Sustainability news
Welcome to the latest Olenex Sustainability News! We are excited to share our progress and initiatives aimed at making a positive impact on the environment and our communities. Our commitment to sustainability is stronger than ever, and we have made significant strides in various areas to work towards a greener future.
Read all about our latest news update!
- Our Climate Action Plan and commitment
- EUDR – our journey to compliance
- Traceability reports – with an outstanding TtP 98.5%
- Responsible Coconut Sourcing policies
- And more!
Download here [LINK] Join us in our journey towards a sustainable and responsible future!
Olenex scoring 9.5 on RSPO
In a resounding triumph for our commitment to sustainable palm oil practices, we are thrilled to announce our remarkable score of 9.5 in the RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) Shared Responsibility Scorecard. This achievement not only underscores our unwavering dedication to responsible and ethical business practices but also showcases our commitment to environmental sustainability and our drive to increase uptake of Certified Sustainable palm oil in the market.
Our strong NDPE policy, which we share with our parent Wilmar, positions us in an excellent place to fulfil the RSPO Shared Responsibility requirements covering different thematic areas in social and environmental topics. We keep making improvements and progress in our journey towards a more sustainable and responsible approach to palm oil production. We are excited to share this journey with all of you.
This achievement isn’t just a number; it’s a testament to our enduring dedication to making a positive impact on the world. We invite you to explore the full RSPO Shared Responsibility Scorecard here and gain a comprehensive insight into our journey towards a sustainable and responsible palm oil industry. Together, we can continue to make meaningful strides toward a more sustainable future.
WISSE programme praised on Hondurian news
Rotterdam, December 13th, 2021 – The positive impact of the WISSE programme – under the Olenex MARIPOSA initiative – has been reported on Honduran television.
The Asapalsa mill hosted a group of reporters in a training demonstration of the programme.
A journalist on the Honduran MV news show praised the initiative for pointing to “the importance of implementing good agricultural practices, commitments to nature, people and sustainability.”
#SustainabilityIsOurSharedResponsibility
WISSE Annual Report 2020 just released
MARIPOSA funding has helped 200 Smallholders to become certified
WISSE is the first programme under MARIPOSA, a crowdfunding initiative created by Olenex together with its customers. By implementing programmes like WISSE, Olenex customers are able to directly contribute to change on the ground in the Latin American palm oil industry. A great example of #SharedResponsibility.
The Coronavirus also has an impact on WISSE. During spring-time, when the virus hit Honduras, the farmers and the local training team had to quickly adapt to the new situation. The pandemic forced us to innovate on our outreach and training approach. Instead of training sessions in rooms packed with people, trainers now meet preferably outside with fewer people, while respecting social distancing rules and wearing masks. We further developed short animated videos and graphics that can be sent via messaging services to those farmers with smartphones. All the measures were effectively taken to protect the farmers and staff from infection while continuing the training sessions and audits.
First group of smallholders certified
During this first WISSE year, we already achieved great certification results; 200 certified smallholders. This success was only possible because the respective smallholders and mills already participated in the previous smallholder programme WISSH (Wilmar Smallholder Support Honduras) and continued their sustainability efforts after WISSH came to an end in 2018. Through the WISSE programme:
- Honducaribe palm oil mill received RSPO MB certification status. This mill is owned by smallholder farmers.
- 100 smallholders, belonging to eight cooperatives of the Honducaribe palm oil mill, received RSPO certification.
- 100 smallholders from two cooperatives and 18 independent farms were added to ISCC certification of Palmasa palm oil mill.
The project coordinators are optimistic that we can still continue the certification efforts in 2021. However, a lot will depend on how the Coronavirus situation will evolve.
For more information see WISSE’s first year’s status report here.
Wilmar ranks third in SPOTT rating
November 2020
The London SPOTT initiative is an online assessment platform created by the Zoological Society of London. The platform supports companies in managing their environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks by publishing transparency assessments of palm oil producers and traders. SPOTT assesses palm oil producers, processors and traders on the public disclosure of their policies, operations and commitments to ESG best practice.
Palm oil buyers can use SPOTT to help meet their own commitments and engage with companies to promote sustainable commodity production through responsible investment and sourcing.
Rating
Each company receives a percentage score as a measure of its transparency in relation to ESG risks. The assessment monitors 180 indicators over 10 categories. In its latest report of November 2020, SPOTT rated Wilmar third out of 100 assessed companies, achieving a total score of 88.9%. See further explanation of assessment scores on the SPOTT website.
Congratulations to New Britain Palm Oil
Olenex is very proud of the achievement by its Joint Venture parent company and major palm oil supplier Wilmar. We also congratulate New Britain Palm Oil who gained the top spot with a score of 94.4%. We are glad to have New Britain Palm Oil in our supply chain among many other top-rated palm oil producers.
Transparency
Overall, many palm oil producers and traders improved their performance compared to last year’s assessment. The increase in supply chain transparency is a positive sign for the transformation of the palm industry. But the assessment also shows that for some companies there are still many sustainability improvements to be expected. As a top-performing producer, Wilmar is a great example of commitment to sustainable palm oil production and business practices, positively affecting the entire supply chain. We can only hope that other companies in the sector follow this evolution, resulting in a palm supply chain free of deforestation and human rights conflicts.
More information about SPOTT at https://www.spott.org/palm-oil/.
Sustainable Palm Oil Dialogue almost fully booked
Sustainable Palm Oil Dialogue planned for 2 September
Our social media channels posted on the SPOD conference before and registrations seem to have ramped nicely. It is planned for 2 September of this year and the registration is getting to a close.
It is the second ‘Sustainable Palm Oil Dialogue’ in Europe and will address the challenges of 2020 and beyond. It will take place on 2 September from 09.30–12.00 CEST via an online platform.
The agenda ensures a good and vivid dialogue between Conservation organisations, human rights defenders, European politicians, consumer goods manufacturers, and the palm oil industry. They all team up with the aim to reach 100% sustainable palm oil in Europe.
The dialogue about sustainable palm oil will be split into the following subjects;
- The final push to meet our 2020 targets
- The EU regulatory developments and implications
- The consumer perspective
- New initiatives from the sector
More information about the conference/webinar is available on the SPOD website.
A deforestation-free palm oil supply chain
OUR PLEDGE, OUR PROGRESS
A deforestation-free Palm oil supply chain. A mutual goal we share with our founding partner, Wilmar, other industry players, Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) companies, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). We place sustainable practices at the heart of our business. In 2016, we committed to the international No Deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation (NDPE) policy, that has initially been introduced by Wilmar. It is a standard that extends into the entire supply chain. And only when all actors in the supply chain share that mutual responsibility, we can achieve a deforestation-free palm oil supply chain.
Drive the implementation
We –Olenex and Wilmar– invested substantial resources to drive the implementation of the policy requirement across its supply chain, especially in the wider palm oil sector. Since then, we have made much progress. This has been captured in our periodical Sustainability Updates, available on our website.
A future with or without palm oil?
Published by Nederland Voedselland –
A future with palm oil seems self-evident. Palm oil is found in countless food products. You can find it in margarine, cookies, crisps and sauces and many other food products. It’s also used in cosmetics and cleaning products, thus, is a very useful substance – but not one without controversy. A link to deforestation. Or is that an unjust claim? Should we replace palm oil with another substance, or should we focus even more on using palm oil – but then in a more sustainable way? And how should consumers choose between sustainable palm oil or an alternative? What does our future with or without palm oil entail?
What should you, as a consumer, think of palm oil?
It is used in countless food products – but it also bears an image of burnt down rainforests and fleeing orang-utans. The sentiment was so strong, that a Dutch businessman sensed a gap in the market last year with the margarine brand The Flower Farm. The stylish black packaging read “Eat plants, not palm please”. The spread is made from sunflower oil and shea butter amongst other things. The Dutch Advertising Code Committee did not approve of this anti-palm-sentiment and made The Flower Farm remove the claim that consumers could save the rainforest by using Flower Farm margarine from their packaging. However, that doesn’t let palm oil off the hook. Should consumers avoid using palm oil altogether?
“Of course, I am suspicious”
“The palm oil we use in the Netherlands is sustainable and deforestation-free” according to Frans Claassen, Director of MVO, the chain organisation for oils and fats. “In the Netherlands, you are not able to buy margarine that consists of palm oil which has been produced through deforestation.”
Read the entire article here.