United Kingdom

Sainsbury's

APPROACH AND KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

Sainsbury’s is committed to eliminating deforestation and conversion from our palm oil supply chains. We seek to achieve this by ensuring all palm oil in our food and non-food own brand products is RSPO certified. Since 2021, 100% of the palm oil in our products has been physically certified with around 82% and 18% of Segregated and Mass Balance volumes. To solve the remaining challenges in palm oil supply chains, we work with other businesses through the UK Sustainable Palm Oil Initiative, the Palm Oil Transparency Coalition, the Retail Palm Oil Group and the Forest Positive Coalition.

Roadblocks and solutions

Sainsbury’s has a relatively small palm oil footprint compared to the global demand for palm oil. To improve traceability in supply chains we therefore need to collaborate with other businesses, including retailers. This is an approach we are pursuing with oleochemicals where we want to improve traceability so we can source Segregated palm oil where we currently use the Mass Balance approach. We also realise it is challenging for smallholders to meet the traceability requirements of UK businesses and legislation. Since 2022, we have invested £300,000 in a landscape initiative in Sintang, Indonesia, which aims to support smallholders and help them achieve RSPO certification.

Action Plan for the next 5 years

While we continue to act as a leading member of the Palm Oil Transparency Coalition, we are working through the UK Oleochemicals Working Group to pursue greater traceability in oleochemical supply chains and signal market demand for oleochemicals that use sustainable palm oil.
We also plan to examine how palm oil and palm kernel expeller used in animal feed can be sourced more sustainably, with a focus on dairy supply chains.
This will sit alongside our existing work which includes support for the landscape initiative in Sintang as it works with the local government to protect endangered forests and support farmers with certification.