Deforestation Free Commodities
We are campaigning for a sustainable way forward for key commodities including soy and palm oil
Our mission is preventing extinction, and a big part of that is aiming to be a major force in conserving biodiversity worldwide.
At Chester Zoo, the strength of our voice and the breadth of our audiences means we can open eyes to the environmental challenges that face our planet and empower people to be part of the solution.
We carry out work directly in habitats around the world affected by unsustainable aggricultural production. Our conservation work in South East Asia has been going on for over 15 years, working with partners such as HUTAN to study and address habitat issues caused by palm oil, including the effects on Bornean orangutans.
Originally focusing on palm oil production, we have extended our work to include other commodities associated with forest loss in ecologically sensitive parts of the world.
We are working on multiple fronts to champion deforestation free commodities by both monitoring the situation in the field and by supporting consumers to make more informed choices.
Our deforestation free commodities work
We started to spread awareness of the Deforestation Free Commodities movement through our Sustainable Palm Oil Communities project.
In 2019 our hometown of Chester officially became the world’s first Sustainable Palm Oil City, following our work with local businesses, restaurants and community advocates.
We’re now building partnerships with organisations around the UK to create even more Sustainable Palm Oil Communities, in places like Dorset, Oxford, and Newquay.
Our position on palm oil
We recognise the importance of the palm oil industry to the economy in developing countries and acknowledge that as the cheapest, most high yielding and versatile vegetable oil on the market, transforming the market to a sustainable and traceable supply of palm oil is the most responsible path.
We believe boycotting palm oil would increase demand for other less efficient edible oils and have negative environmental impacts elsewhere.
Creating a market for Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) is the first step to ensuring that the palm oil industry impacts as little as possible on the biodiversity of the regions it is grown in.
Our deforestation free commodities campaign in numbers
We’ve achieved a lot along the way since launching our Sustainable Palm Oil campaign. Here are some of the key milestones we’ve reached:
29,000
trees planted through corporate partnerships.
6.1 million
people reached through our social media channels.
51
SPO Champions in Chester demanding sustainable palm oil supply chains.
20,000
downloads of our Sustainable Palm Oil shopping list.
6,194
educators using our palm oil learning resources