Companies selling products which contain palm oil need to be upfront about where it comes from, so as to relieve consumers of the burden of making sustainable choices, a UK study says.
Researchers from the University of Cambridge say companies should not rely simply on purchasers’ own awareness of the need to make environmentally responsible decisions, but should publicly disclose the identities of their palm oil suppliers.
Palm oil production causes deforestation , greenhouse gas emissions from peatland conversion, and biodiversity loss, and the oil is found in many products, often without consumers’ knowledge.
The study found that UK consumer awareness of palm oil was high (77 percent), with 41 percent of those aware of it viewing it as “environmentally unfriendly.” Yet almost no consumers were aware of the RSPO label that showed a product contained sustainably-produced palm oil.
“In terms of label recognition versus action, 82 percent of people recognized the Fairtrade label, but only 29 percent actively buy Fairtrade products,” Dr. Ostfeld said.
