Nestlé announced today that it will stop using products that come from rainforest destruction. The move follows a two month Greenpeace campaign that exposed Nestlé's use of palm oil in products like KitKat. The expansion of palm oil and pulp plantations is driving the destruction of Indonesia's rainforests and peatlands and pushing endangered orang-utans to the brink of extinction.

Greenpeace International Forest Campaign Head Pat Venditti said they are happy with Nestle's move but they expect international retailers like Walmart and Carrefour to join this.Under its new policy, Nestlé commits to identify and exclude companies from its supply chain that own or manage 'high risk plantations or farms linked to deforestation’. This exclusion would apply to companies such as Sinar Mas, Indonesia’s most notorious palm oil and pulp and paper supplier, if it fails to meet the criteria set out in the policy. It also has implications for palm oil traders, such as Cargill, which continue to buy from Sinar Mas.

“Nestlé's move sends a clear message to Sinar Mas and to the rest of the palm oil and paper industries that rainforest destruction is not acceptable in the global marketplace. They need to clean up their act and move to implement a moratorium on rainforest destruction and full peatland protection. Greenpeace will closely monitor and push for the rapid implementation of Nestlé's plan,” said Venditti.

Source: flex-news-food.com