Friday 15 January 2010

Response from Morrison's to a supporter

Thank you for contacting us regarding the use of palm oil in Morrisons products.


I can assure you that we take your concern about palm oil extremely seriously. Indeed, we are committed to encouraging the responsible sourcing of palm oil and ensuring that its cultivation is not threatening forests or natural habitats.


As part of this commitment, in 2008 Morrison was accepted into the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), which is supported by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), to help promote best practice for the cultivation and use of sustainable palm oil throughout the supply chain.

Palm oil is an important and versatile raw material for both food and non-food industries, which contributes to the economic development of the producing countries and to the diets of millions of people around the world. Although palm oil is entirely GM free and has the highest yield per hectare than any oil or oilseed crop, it is recognized that there are environmental pressures on its expansion to eco-sensitive areas, particularly as oil palm can only be cultivated in tropical areas of Asia, Africa and South America. It is therefore vital that production and use of palm oil must be done in a sustainable manner based on economic, social and environmental viability.


Given the global nature of the palm oil market there is the need for collective action on an international basis and we do believe that the Roundtable process provides the best means of achieving this. In addition, we intend to strengthen our position in 2009 in ensuring that palm oil used as an ingredient in our own-brand products is from a sustainable source, and to monitor this through supplier audit activity.


I do hope that this letter has gone some way to reassuring you that we take our responsibilities in the area very seriously indeed. Please rest assured that your comments and views are very valuable to us; it is always our intention that our customers are satisfied with everything that they buy from us and with the service we provide.


Yours faithfully

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Customer Service s Department
WM. Morrison Supermarkets PLC