Opportunities
Uses: Millions of people rely on palm oil to feed their families and support their livelihoods, including more than 3 million smallholder farmers around the world. It is consumed in more than 130 countries worldwide – both as food and in non-food applications ranging from cosmetics to biofuels.
Growing demand: Demand for edible oils is growing by 4% annually and will continue to increase along with the world’s population. As the highest-yielding oilseed crop producing 3.2 million tons of oils per hectare, palm is well suited to meet growing demand because it uses less land per ton of oil produced than any other vegetable oil. Consumers increasingly want assurance that palm oil used in the products they buy is being produced responsibly.
Challenges
Practices that result in deforestation, negative impacts on biodiversity, cultivation without consideration for the rights of indigenous communities, poor working conditions or violation of workers’ rights are unsustainable and unacceptable. We believe that forests and farming can co-exist, and we’re firmly committed to eliminating deforestation from our supply chains. We promote responsible production that benefits farmers and surrounding communities. Cargill’s Policy on Sustainable Palm Oil, Policy on Forests and Human Rights Policy govern our actions.
Our Role
Cargill’s commitment to producing and sourcing palm oil in an economical, environmentally sustainable and socially responsible manner is embodied in the philosophy of “No Deforestation, No Peat and No Exploitation.” We are taking action to increase transparency, improve engagement with stakeholders, verify progress and help transform the industry.
Cargill operates 19 refineries, nine mills, three kernel crush plants and nine palm plantations globally. Our own plantations partner with more than 26,000 smallholder farmers. More than 95% of our palm oil volume comes from third parties. Cargill sources palm oil from more than 10 countries and delivers it to hundreds of customers worldwide.