsabkommen mit Indonesien? Wir sind interessiert an Ihrer Meinung. Diskutieren Sie hier mit.

Many people think there is no such thing as sustainably grown palm oil. Palm oil’s reputation makes it hard for companies that grow oil palm in a way that doesn’t fit the destructive stereotype of palm oil production. One such company is Rotterdam-headquartered Natural Habitats, which works with independent farmers in South America to grow organic palm oil that is deforestation-free, wildlife-friendly, fair for farmers, and for local communities. Joining the Eco-Business podcast is Monique van Wijnbergen, global head of sustainability and corporate communications for Natural Habitats, and a spokesperson for the Palm Done Right campaign.

Elilai & Alex

“‘Better than nothing’: the motto of our podcast. We need to learn how to say that in Latin and then get it printed up.” In this episode, Kyla and Kristen discuss palm oil production and people, as well as what you can do about it. Topics: working conditions; Indigenous peoples; food security; the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil; boycott versus labelling; what you can do.Website: https://www.pullback.org/research/palmoilTwitter: https://twitter.com/PullbackPodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pullbackpodcast/?igshid=i57wwo16tjko Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PullbackPodcast/ Pullback is produced and hosted by Kristen Pue and Kyla Hewson. Logo by Rachel Beyer and Evan Vrinten.

When produced irresponsibly, palm oil can have a devastating impact. Which is why, the Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil has come up with criteria for palm oil producers, which is a generally-agreed global standard. Elizabeth Clarke, Conservation Director, WWF Singapore shares the importance of using sustainable palm oil and the 8 principles that sustainable palm oil growers need to fulfill.

In Episode 19, we explore one of the most controversial materials in consumer packaged goods and first mile sustainability - palm oil. Palm oil is in over 50% of products on retail supermarket shelves (WWF). From Unilever, Kelloggs, PepsiCo, to other members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), Sustainability and traceability are hot topics and front of mind in many CPG Supply Chains. Cameron Plese joins us from RSPO in one of our best discussions yet, to explore why palm oil is such an important topic. Provocative PoV on the impact of palm oil on the environment and economies, industry collaboration with CPG leaders like Proctor & Gamble (and their Smallholder Academy), Walmart (and Project Gigaton), Kelloggs advances in human rights, and Unilever's ongoing commitment to sustainability. Topics we cover include strategy in sourcing, policy and how to get started, technology in first mile sustainability including traceability, drones, and blockchain. If you ever wanted to learn about sustainability in sourcing, including smallholder farmer collaboration, this is a great episode. To learn more about RSPO and their North America Sustainable Palm Oil Virtual Conference on June 16-18, 2020, visit https://www.rspo.org/ Find the Supply Chain Queen and Circular Nomad at https://www.supplychainrevolution.com/

The palm oil industry has experienced a three-fold increase of production over the last two decades - the oil and its derivative ingredients are now identifiable in a third of all vegetable oils produced globally, ranging from biodiesel, to makeup, to chocolate spreads. The production does, however, have a significant ecological and social impact – so it is of little surprise that it has attracted so much consumer and investor attention. Tune in to the latest episode of ISS ESG Foreword to hear three of our ESG experts dive a little deeper into this industry, the range of ESG risks that have manifested from it, and discuss how investors can respond to these risks within their portfolios. Ask us questions, let us know your thoughts, or suggest a topic for a future Foreword podcast by writing to us at podcast@iss-esg.com.

Emily Kunen from Nestlé, Gotz Martin from Golden Agri-Resources and Róisín Mortimer from Earthworm Foundation debate with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh how business and partner organisations can really help smallholder palm oil farmers grow incomes without clearing new land. They discuss the challenges around developing traceability all the way to the farm level, land use planning and ownership, and indigenous land rights in particular. Involving and engaging local communities is an essential part of this.

Presently, certified sustainable palm oil remains in oversupply. Less than half of RSPO certified palm oils produced in 2018 were sold as certified palm oil, while remaining volumes were sold as conventional palm oil. Oscar Tjakra joins Lief Chiang to chat about potential markets for increasing certified sustainable palm oil demand.

The orangutan is an iconic primate which inhabits the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra. Over the past several decades however, its habitat has been cleared and encroached upon, with one of the most serious threats being the clearing of their forest homes for palm oil plantations. We discuss the threats and challenges facing orangutans today, and whether certified sustainable palm oil is the way to ensure their survival in the wild, with Michelle Desilets, the Founder and Executive Director of the Orangutan Land Trust, who has been working in orangutan conservation for over 25 years.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you know palm oil is in around 50% of all products found on supermarket shelves? In this episode of Sustainability Matters Today, I interview Inke Van Der Sluijs, head of European operations at the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (aka the RSPO) and #Champion of Sustainable Palm Oil. Established in 2004, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil is the leading certifying body that demonstrates palm oil is produced with the environment and society in mind. The RSPO has more than 4,000 members worldwide who represent all links along the palm oil supply chain. They have committed to produce, source and/or use sustainable palm oil certified by the RSPO. Please make sure to subscribe to the Sustainability Matters Today podcast to learn more about other champions of sustainability like Inke. I hope you enjoy this episode! Resources: Assurance Services International (ASI): www.asi-assurance.org/s Jurisdiction approach to certification: rspo.org/news-and-events/announcements/public-consultation-jurisdictional-approach-for-rspo-certification Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-governmental_organization Peatland and Climate Change: iucn.org/resources/issues-briefs/peatlands-and-climate-change RSPO website: rspo.org Sustainable Palm Oil: eco-business.com/news/what-is-sustainable-palm-oil You can read the transcript of the episode here: http://bit.ly/Inke-Van-Der-Sluijs-SMT Watch the full episode: https://sustainabilitym.at/Youtube-Van-Der-Sluijs

An often overlooked part of the palm oil story is people. What is the industry doing to protect the rights of workers on plantations? On this podcast, Eco-Business spoke to industry experts from the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil and workers' rights group Verité.

Palm oil has weaseled its way into almost every product in our kitchens and bathrooms, but is it as bad as everyone thinks? Jess and Livvy take a closer look this complex and slippery topic - and make some surprising discoveries. ****************************************************************************************************************************************************** LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE The banned Greenpeace/Iceland advert - Rang Tan Iceland removed own label from 17 products rather than palm oil (BBC) Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil website Friends of the Earth article: RSPO: 14 years of failure to eliminate violence and destruction from the industrial palm oil sector (Link) Ethical Consumer Guide to Palm Oil: (Ethical Consumer) Palm Oil Innovation Group (Link) RSPO adopts total ban on deforestation under sweeping new standards (Mongabay) Leashed monkeys forced to pick coconuts in Thailand (Independent) Millions of songbirds vacuumed to death every year during Mediterranean olive harvest (Independent) If you do one thing, sign this petition! Greenpeace petition - Save Rang-Tan. End dirty palm oil: Sign here And remember... We are offering Woke &Confused Workplace sessions - Contact us! http://www.wokeandconfused.com/index.html#live Send us your dilemmas, stories and episode requests :) https://www.wokeandconfused.com/contact.html Follow us on Twitter and Instagram! If you like what you hear, please give us a rating and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wokeandconfused/message

Inke van der Sluijs, head of European operations at the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (the RSPO) discusses supermarket palm oil boycotts. Episode Four - Sustainable Food & Drink Podcast - hosted by Lumina Intelligence analyst Oliver Nieburg. For the accompanying text article visit Food Navigator. Visit Lumina Intelligence Sustainability for more on cocoa, coffee, tea and palm updates.

In this episode, we address the issue of 'palm oil'. As a controversial ingredient, we want to understand where it comes from, what it is used for, what products contain it and exactly why it's got a bad reputation. Palm oil makes up 35% of the vegetable oil market, but what about it is actually bad, and can we do anything about it?Please share, rate, review and subscribe to help us on our mission to open up the conversation on sustainability.Follow us @podcastswitch or visit podcastswitch.comLinks to some of the organisations and resources we mentioned in the episode:Act for Wildlife: The Palm Oil Challenge (a short video explaining palm oil in a really simple way) - https://youtu.be/K6KOQjimVjAWWF Palm Oil Score Card (to view where your favourite brands rank) - http://palmoilscorecard.panda.org/ Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (aims to transform markets to make sustainable palm oil the norm) - https://rspo.org/

This week, Dean and Victoria discuss how plastic pollution enters the water stream through washing clothes, the effects of Arctic military bases on climate, the use of biodegradable bags, and alternatives to using palm oil. They also address a farewell to fellow co-host Jalisa, and have a familiar guest make a special appearance one last time! Aired on 05/11/19

In this episode, I spoke with Inke van der Sluijs, Head of European Operations for the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. In light of the huge movement against palm oil, I wanted to take the time to connect with the RSPO to go through this challenging topic. Can palm oil be sustainable? If you’re someone who thinks that it can’t be, and that we should just switch to another oil, I would just urge you to listen to our conversation. We spoke about what the RSPO is and what they do, insights regarding trends for palm free, resource requirements, recent data looking at impacts from switching to another fatty crop, steps moving forward, and lots more.

Ben Vreeburg, director, sustainability, at Bunge Loders Croklaan, speaks to Ian Welsh about transparency challenges in palm oil supply chains – particularly when moving from the mill to the farm level. Vreeburg argues that the changes to the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil's principles and criteria agreed in 2018 reflect an industry that wants to reform – highlighting the requirements for independent verification and the “no deforestation, peat or exploitation” supply chains that so many companies want. And they discuss how to achieve the tricky balance between working with suppliers who breach standards to improve versus suspending relationships when necessary.

This week: Ben Vreeburg, director, sustainability, at Bunge Loders Croklaan discusses how to achieve transparency to plantation level in palm oil supply chains, the challenges in doing so, and what stakeholders want to see. He outlines how the industry is implementing the new Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil rules, and why these now better represent leading industry practices. Plus: Princes' innovative food supply chains; smallholder access to new seed technology; Indonesia earns payout from Norway for slowing deforestation rates; pros and cons of plastic deposit return; and, how to pay for circularity in apparel supply chains, in the news digest. Hosted by Ian Welsh  

You’ve probably heard palm oil production is causing deforestation and biodiversity loss on a massive scale. You might be surprised, however, how many products contain palm oil. The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Tracey Gazibara shares how the zoo protects species and habitat by supporting efforts to produce Sustainable Palm Oil. The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was the first zoo to join the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. Over a dozen other zoos followed. Tracy explains why we shouldn’t boycott palm oil, but should instead support certified sustainable palm oil. Pikes Peak Environmental Forum presenting sponsors are Becky, the Gardener, LLC and PeakRadar.com. LINKS: Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil Sustainable Palm Oil Shopping App by Cheyenne Mountain Zoo – links at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo – Palm Oil Crisis page Rainforest Action Network video about orangutans and palm oil SPONSORS: Adams Bank and Trust Art of Engineering Becky, the Gardener, LLC Black Hills EnergyEnvironmental Compliance Systems Old Town Bike Shop PeakRadar.com Terra Essentials This program was recorded at the January 25 luncheon meeting of the Pikes Peak Environmental Forum. The Forum informs the community in Colorado Springs on issues of environmental import. Our monthly luncheon meeting topics have ranged from how earthquakes can predict weather events to sustainable energy solutions. Each month we learn something we weren’t necessarily aware we needed to know, but in broadening our knowledge, we deepen our understanding of, and our connection to, the world. Learn about future luncheons at our Facebook page. UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS: Wednesday, February 20, 2019 Water in our RegionPeak Alliance for a Sustainable Future - Sustainability in Progress 7:30-9am, Ivywild School - Wildcat Room Friday, February 22, 2019 Fibershed - Care What You Wear, Judith Rice-Jones Pikes Peak Environmental Forum Noon to 2 pm, Margarita at Pine Creek (Please RSVP) Wednesday, March 20, 2019 Built and Natural Environment: Water and Air Quality Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future - Sustainability in Progress 7:30-9am, Ivywild School - Wildcat Room Friday, March 22 Fungi, the Forgotten Kingdom, Mike Esom Pikes Peak Environmental Forum Noon to 2 pm, Margarita at Pine Creek (Please RSVP) Friday, April 26 Mile High Youth Corps Providing lifetime skills for youth in the arenas of energy conservation and trail building Pikes Peak Environmental Forum Noon to 2 pm, Margarita at Pine Creek (Please RSVP)

Agriculture and local food play a vital role in the Pikes Peak Regional 2030 Sustainability Plan. Three local food practitioners share how local groups are promoting agriculture and local food in the Pikes Peak region. The speakers share how their work is supporting the goals to: promote urban agriculture and knowledge about food encourage regional collaboration and cooperation promote healthy behaviors around food and food waste Speakers: Barbra Gibb - Pikes Peak Urban Gardens View her slide presentation, Local Food Literacy Initiative Nat Stein - Colorado Food Rescue and Soil Cycle program View her slide presentation, Soil Cycle Ellen Johnson-Fay - The Local Food Coalition View her slide presentation, The Local Food Coalition Notes: 1) The Grain School mentioned by Ellen Johnson-Fay as happening “this weekend” happened on January 18 and 19 of 2019. These presentations were made on January 16, 2019. 2) The email address given out for the Pikes Peak Library District’s Green Team ends in .org (not .com) This was the January 2019 Sustainability in Progress presentation. Sustainability in Progress is a monthly program of the Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future. Join us (free) the third Wednesday of every month 7:30-9:00 a.m. in the Wildcat Room at the Ivywild School. Coffee and pastries are provided. LINKS Mentioned in this Episode: Peak Alliance for a Sustainable Future Pikes Peak Urban Gardens Colorado Food Rescue and Soil Cycle program The Local Food Coalition (a part of the Green Cities Coalition) Pikes Peak Foodshed Forum (February 22, 2019) (we'll post this link when we have it) BrownsGreens (compost pickup west of I-25) Sustainable Palm Oil presentation January 25, 2019 (Pikes Peak Environmental Forum)

Warum wurde gerade eine Werbung gegen Palmöl im Fernsehen verboten. Und gibt es eigentlich nachhaltiges Palmöl? Außerdem rege ich mich kurz über meine irre Nachbarin auf. Quellen: https://ooe.arbeiterkammer.at/beratung/konsumentenschutz/fairkonsumieren/Palmoel_-_gibt_es_kein_nachhaltiges_Produkt.html https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roundtable_on_Sustainable_Palm_Oil

Elisabeth Hipeau, senior industry analyst, BNP Paribas, explains to Innovation Forum's Toby Webb the bank's approach to dealing with deforestation risks, and how it puts into practice its policy of its investments having as little impact as possible. Hipeau outlines how innovative financial products can help reward sustainability performance.

Palm oil is a complicated issue. The supply chain itself is very complicated and crosses several borders. The products made from palm oil are touched by many hands before they reach the shelves. And it will reach the shelves, in the US palm oil is in about 50% of packaged goods. That's why the RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) is so damn impressive. They are tackling the certification process with board members from every step of the supply chain and beyond. And they are doing it with urgency because it is urgent.

Little do most people know that they are directly contributing to the destruction of the “lungs of the earth” (the most sensitive ecosystems in the world, the Rainforest) by using products that contain non-RSPO palm oil. That is non-sustainably harvested palm oil. Listen to this interview with the U.S. Outreach Representative for the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil.This is perhaps the most important interview I’ve done because it will directly inform you about how your specific product purchases are contributing to Rainforest destruction globally and contributing to the demand for Non-RSPO certified palm oil products.Long ago we decided to commit to having our C8 Keto MCT Oil product RSPO Certified . Now you'll know why this is so incredibly important. Our hope is that we begin to ‘set the bar higher’ in terms of encouraging other companies to convert their products, or the ingredients in their product to RSPO-certified palm oil ingredients…and consequently halt the massive destruction of a remarkable ecosystem: The Rainforest of South East Asia, and around the world.Show Links: https://rspo.org/ https://www.amazon.com/Keto-Extreme-Booster-Sustainably-Harvested/dp/B01MR2CYRS/ref=sr_1_4_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1532979887&sr=8-4&keywords=c8+keto+mct+oilBuy C8Keto MCT Oil on AmazonOur Facebook Group Keto NaturopathUntil next time, Dr. Karl

Teaser NARRATOR Donuts, deodorant, buns and burgers. They're killing us -- and not just because of what they do to our bodies. No, it's because of what the soy, beef, and palm-oil that they're made of -- and they paper they're packaged in -- do to the environment. More specifically, it's because of the way way we get these commodities -- by chopping or degrading forests -- which is one reason that tropical forests now emit more greenhouse gasses than they absorb, according to a study published last month in the journal Science. But what if I told you we could end this by 2020 -- just two years from now? I'm not saying we can end all deforestation by 2020, but what if I told you we can purge deforestation from these four commodities -- the ones that drive most of the world's deforestation -- by ramping up ten activities that we're already engaged in -- and have been for decades: that these activities are time-tested, and they're lined up like dominoes, ready to be activated? It's like a giant, simmering pot ready to boil. Would you believe me? I hope so, because that's exactly what I'm saying, and it's not just me saying this. It's more than 250 economists, ecologists, and agronomists from around the world, and they're drawing on the experience of environmental NGOand small farming communities from Africa to Asia to Latin America -- as well as the big agribusinesses -- who are, quite frankly, the critical actors in all of this. Today we're looking at these ten activities, how they fit into 100 more that are getting a lot of attention these days -- as well as where they came from, why they work, and how you can learn more about them.   NARRATOR Earth. We broke it. We own it -- and nothing is as it was. Not the trees, not the seas - not the forests, farms, or fields -- and not the global economy that depends on all of these. But we can restore it. Make it better: greener, more resilient, more sustainable. But how? Technology? Geoengineering? Are we doomed to live on a... Bionic Planet? Or is Nature itself the answer? That's the question we address in every episode of Bionic Planet, a podcast of the Anthropocene -- the new epoch defined by man's impact on earth -- and nowhere is that impact more deeply felt than in the forests, farms, and fields that recycle our air and provide our food. Today we're looking at lists: two of them, to be specific. One involves 100 solutions that can not only slow climate change, but end it and even reverse it. The other involves ten activities that can accelerate a cluster of the big 100. In between our examination of these two lists, you're going to have to sit through a little history class -- because you won't understand where we're at or where we're going if you don't understand where we came from and how we got here. Act I NARRATOR I'm opening today's show with a book review of sorts -- a very short one like the ones that Sister Mary Ann used to ask us to deliver in her English class at Christ the King school in Chicago. It compares and contrasts two best-sellers related to Climate Change. One is called "Drawdown", and it's a recipe book of sorts... for saving the planet. I love this book. The other is called "This Changes Everything", and it's a mess. I hate it -- even though it's more entertaining than the first. What I love about Drawdown, which is edited by environmentalist and entrepreneur Paul Hawken, is that it focuses on concrete, doable ways of fixing the mess. Specifically, it summarizes 100 solutions that can not only slow climate change, but -- cumulatively -- end it and even reverse it. Of these 100, 80 already exist and are even being implemented, while 20 are listed as "coming attractions". He categorizes about a quarter of the solutions under either "food" or "land use", and they include things like green agriculture, forest protection, and indigenous peoples' land management -- all of which I cover in this podcast What I hate about "This Changes Everything" is that it's shrill, sloppy, and dismissive of workable solutions. Its basic story arc is this: "Gee, I just realized this climate stuff is serious, and so I spent a year or so investigating it, and I found that all of the so-called solutions out there only fix part of the problem... none of the fix the whole thing. We need something radical! A total reset of human nature! And I'm just the person to tell you how to do it, and it involves the post office." On the one hand, in writing the book, Naomi Klein sounded the alarm, which is great, and she even pointed out that we need to radically alter the way we run our economy... which is true... but then she dismisses anything that isn't a magic bullet like the ones that kills vampires... or is it warewolves? Anyway... and either way, she ends up floating a solution that's just as imaginary as those two creatures, while not just ignoring but actively dissing and dismissing solutions like the ones that Hawken highlights in his book  Now, I get the Daniel Burnham aspect of this -- he's the Chicago architect who said, and I quote, "Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood and probably themselves will not be realized." So, I can see why Klein -- and, in fact, most mainstream writers -- steer clear of wonky, tedious solutions. They're boring. But our job as reporters isn't just to entertain. It's to act as a kind of scout... going out into the wilderness, seeing what's happening there -- what the threats are, how to avoid them... and then reporting back in a way that clear and concise. I'm excited about Drawdown for two reasons: first, because it achieves this, and second, because it's become a best-seller -- and it should, because these wonky, tedious solutions aren't little. Each is massive in its own right, and Drawdown looks at 100 of them. What's more, the book's goal isn't just to slow climate change, but to actually end it and reverse it. If that doesn't stir your heart, I don't know what will -- and on that note, I'd to share with you the second half of that quote, which we almost never hear. "Make big plans," he says. "Aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will never die, but long after we are gone will be a living thing, asserting itself with ever-growing insistency. Remember that our sons and grandsons are going to do things that would stagger us. Let your watchword be order and your beacon beauty." Nothing there about being simple and pithy, and the emerging solutions to the climate challenge are not always simple, but they are noble, logical, orderly, and beautiful. The Paris Agreement, for example, is a masterwork of diplomacy -- a massive mosaic of thousands of smaller agreements that respect every country and culture on the planet. Likewise, the solutions I'll be examining today emerge from diverse sectors and societies, yet they all fit together like a jigsaw puzzle, and they're also integral to the success of the Paris Agreement. I'm focusing mostly on the corporate sector, because that's where we need to focus our attention if we're going to fix this mess. The ten solutions we'll be examining in the final segment come from Tropical Forest Alliance 2020. But what is Tropical Forest Alliance 2020, and how does it influence corporate activities?  Act 2 Marco Albani We're basically a platform for private-public collaboration NARRATOR That's Marco Albani who runs Tropical Forest Alliance 2020.  MARCO ALBANI Created by US government and CGF MUSIC: Zydeco NARRATOR We're going to be focusing on two organizations today, and the Consumer Goods Forum is one of them. It's a coalition of CEOs and top managers from more than 400 retailers, manufacturers, and service providers in 70 countries. It coalesced in 2009, but traces its origin to the aftermath of World War I, when French food merchants were beginning to engage in international commerce again, and needed to know that they were getting good stuff. But they soon learned that the "war to end all wars" achieved nothing of the kind, and it wasn't until 1953 that the International Committee of Food Chains was born. This was a commercial enterprise focused on making sure farmers in far-away places were delivering good food to merchants and shopkeepers closer to home, but the parameters of quality control gradually expanded to include labor conditions and environmental impact. By the 1990s, environmental pressure groups had forced the creation of certification standards for the sustainable production of palm oil and timber & pulp, while other industry groups emerged to promote general food safety. Then, in 2009, just as climate negotiators were gathering for year-end talks in Copenhagen, Denmark, three of these industry groups -- the Global Commerce Initiative, the Global CEO Forum, and the International Committee of Food Chains -- merged into the Consumer Goods Forum, which is dedicated to promoting fair labor and environmental practices among companies whose sales add up to $3.5 trillion per year. Now, I'm not so naive as to believe that these companies are all selfless and beneficent. In fact, I even think many of them are selfish and sociopathic, as legal scholar Joel Bakan maintains. But there are ways of changing that, and these multilateral organizations are one. In fact, research from the Forest Trends Supply Change initiative shows companies that belong to organizations like the Consumer Goods Forum not only make more environmental commitments than companies that don't, but they're also much better at reporting progress towards delivering on those commitments, which is why this matters: MARCO ALBANI 2010 GCF Resolution NARRATOR Beef, soy, palm oil, and pulp & paper. There they are again -- the big four commodities responsible for most of the world's deforestation, because farmers around the world are chopping forests to grow them. So it's a pretty big deal when 400 companies line up behind a specific pledge to end that.  But, of course, it doesn't end there. Just as the Kyoto Protocol showed us that government can't do this on its own, common sense tells us that the global, profit-driven corporate sector isn't going to fix our problems on its own, either, despite what free-market fundamentalists like to believe. We need government, we need NGOs, we need indigenous groups... we need them all working together. So, in 2012, the Consumer Goods Forum and the US government launched the group we're primarily focusing on today: Tropical Forest Alliance 2020 -- or TFA 2020 -- to get all these sectors working towards the goal of changing the way we produce the big four deforestation commodities, so that by the year 2020 we no longer chop forests to do so. MARCO ALBANI And since then grown... more than 400 partners... business, producers to consumers. MUSIC: zydeco? NARRATOR So, you've got the Consumer Goods Forum representing business, and you've got Tropical Forest Alliance 2020 -- or TFA 2020 -- representing all of these diverse interests. Then, in 2014, as climate negotiators were gearing up for the Lima talks, things get serious. UN General Secretary Ban Ki Moon holds a massive rally in New York designed to turbocharge TFA 2020's mission. The result is the New York Declaration on Forests, which is a pledge to cut the global rate of deforestation in half by 2020, and to end deforestation by 2030 while restoring hundreds of millions of acres of degraded land. The pledge is endorsed by 36 national governments,  20 sub-national governments -- meaning states and cities -- 15 indigenous organizations, 53 environmental NGOs, and 52 multinational corporations. The list of companies is interesting: it includes traditional good actors like Danone, Unilever, and Kellogg's -- but also companies with a reputation for doing the wrong thing, like Asia Pulp and Paper -- a longtime environmental pariah once known for grinding pristine forest into pulp. Dewi Bramono turn story around NARRATOR That's Dewi Bramono, Asia Pulp and Paper's Director of Sustainability and Stakeholder Engagement, who we'll hear from later in the show. Most of the audio in today's show comes from an event that Forest Trends hosted in September during New York Climate Week, and Dewi Bramono's presence in that room is proof that companies can change. The New York Declaration on Forests is a big deal, because you got all of these companies publicly committing to tackle deforestation, and the declaration isn't just a simple statement, but is actually 10 specific goals that -- like all of those 100 solutions in Drawdown -- feed on and reinforce each other. The challenge is holding these companies to their word. MUSIC: ends Now we come to 2015: you've got these two global networks and this very public commitment -- how do you turn this into action? In part by getting everyone on the same page, so the governments of the UK and Norway ramped up funding for TFA 2020, and the World Economic Forum essentially adopted it -- giving it a place to live in Switzerland. That same year, the organization I work for -- Forest Trends -- launched the Supply Change initiative -- that's Supply-Change.org -- to track not just corporate commitments, but the progress that companies report, and you may have noticed I use them as a resource quite a lot. Now we come to last year -- 2016. You've got all of these commitments and all of this transparency, and TFA 2020 needed to pull it all together so we could see how far we were from the goal. They asked a dozen leading NGOs to help out, and they put a research-oriented group called Climate Focus in charge. Then, at last year's climate talks in Marrakesh, they published two reports: one focused on progress towards all ten of the goals outlined in the New York Declaration on Forests, and one focused exclusively on Goal Number Two, which says that, by 2020, we will no longer be chopping forests to produce the big four deforestation commodities. MUSIC: End zydeco MARCO ALBANI Goal Two Assessment - 1 NARRATOR Specifically, it's a mixed bag. Using Supply Change data on almost 700 companies, they found less than half of the companies that had made commitments were actually disclosing progress -- although those that did report progress were usually on track to meet their goals. They also found huge variance from company to company -- meaning some great success stories, some shining examples, and a lot of lessons-learned.  MARCO ALBANI Goal Two Assessment - 2 NARRATOR It's crunch-time, and we need to very quickly harvest the lessons of the last eight years to see what works and what doesn't. Then we need to scale up what works, and do it fast. So Tropical Forest Alliance 2020 called in "Climate Focus". They're the research-oriented NGO that led the creation of the two earlier assessments. CHARLOTTE STRECK We started with the New York Declaration NARRATOR That's Charlotte Streck, who runs Climate Focus. CHARLOTTE STRECK Then we had a series of workshops... FADE OUT NARRATOR You get the picture. They didn't just pull this out of thin air, but instead they talked to more than 250 organizations, put their findings out for review, adjusted them, and finally presented them in New York. SOUND: fade charlotte back in MUSIC: pensive NARRATOR So, let's pause again to get our bearings. We started with 100 activities that can reverse climate change, and we dove into one of them: ending deforestation, which we realized is part of a cluster of activities related to land-use and agriculture. We in turn found that this cluster was broken into ten specific goals of its own, enshrined in the New York Declaration on Forests. Then we dove into one of those ten goals -- Goal Number Two, the most immediate one: purging deforestation from the big four commodities by the year 2020 -- and we found it's doable. And now, after diving down to this one goal... we're going to open things up again... to look at the ten priority areas that can help us achieve the goal of purging deforestation from these four key commodities in just two years, which will in turn help us achieve the other 9 goals in the New York Declaration on Forests, which will in turn help us achieve a few dozen of the 100 activities that will help us reverse climate change. MUSIC: END NARRATOR Before we move on, some key points. First: Charlotte Streck This is not a step-wise approach NARRATOR And also, if we do achieve the 2020 goal, the game isn't over.  , MARCO ALBANI Need to keep long-term MUSIC: ?? NARRATOR I'm about to unveil the ten priority areas, but first I have a question for you: do you like this show? If so, would you like more episodes -- maybe better produced to boot? With a second set of ears and more time for editing? You can make that possible by giving me a good rating on iTunes or wherever you access the show; you can tell friends about me. Or, best of all, you can become a patron at bionic-planet.com I've set the patronage page up so you can support me per episode, but with a monthly cap. So, if you think $5 per month is good for a five-episode month, you can pledge $1 per episode, but with a $5 monthly cap. That way, if I don't manage to generate five episodes in a month, you're not paying for something you didn't get, and if I go nuts and deliver 20 episodes one month, you won't get whacked, either. By the same token, you can offer $5 per episode... or 10 or 50 or whatever.  I'm sitting on a ton of material -- Interviews and audio I gathered as far back as June -- and I'm itching to share it with you in ways that make sense. But I've got a day job, and I've got to pay the bills, too, and I'm not even close to breaking even on the podcast. I like the idea of being listener supported, but am also open to big sponsors, advertisers, or investors to cover my costs, hire some help, and scale this up. The web site, again, is bionic-planet.com, or you can e-mail me at steve@bionic-planet.com MUSIC: end music Act 3 SOUND: drumroll NARRATOR And now, the moment you've all been waiting for. The ten priority areas for purging deforestation from the supply chains of the big four deforestation commodities by the year 2020. Beginning with  SOUND: gong CHARLOTTE STRECK point 1 NARRATOR So, what does this mean? I'll let Michael Jenkins explain it. He runs Forest Trends, which means he signs my checks... but I think the group does good work, too, which is why I work for them. Michael Jenkins Forest Trends Illegality Report 1 NARRATOR He means illegal conversion of forests to farms or fields. MICHAEL JENKINS Forest Trends Illegality Report 2 NARRATOR Let that sink in for a moment. In fact, let's hear it again. MICHAEL JENKINS Forest Trends Illegality Report echo NARRATOR So, while we do need better legal frameworks, we also need to enforce the laws already on the books -- as Brazil showed when it slashed deforestation 70 percent between 2004 and 2014. If you listened to Episode 20, you heard how good-acting companies can also support enforcement -- something Charlotte also alluded to. CHARLOTTE STRECK companies can help NARRATOR Companies that are good with the law can also boost their bottom line by building up trust with importers abroad -- as Asia Pulp and Paper is doing in Indonesia. DEWI BRAMONO legality NARRATOR It's the right thing to do -- and it certainly can't hurt their status with global buyers. SOUND: drumroll NARRATOR And that brings us to... SOUND: Gong CHARLOTTE STRECK 2- palm certificatin NARRATOR Palm oil is in everything from donuts to soap to after-shave. You probably use it but don't even know it. CHARLOTTE STRECK Palm Oil is one of the main drivers NARRATOR Remember we talked about certification on the start? Supply Change data shows that of the big four commodities, companies are making the most progress in reducing deforestation around two of them: palm oil and timber and pulp -- mostly because we started seeing certification of these back in the 1980s. Today, about 21 percent of palm oil is certified by the Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil, or RSPO. The challenge is twofold: getting consumers to pay a premium for this, and extending certification to more forests. CHARLOTTE STRECK We don't have sufficient demand SOUND: drumroll NARRATOR Then comes the next priority SOUND: gong CHARLOTTE STRECK 3 beef intensification NARRATOR "Sustainable intensification of cattle grazing"... that basically means raising more cows on the same piece of land, so that you don't have to keep chopping forests to graze them.  CHARLOTTE STRECK Beef is responsible for more... NARRATOR In episode 7 of Bionic Planet, we saw how Kenyan farmers are using agroforestry to increase milk production -- they plant trees in among their crops to pull nitrogen from the air and infuse it into the soil, and they turn the leaves into silage for their cows. That's just one solution, and there are dozens of them. Ideally, we should all eat less beef, but for now we can reduce the amount of land used to raise the ones we do have. CHARLOTTE STRECK we know that we can SOUND: drumroll SOUND: gong NARRATOR Which brings us to... CHARLOTTE STRECK 4 palm and cocoa intensification NARRATOR Cocoa is not one of the big four, but it's a huge contributor -- and it's mostly produced by small farmers working in cooperatives. CHARLOTTE STRECK More than 30 percent of palm oil and 90 percent of cocoa NARRATOR The report shows that small palm-oil producers can increase their productivity 85 percent without chopping more trees. CHARLOTTE STRECK  These smallholders NARRATOR So, that gets us through three of the big four, plus cocoa -- or cacao, as the threes themselves are called. Ignacio Gavilan what about soy - 1 NARRATOR Yes -- what about soy? That, by the way, is Ignacio Gavilan, Director of Sustainability, for the Consumer Goods Forum. IGNACIO GAVILAN what about soy - 2 SOUND: drumroll NARRATOR And that brings us to... SOUND: gong   CHARLOTTE STRECK 5 sustainable soy NARRATOR Up until 2006, farmers across the Brazilian Amazon were chopping forest like mad to grow soy, but then something changed: Companies like McDonalds -- responding to pressure from groups like Greenpeace -- voluntarily stopped buying soy from Amazon farmers who chop trees to grow the stuff. The soy moratorium is just one example of a successful multilateral effort to fix the climate mess.  CHARLOTTE STRECK it is important NARRATOR Certification programs are ridiculously expensive and notoriously difficult to manage -- I mean, this is really complex stuff. A company like McDonalds buys beef from slaughterhouses like Marfrig or JBM, and those slaughterhouses buy from thousands of small farmers. To really do this right, we have to scale up  SOUND: drumroll NARRATOR And that's where the next priority area comes in SOUND: gong CHARLOTTE STRECK 6 - accelerating implementation of jurisdictional NARRATOR "jurisdictional" means governmental -- it can be federal, it can be state, it can be county, or even city. If you get an entire state like Sabah in Malaysia or California in the United States to make sure it's farmers are producing fruits and veggies in a sustainable way, companies can buy there without spending a fortune to certify each producer individually. CHARLOTTE STRECK we have screened 34 NARRATOR The state of Sabah, in Malaysia, for example, is working with several NGOs that have coalesced into an alliance called "Forever Sabah" Cynthia Ong jurisdictional 1 NARRATOR That's Cynthia Ong, who runs a group called "Land, Empowerment Animals, People" or LEAP. She's also one of Forever Sabah's co-executive directors. CYNTHIA ONG jurisdictional 2 NARRATOR Even big companies like Asia Pulp and Paper have realized they can't access certified material on a large scale one plantation at a time. DEWI BRAMONO landscape jurisdiction NARRATOR There are scores of efforts underway -- the Rainforest Alliance is also doing great work, which you can learn about if you listen to episode 23 -- that episode will have the raw audio from this event without me interjecting every few minutes. It's kind of long, but if this episode sparked your interest, I think you'll find the full event worth listen to. SOUND: drumroll NARRATOR But for now, we move on to... SOUND: Gong CHARLOTTE STRECK 7 - land security and land rights NARRATOR This is another one we've addressed here before: indigenous and traditional communities tend to have a strong connection to their land. Studies have shown they usually -- not always, of course, but usually -- maintain their forest and want to keep it, but their legal rights to the forests are often in limbo. That leaves them vulnerable to speculators, and also less willing to invest too much in the forest CHARLOTTE STRECK Uncertainty of land. NARRATOR Another thing to remember: people in developing countries buy stuff, too SOUND: drumroll NARRATOR Which brings us to: SOUND: gong CHARLOTTE STRECK Goal: Mobilizing demand in emerging markets NARRATOR Remember earlier, when we talked about certification? We learned that 21 percent of all palm oil is certified by the Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil, or the RSPO. One reason it's not higher is that people still, for the most part, buy whatever is cheapest, so it's not worthwhile for producers to spend all that money getting certified -- and that's even more so in developing countries. Kavita Prakash-Mani of WWF is working to change that. Kavita Prakash-Mani 21 percent CHARLOTTE STRECK In addition to this: domestic demand NARRATOR We're getting near the end here, folks -- so far, we've talked a lot about producers and consumers, but what about investors? SOUND: drumroll NARRATOR That brings up our next priority area: SOUND: Gong CHARLOTTE STRECK Redirecting Finance NARRATOR This is something we cover a lot on bionic planet, and it's the core of what we cover at Ecosystem Marketplace. Investors are still backing the bad actors, and they'll continue to do so until they realize that environmental bad actors are also financial bad risks -- but they'll only realize that if we all hold the bad actors accountable and support the good ones. We've seen some progress on this front over the past year, with HSBC manning up to some investments that led to deforestation and pulling the plug. You can learn more about that in an article I wrote for Ecosystem Marketplace called "Why HSBC's Recent Response To Greenpeace Really Is A Very Big Deal", and I link to that in show notes for this episode, which is episode 22 at bionic-planet.com. We're also seeing governments like Norway's stepping up with finance for sustainable forest management. Stina Reksten private-sector-capital 1 NARRATOR That's Stina Reksten of Norway's International Climate and Forest Initiative. She's helping to launch a new fund, together with the Global Environment Facility, Unilever, and IDH -- which is a Dutch sustainable trade initiative. STINA REKSTEN private-sector-capital 2 NARRATOR But that's just a sneeze in a hurricane compared to the $55 trillion global economy CHARLOTTE STRECK we have the finance NARRATOR But finance doesn't flow with guidance SOUND: drumroll NARRATOR And that brings us to... SOUND: gong CHARLOTTE STRECK data NARRATOR This is where we come in. I already mentioned Supply Change -- that's supply-change.org -- and we did another episode -- episode 11 -- focused on a platform called TRASE, which lets you trace soybeans from specific municipalities in Brazil to ports around the world. There are plenty of other efforts, and Nicole Pasricha of Rainforest Alliance outlined one that they're participating in. Nicole Pasricha point 10 NARRATOR That might sound boring and wonky, but the whole issue of comparability is critical -- because if you can't compare what different countries, companies, and counties are doing, you can't reject -- or reform -- the bad guys and reward the good Remember Ignacio Gavilan of the Consumer Goods Forum? He pointed out that member firms didn't know how much soy they used. So his group created a solution IGNACIO GAVILAN soy ladder NARRATOR Ignacio Gavilan wrapping up this edition of Bionic Planet -- which is a bit different than most episodes. I usually like to dive deep into an issue, but this time, we kept it pretty high-level. I hope to revisit all of these activities in more detail, and if you think that would be of value, be sure to help me out by sharing Bionic Planet with friends and giving me a good rating on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you access podcasts. You can also help by becoming a patron at bionic-planet.com -- where you can show your appreciation for as little as $1 per month. If today's show sparked your curiosity, be sure to download episode 23 as well. That one will contain the full audio from the Climate Week session that I harvested for this. If you're a paid patron, I will not be charging for episode 23, but rather just uploading that as a public service. Until next time, I'm Steve Zwick in Rotterdam. Thanks for listening!

Danielle Morley, European Director of Outreach and Engagement at the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), calls for cooperation in finding sustainable solutions to palm oil rising demand.

Jonathan Horrell from Mondelez talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about what a good palm oil action plan should look like and how to use it to implement progress on the ground, why "sustainability" goals need to be fully integrated into all business functions, the pros and cons of cross-sector collaboration initiatives such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil and why brands take consumer trust for granted at their peril

The Sustainable Palm Oil Transparency Toolkit or SPOTT is a free, interactive resource, designed for investors and other stakeholders in the palm oil sector, to assess oil palm growers on the information that they make publicly available about the sustainability of their operations. We find out more about how it works from Elizabeth Clarke and Michal Zrast, the Business and Biodiversity Manager and Global Palm Oil Manager respectively, at the Zoological Society of London.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since she was in 6th grade, Rhiannon Tomtishen has been passionate about orangutans. As a Girl Scout, that passion led her to fight for deforestation-free palm oil together with her friend Madison Vorva. The story of these two girls inspires young and old alike and shows how simple actions can make a big difference. Now 19 years old, this eloquent young women shares her experience and advises us all to follow our passion.

As we look to tackle deforestation and the consumer increasingly demands a more sustainable industry, Chris Sayner explains that the answer lies in sustainable palm oil.

As we look to tackle deforestation and the consumer increasingly demands a more sustainable industry, Chris Sayner explains that the answer lies in sustainable palm oil.

Palm oil is everywhere - from cooking oil to soap to vegan margarine. Equatorial rainforest and peatland are cleared and replaced with serried ranks of oil palm trees (Elaeis guineensis). The whole biodiversity of Borneo and Sumatra is threatened by habitat loss, particularly the iconic Orang Utans. Some vegan activists say no product that kills this many animals can be considered vegan. But is palm oil really worse than anything else? Can poor countries like Malaysia and Indonesia develop without it? Is there a sustainable solution? Environmentalist Catherine Laurence helps disentangle the thicket of issues. Hear academic experts Eric Lambin and Robert Greenland; vegan baker Ms Cupcake; primatologist Georgina Ash; vegan MP Kerry McCarthy; the boss of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil and vegan Indonesian palm oil activist and Miskin Porno lead singer Daniek Hendarto. The post Palm Oil: with Catherine Laurence, Eric Lambin, Orangutan rescuer Daniek Hendarto, RSPO SG Darrel Webber first appeared on THE VEGAN OPTION radio show and blog.

The demand for vegetable oil derived from oil palm is rapidly expanding. Appromiately 90% of world production takes place in Indonesia and Malaysia. Unfortanately, around 10% of palm oil plantations in Southeast Asia are on peat soils, which until recently were covered by peat swamp forests. The drainage of these carbon-rich organic soils for plantations is causing massive greenhouse gas emissions. Faizal Parish, Director of the Global Environent Centre, tells us more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the recent in-cosmetics show in Milan, CosmeticsDesign caught up with Bob Norman of GreenPalm to discuss the need for cosmetic companies to support the sustainable production of palm oil.

At the recent in-cosmetics show in Milan, CosmeticsDesign caught up with Bob Norman of GreenPalm to discuss the need for cosmetic companies to support the sustainable production of palm oil.

At the recent in-cosmetics show in Milan, CosmeticsDesign caught up with Bob Norman of GreenPalm to discuss the need for cosmetic companies to support the sustainable production of palm oil.