KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 28): The Malaysian Palm Oil Association (MPOA) has lodged a formal complaint and demands that Kraft Heinz stop using the “No Palm Oil” claim which goes against the spirit of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)’s Shared Responsibility pledge.

“A failure to reverse this violation of the RSPO Member’s Code of Conduct should result in expulsion of Kraft from the RSPO,” MPOA chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Mohamad Nageeb Wahab said.

He was referring to Kraft’s recent “Kraft Hazelnut Spread: Can’t Handle it” advertisement.

In this context, MPOA finds it unbecoming and unethical that a member of the RSPO has repeatedly either intentionally or unintentionally chosen to violate the RSPO’s code of conduct through its recent advertisement with “no palm oil” labelling without even offering the choice to use sustainable palm oil.

“The action and stand by Kraft insinuates that the shared objectives of all RSPO members, namely, to promote the production of and use/uptake of sustainable palm oil is secondary and that they do not wish to join the common objectives of promoting sustainably produced palm oil.

“The growers look at this as first class hypocrisy and if this continues we see no reason to be an RSPO member,” Mohamad Nageeb said.

He said the RSPO has developed a set of environmental and social criteria which companies must comply with in order to produce Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO).

“When they are properly applied, these criteria can help to minimise the negative impact of palm oil cultivation on the environment and communities in palm oil-producing regions.”

The RSPO has more than 4,000 members worldwide who represent all links along the palm oil supply chain.

They have committed to produce, source and/or use sustainable palm oil certified by the RSPO.

Source : The Edge Markets