On March 15, 2018 the editorial team at Innovation Forum reported that “(t)he latest palm oil supply disclosures from Unilever and Nestlé demonstrate the progress required to meet corporate targets.
The consumer goods giant (Unilever) now publicly discloses a list of the suppliers and mills from which it directly and indirectly sources palm oil. It’s been a big undertaking, mapping 300 direct suppliers and 1,400 mills, looking not just at where palm oil enters Unilever’s supply chain, but the processors, middle men and agents along the chain.
Traditional commercial sensitivities and the complexity of the supply chain mean Unilever has had to persevere to get to where it is now, stating that “complete transparency” is required for radical transformation.
It’s a similar story at the world’s biggest food business, Nestlé, which also now discloses its list of palm oil suppliers, an initiative of which “top management is fully supportive”, according to Emily Kunen, the company’s global responsible sourcing leader for palm oil.”
You may read the editorial on the Innovation Forum internet site.