The world's second-largest palm oil company has agreed a standard for conservation of Indonesian forests and peatlands, according to non-profit The Forest Trust (TFT).
TFT and Golden Agri-Resources Limited (GAR), part of the Sinar Mas group, a $2.3bn company that is the largest palm oil producer in Indonesia, have established a Forest Conservation Policy. GAR has pledged to avoid destruction of forests that are particularly valuable in terms of environmental preservation, biodiversity, landscape, or importance to local livelihoods.
TFT's work with food and drinks company Nestle drew GAR to the bargaining table, the non-profit said. Nestle, Unilever and Burger King all cancelled contracts with GAR subsidiary SMART in response to a Greenpeace campaign last year blasting the company's allegedly unsustainable clearing of forests for palm oil groves. At that time Nestle also formed a partnership with The Forest Trust.
