Certified palm oil

Conventional palm oil cultivation with major challenges

Conventional oil palm cultivation faces major social and environmental challenges in the countries of origin.

New conventional palm oil plantations are sacrificing valuable tropical forests, and numerous animal species as well as flora and fauna are losing their livelihoods as a result.

Slash-and-burn and the draining of peat forests release large quantities of greenhouse gases. Where new plantations are created, conflicts over land use often ignite.

Initiatives for sustainable palm oil try to counteract the challenges in palm oil cultivation. Unfortunately, only one fifth of the palm oil produced worldwide bears a sustainable label.

Our measures

A complete substitution of palm oil exacerbates the problems worldwide due to the growing population combined with the limited efficiency of the substitute raw materials and is, in our opinion, not a sustainable solution.

That is why we stick to only sustainably produced palm oil wherever it can develop its technological advantages, such as in product fillings.

As a contribution to curbing the global growth in demand for tropical fats, we replace palm oil where technologically and economically feasible. In doing so, preference is given to indigenous oils.

Our products without palm oil:

If palm oil, then only from sustainable cultivation

Since 2016, we have exclusively purchased 100% certified palm oil in the RSPO Segregated standard.

This means that at each stage of the supply chain, certified palm oil is kept separate from conventional palm oil. Our products therefore only contain certified palm oil, which may come from different mills.

The RSPO is a voluntary multi-stakeholder initiative. It defines criteria for sustainable palm oil production, such as the prohibition of slash-and-burn and deforestation of primary forests, the prohibition of new development on peat soils and the observance of national labour rights.

The RSPO is sometimes criticised. There are criticisms that the requirements are too lax and incomplete and that the control mechanisms are not effective enough. These criticisms were taken up in the 2018 revision and the requirements were further tightened.

We are a member of the Palm Oil Network Switzerland

The Palm Oil Network Switzerland is the competence centre and exchange platform for the actors involved in the value chain. By joining forces, the members work towards the sustainable development of palm oil production.

New goals from 2025: Five years after its foundation, the Swiss Palm Oil Network has revised its strategy. By signing a new declaration of intent, the member companies are setting the course for the coming years. In future, in addition to crude palm oil, also in purchased, processed food and non-food products only certified palm oil is to be used. The network will also continue to be involved in the further development of standards such as the RSPO. Further impetus is provided by compliance with additional criteria, dialogue with suppliers and direct involvement in the countries of origin.

Palm oil has technological advantages for us

The raw material is in hot demand worldwide because it is one of the few vegetable fats that has a firm consistency at room temperature, is neutral in taste, goes rancid less quickly than butter and is also suitable for vegans.

We value palm oil above all for its technological qualities. In fillings, palm oil cannot be replaced 1:1 with other fats today due to the production process.

The technological advantages of palm oil at a glance:

Palm oil has great efficiency in cultivation

The oil palm is very productive. It needs less land than any other oil plant, is less susceptible to disease than other crops and can provide consistent yields for up to thirty years. This also makes palm oil cheaper than competing oils.

Compared to all other oil crops, the oil palm is by far the most efficient and economical fat-producing plant in terms of land consumption.