Mondelez International’s sustainable palm oil action plan, published yesterday, requires suppliers to achieve traceability by the end of 2015.
The plan also says suppliers must publish sustainable sourcing policies and implementation timelines by the same date.
The snack foods company, which owns billion-dollar brands such as Cadbury, Nabisco and Oreo, developed the action plan in consultation with World Wildlife Fund and the United Nations Development Programme. It reaffirms Mondelez’s commitment to only buy palm oil that’s produced on legally held land; that doesn’t lead to deforestation or loss of peat land; respects human rights, including land rights; and doesn’t use forced or child labor.
The company says it plans to eliminate supplies that do not comply. Mondelez will report progress annually.
In 2013, the company conducted a survey to determine suppliers’ ability to trace palm oil supplies to known sources. Also that year, the Mondelez achieved RSPO coverage for 100 percent of the palm oil it bought, two years ahead of its commitment.
The palm oil action plan supports Mondelez’s wider commitment to sustainable agriculture.