Green palm oil

rampant clearance of tropical forests to produce vegetable oil continues. However, Switzerland's largest supermarket chain, Migros, has committed itself to buying palm oil exclusively grown from ecologically sound sources. The Swiss retailer, in conjunction with Worldwide Fund for Nature (wwf) has formulated a set of minimum environmental and social criteria for its palm oil products. Head of food marketing at Migros, Urs Riedener, says, "Unchecked cultivation of oil palms poses a serious threat to the tropical forests, which are absolutely vital for global ecological balance." Ensuring that its supplies do not come from plantations created from converted natural forests, Migros has laid down ecological principles. The company will also undertake an annual assessment to see if its suppliers are meeting the criteria.