Sustainable Palm Oil Movement With Earth Day Pledge

Many of the controversies and negative conceptions of palm oil result mainly from all the social and environmental implications that are associated with it. In fact, in places like Southeast Asia, one of the main locations where palm oil is being grown, such worries as deforestation and emission of greenhouse gases exist. Hopefully, there are organizations such as GreenPalm that exist. GreenPalm is a "certificate trading program which is designed to tackle the environmental and social problems created by the production of palm oil." Thanks to that program, a resource once seen as highly unsustainable due to its method of production can be seen in a new light. As to further encourage the use of palm oil that was grown in sustainable ways, some big companies are taking a big step and making a big difference by committing to buy "100% sustainable palm oil." One of these companies is cosmetics giant Avon, although the company does not use much palm oil. However, other companies with more significant needs for palm oil are also committing to buying only that palm oil that was grown with society and the environment in mind: Kellogg's, Walmart, Nestle, etc...
The goals of big companies buying sustainably grown palm oil are to make sure these companies with more or less significant needs for palm oil may have an abundant supply without harming the environment, but also to encourage farmers to keep up their good practices. As the article says, "Companies that buy the certificates don't literally get to use the underlying tone of palm oil, but the purchases do promote and increase demand for sustainable production."

http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2011/04/15/avon-joins-sustainable-palm-oil-movement-earth-day-pledge#ixzz1Jp6FjU4v