Chester Zoo removes Nestlé products after Swiss company is suspended from palm oil sustainability group
Chester Zoo bosses say they have removed a range of Nestlé food and beverage products from sale in the zoo “with immediate effect” following the suspension of the Swiss company from the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).
The RSPO is a body of palm oil producers, consumer companies, and activist groups which provides sustainability certificates for the industry.
In a statement a spokesperson for Chester Zoo said:
“We are sorry to confirm that we have removed a range of Nestlé food and beverage products from sale in the zoo with immediate effect, following the suspension of Nestlé from the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil.
As a world leading voice on sustainable palm oil we are working closely with the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums and urge Nestlé to take all necessary measures to re-join the RSPO scheme and support sustainable palm oil as the most effective way to protect rainforest habitats and prevent the extinction of species like orangutans.”
Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil that comes from the fruit of oil palm trees. It is the world’s most widely used vegetable oil and global consumption is rising.
“Unsustainable oil palm plantations are destroying rainforest homes in South East Asia and pushing wildlife such as orangutans to the brink of extinction.
Yet if produced sustainably, palm oil is a highly efficient crop and has the potential to be by far the most responsible vegetable oil option.” Said the zoo spokesperson.
A new report by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature has identified sustainable palm oil as the most viable solution to the environmental crisis if further palm oil-related deforestation is avoided.
The RSPO is backed not only by Chester Zoo, but also a range of conservation organisations such as WWF UK, The Orangutan Land Trust, The British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and more.
Nestlé has been suspended by the RSPO along with all of its subsidiaries this week for a lack of compliance with RSPO rules and failure to submit a report detailing how it would ensure the use of certified sustainable palm oil.
“If they are fully removed from the RSPO, Nestlé will no longer be held accountable to palm oil sustainability standards. These standards are in place to protect threatened wildlife.
We call on Nestlé to address these issues urgently and join the campaign to prevent the extinction of orangutans and many other species.”
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