Cadbury
I received this response before Kraft took over Cadbury in the UK. Kraft have still not responded.
“As you are aware, palm oil is used by most major food and consumer goods manufacturers, and widely established as a core ingredient, for example in margarine, soap and many other products. For confectionery, a very small amount of palm oil is used in our products, and is key for consumer preferred tasted and texture profile.*
Cadbury are a very small user of palm oil, typically less than 0.1% of global supply.
The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) was formed in 2004, and Cadbury have been active board members since its inception. We are also members of the Coalition on Sustainable Palm Oil.
Both groups have a range of board members from manufacturers (who use palm oil), suppliers and processors, major retailers and the NGO community (a full list of members can be found at www.rspo.org)
The RSPO has recently established principles and criteria for certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) production. ‘GreenPalm’ is one of the systems that conforms to this, and which supports the delivery of CSPO to the market. Cadbury is sourcing its palm oil to the ‘GreenPalm’ system, while we also work to stengthen supply systems. Through this and the broader work of the RSPO and Coalition on Sustainable Palm Oil, we are supporting the sustainable practices of individual palm oil producers.
Like all our ingredients, Cadbury is committed to ethical and sustainable sourcing of palm oil. This year (2009) we will have ‘GreenPalm’ certificates for all of the palm oil that we purchase for our products. We will continue to renew these as we work with the RSPO to develop a practicable, segregated supply chain by 2014.
Our recent move to Fairtrade certification of Cadbury Dairy Milk in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Japan also shows our commitment to sustainable sourcing. This move builds upon the work of the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership, launched in 2008 in partnership with the United National Development Programme, local governments, farmers and communities.
The ground-breaking Cadbury Cocoa Partnership aims to secure the economic, social and environmental sustainability of around a million cocoa farmers and their communities in Ghana, India, Indonesia and the Caribbean. Over ten years £45 million GBP will be invested through the partnership to improve farmer incomes, develop communities and build partnerships. In January 2009 Cadbury announced that the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership was now active across 100 Ghanaian communities, mamrking the 100th anniversary of cocoa trading with Ghana.
If you want more information about ‘GreenPalm’, the RSPO and certification, please visit: www.rspo.org and www.greenpalm.org“
* I just don’t believe this is true. Cadbury chocolate has changed in recent years with the introduction of palm oil, but not to the better. In fact in Australia public opinion was a) outraged at palm oil use and b) preferred the original recipe that Cadbury went back on this decision. I have not had it confirmed if this is true for the UK as well. Does anyone else know?
