Our Policies
Responsibly Sourced Palm Oil
In all EcoVibe products containing palm oil, EcoVibe ensures that only RSPO certified sustainable suppliers are used. Our supplier’s certifications are available on request through hello@ecovibe.co.uk.
The problem with palm oil
- The growth of the palm oil industry threatens wildlife and ecosystems in places like Borneo and Sumatra.
- Forest is cleared for plantations of palm oil which destroys habitats and contributes to falling wildlife numbers.
Why can’t we just replace palm oil?
- Replacing palm oil completely with other types of oil would use larger amounts of land for cultivation. Palm oil is a high yielding crop and produces 4-10 times more oil than other crops.
- Palm oil cultivation is a major source of employment in producing countries and helps reduce poverty. Stopping the production of palm oil all together would create problems for families whose income is dependent on the industry. 5 million people are employed in the production of palm oil in Indonesia and 1/3 of its palm oil revenue goes directly to small holders.
- By boycotting palm oil completely, the industry could become more unsustainable as demand increases from countries who have less interest in ensuring production is sustainable.
Sustainable palm oil
- Using sustainable palm oil prevents overcultivation that could result from using a lower yielding crop and supports families whose income is dependent on palm oil
- Sustainable palm oil is certified by RSPO. The criteria of RSPO includes:
- No primary forests or areas which contain significant concentrations of biodiversity (e.g. endangered species) or fragile ecosystems, or areas which are fundamental to meeting basic or traditional cultural needs of local communities (high conservation value areas), can be cleared
- Significantly reduced use of pesticides and fires
- Fair treatment of workers according to local and international labour rights standards
- Need to inform and consult with local communities before development of land
- Full details on the RSPO certification can be found here: https://rspo.org/certification#how-certification-works