Palm Oil

Palm Oil

SUSTAINABLE SOURCING OF PALM OIL

Raw material goals

Palm oil is an extremely versatile and efficient oil crop, making it the most widely used vegetable oil in the world. Unlike sunflower oil and rapeseed oil, palm oil is hard at room temperature, giving it unique properties when used in the production of food and household products. Palm oil is used in a range of our food and non-food products including margarine, biscuits and bread.

Palm oil is best grown near the equator, with 80% of global production taking place in Malaysia and Indonesia. When grown in a non-sustainable way, palm oil can lead to devastating deforestation and harm to the natural environment.

Through our commitment to sourcing palm oil from RSPO certified sources we ensure that growers commit to principles of environmental responsibility, the conservation of natural resources and transparency. Through our annual supplier review we track sustainable palm oil usage within our product ranges, including whether palm oil is sourced through mass balance or segregated supply chain models.

Our Commitment

We source 100% palm (kernel) oil for our own brand food products, from RSPO certified segregated sources.

We source 100% of palm (kernel) oil for our non-food products, from RSPO certified mass balance supply chains, where technically possible.

Download our palm oil sourcing policy here

Collaboration

Working with the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil and the Retailer Palm Oil Group we are taking a collaborative approach to supporting sustainable production and creating market demand.

Raw materials - Palm Oil

Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil:

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is a multi-stakeholder initiative with the aim of promoting the sustainable sourcing and use of certified sustainable palm oil. The RSPO collaboratively develop a global standard for the entire supply chain of sustainable palm oil through a set of environmental and social criteria. These aim to reduce the negative impacts of palm oil cultivation.

The RSPO certification standard does not permit the deforestation of rainforest or protected areas, for the cultivation of palm oil. It also requires that the basic rights of indigenous landowners, local communities, farming operation employees, small farmers and their families are respected. To become certified, growers must prove to independent auditors their successful implementation of targeted measures.

As a member of RSPO at an international level, we promote and seek opportunities for engagement with companies, non-governmental organisations and European initiatives to develop partnerships for initiating improvements. Since 2015, Lidl has exclusively used palm (kernel) oil for its own brand products that is certified from at least mass balance and increasingly from segregated supply chains.

Retailer Palm Oil Group:

The Retailers Palm Oil Group (RPOG) is an independent group of international retailers who are committed to using certified sustainable palm oil. The group works collaboratively to find industry-wide solutions to secure certified sustainable palm oil in their products and ensures RPOG member requirements are reflected in RSPO production and supply chain standards.

Responsible and Sustainable Sourcing