Palm Oil
The problem with palm oil
Palm oil is used as a raw material in many food products and non-food products like cosmetics and cleaning products. But the rising demand for palm oil has led to large tracts of rainforest being destroyed to make way for palm oil plantations.
Finding a solution to help everyone
Palm oil is a very efficient oil, so reformulating to alternative oil that can need up to 9 times more land to produce, could lead to higher deforestation rates. Responsibly managing our forests is one of the quickest and most cost effective ways to curb global warming, as well as conserving wildlife and protecting the rights of indigenous communities.
Working with the rest of the industry
We are a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), a multi-stakeholder group that set the global standard for sustainable palm oil.
The ALDI SOUTH Group (ASG) is an active member of the Retailer Palm Oil Group (RPOG), and the Palm Oil Transparency Coalition. The RPOG convenes UK retail on the issue of palm oil and represents UK retail on the RSPO Board of Governors. ASG has been actively involved in the Smallholder Working Group in the past and is now a member of the Smallholder Standing Committee (SHSC).
Our Policy
Our palm oil policy which applies to all straight palm oil, palm kernel oil and palm (kernel) oil derivatives and fractions used in the UK & Ireland has been evolving since 2016.
From initially requiring that all palm oil used in our own-label food products to be sourced from RSPO physically certified sources, this extended in 2019 to our own-label non-food products. While we allowed some exceptions for derivatives and fractions to be covered by RSPO credits until 2025 at the latest.
Currently in the UK and Ireland, all straight palm oil, palm kernel oil and all palm (kernel) oil derivatives and fractions used in our food and non-food own-brand products must be certified to RSPO at Identity Preserved, Segregated or Mass Balance level. Since 2022, Aldi UK additionally require that all straight palm oil used in our food and non-food own-brand products must be certified to RSPO at Identity Preserved or Segregated level.
Working with local projects
As well as aiming to sourcing 100% RSPO certified palm oil in our food and non-food products, we are also making sure we invest directly in smallholders. Between 2017-2021, the ALDI SOUTH Group, together with ALDI Nord, supported a smallholder project in Côte d'Ivoire in order to pave the way for sustainable cultivation of palm in the area. In partnership with Solidaridad, we developed a project that focused on improving smallholder farmers’ knowledge on best environmental practices and on agriculture that respects High Conservation Values (HCV) and natural forests.
Solidaridad offered training through Farmer Field Schools (FFS) for 2,611 palm oil smallholder farmers and helped restore approximately 250 hectares of forest land in the project area. The team cultivated 17,532 tree seedlings in nurseries that were then distributed to individual farmers, planted in schools and borders of sacred forests, and used to help restore natural reserve areas. Despite the many challenges facing the project, including COVID-19 restrictions, and political tensions, 90% of the community participants reported positive outcomes and increased knowledge.
