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76-412: It describes its mission as promoting adherence to international and national labor laws . The FLA was established in 1999 and evolved out of a task force created by President Bill Clinton following a series of child labor and other sweatshop scandals involving major apparel and footwear brands. The apparel and footwear companies and labor and human rights groups involved in the initial task force formed

152-538: A capacity of 800,000 tons per year and produces hydrodeoxygenated NEXBTL biodiesel from palm oil imported from Malaysia and Indonesia. Significant amounts of palm oil exports to Europe are converted to biodiesel (as of early 2018: Indonesia: 40%, Malaysia 30%). In 2014, almost half of all the palm oil in Europe was burned as car and truck fuel. As of 2018, one-half of Europe's palm oil imports were used for biodiesel. Use of palm oil as biodiesel generates three times

228-767: A carcinogen). Reports of indigenous peoples and communities in Indonesia, indicate losing farmland and traditionally significant land due to palm oil industry expansion. In 2017, there were over 650 different land disputes between palm oil plantations and indigenous land owners. Indigenous communities also expressed concern over the loss of natural resources, such as wild rubber, reed, and adat forests (communal forests). Indigenous communities have made some ground when it comes to land disputes, either through protest or legal means. Other concerns when it comes to indigenous communities being impacted include lack of government oversight on palm oil plantations, political corruption, or

304-462: A cheap substitute for butter or hydrogenated vegetable oils in uses where solid fat is desirable, such as the making of pastry dough and baked goods. Palm oil is used in West African cuisine such as egusi soup and okra soup . Palm oil is sometimes used as a minor ingredient in calf milk replacer. Palm oil is pervasively used in personal care and cleaning products, and it provides

380-539: A complaint with the FLA, as all stakeholders have a role in improving corporate accountability for labor rights. When merited, the FLA oversees investigations and corrective action for any violations found. In 2019, the FLA created a dashboard to organize global wage data. The dashboard was completed in part because of a €15,000 commitment from ASN Bank, and allows organizations to input wage data and see it visually compared with international standards. The dashboard measures

456-401: A corrective action plan (CAP) to address any violations of the code and for conducting follow-up visits to ensure the plan is implemented. The FLA also conducts follow-up visits for a select group of audits to verify the actions taken by the FLA affiliate and supplier. The FLA external monitoring system promotes transparency. The FLA posts the results of factory audits on its website, as well as

532-513: A highly sought-after commodity by British traders for use as an industrial lubricant for machinery during Britain's Industrial Revolution . Palm oil formed the basis of soap products, such as Lever Brothers ' (now Unilever ) " Sunlight " soap, and the American Palmolive brand. By around 1870, palm oil constituted the primary export of some West African countries, which often led to oppressive labor practices, as highlighted in

608-664: A joint letter to the Cambodian government, urging it to improve labor and human rights conditions. The letter came as the EU and U.S. were reviewing trade agreements with Cambodia over perceived human rights and democratic setbacks. In October 2018, the FLA and the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) announced the AAFA/FLA Apparel & Footwear Industry Commitment to Responsible Recruitment. Since

684-614: A laser on the effectiveness and legitimacy of the effort as a whole." Writing for MarketWatch in March 2017, Casey O'Connor and Sarah Labowitz of the NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights recognized the FLA's "sound model for developing and monitoring labor standards in the apparel industry" as an example for other organizations to follow in reporting on social responsibility indicators of interest to impact investors. The United Students Against Sweatshops, have stated that

760-710: A loose organization known as the Apparel Industry Partnership (AIP) in 1996. In 1999, the AIP’s charter document was amended to establish the FLA. From 2001 to 2013, Auret van Heerden was the president and CEO of the FLA. Since 2015, the FLA has been led by Sharon Waxman, previously the vice president for public policy and advocacy at the International Rescue Committee (IRC), and formerly the senior national security advisor to U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA). Companies that join

836-477: A lot of palm nut species, which may become an important contributor to the agriculture of the region. Although Ghana has multiple palm species, ranging from local palm nuts to other species locally called agric, it was only marketed locally and to neighboring countries. Production is now expanding as major investment funds are purchasing plantations, because Ghana is considered a major growth area for palm oil. Kenya 's domestic production of edible oils covers about

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912-462: A quarter of the burned area. The widespread deforestation and other environmental destruction in Indonesia, much of which is caused by palm oil production has often been described by academics as an ecocide . Environmental groups such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth oppose the use of palm oil biofuels, claiming that the deforestation caused by oil palm plantations is more damaging for

988-499: A region accounts for 52.5 million metric tons (57.9 million short tons) of palm oil production, about 85% of the world total and more than 90% of global exports. Indonesia accounts for 52% of world exports. Malaysian exports total 38%. The biggest consumers of palm oil are India, the European Union, and China, with the three consuming nearly 50% of world exports. Thailand's Department of Internal Trade (DIT) usually sets

1064-478: A study from the Environmental, Science and Policy, Colombia has the potential to produce sustainable palm oil without causing deforestation . In addition, palm oil and other crops provide a productive alternative for illegal crops, like coca . Ecuador aims to help palm oil producers switch to sustainable methods and achieve RSPO certification under initiatives to develop greener industries. Ghana has

1140-539: A third of its annual demand, estimated at 380,000 metric tons (420,000 short tons). The rest is imported at a cost of around US$ 140 million a year, making edible oil the country's second most important import after petroleum. Since 1993 a new hybrid variety of cold-tolerant, high-yielding oil palm has been promoted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in western Kenya. As well as alleviating

1216-552: A thorough evaluation of their internal protocols and auditing, as well as extensive training through the FLA. The FLA board of directors must vote to accredit the labor compliance programs of participating companies. As of 2020, the FLA Board had accredited the labor compliance programs of Patagonia , New Balance , Burton , Under Armour , Mountain Equipment Co-op, Knights Apparel, and others. In his opening remarks to

1292-653: A threat to edible palm oil supplies. According to a 2009 study published in the Environmental Science and Policy journal, palm oil biodiesel might increase the demand for palm oil in the future, resulting in the expansion of palm oil production, and therefore an increased supply of food. One report indicated numerous allegations of human rights violations in the production of palm oil in Indonesia and Malaysia, including exposure to hazardous pesticides , child labor , rape and sexual abuse , and unsafe carrying loads. These incidents may receive no response by

1368-407: A week." Worker Rights Consortium executive director Scott Nova said, "Generally, in a labor rights investigation, the findings come after the evidence is gathered, not the other way around. I'm amazed that the FLA would give one of the most notoriously abusive factories in the world a clean bill of health—based, it appears, on nothing more than a guided tour provided by the owner." Heather White,

1444-422: Is a common cooking ingredient in the tropical belt of Africa, Southeast Asia and parts of Brazil. Its use in the commercial food industry in other parts of the world is widespread because of its lower cost and the high oxidative stability ( saturation ) of the refined product when used for frying. One source reported that humans consumed an average 17 pounds (7.7 kg) of palm oil per person in 2015. Palm oil

1520-472: Is a mixture of water, crude palm oil, and fibers from the palm fruit. A minimum degree of processing is required to obtain the oil. The mixture is first passed through a filter to remove the solids, then separated by density to remove the water. Density treatment can also act as a basic form of degumming, provided that the fruit is steamed before milling to hydrolyze the gum, at a cost of also losing some triglycerides to hydrolysis. The result of basic processing

1596-413: Is a source of Vitamin A and Vitamin E. Crude PO can be refined to remove its non-triglyceride components. RBD PO is also known as white palm oil . It can be further fractionated using the different melting points of its components. The part with a higher melting point, which crystalizes out as a solid earlier, is called palm stearin . It consists of mostly saturated fats. The remaining liquid part

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1672-477: Is applied to wounds for its supposed antimicrobial effects, research does not confirm its effectiveness. In 2023–2024, world production of palm oil was 77.3 million tonnes , led by Indonesia with 57% of the total. The annual production of palm oil is projected to reach 240 million tonnes by 2050. During the 2022 food crises instigated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and crop failures in other parts of

1748-495: Is called palm olein . It is also possible to fractionate at a different point of processing, even with crude palm oil. RBD PO, or "palm shortening ", is extensively used in food manufacture. It is valued for its low polyunsaturated fat content, which offers high stability against rancidity and allows it to replace hydrogenated fats in a variety of baked and fried products. The highly saturated nature of palm oil renders it solid at room temperature in temperate regions, making it

1824-460: Is called a "crude palm oil" or a " red palm oil ", referring to its intense color due to the high carotenoid content. Red palm oil is a traditional cooking oil in West Africa. The free fatty acids within provide a "bite" to the flavor. The triglyceride part is around 50% saturated fat —considerably less than palm kernel oil —and 40% monounsaturated fat and 10% polyunsaturated fat . It

1900-596: Is created through a process called transesterification . Palm oil biodiesel is often blended with other fuels to create palm oil biodiesel blends. Palm oil biodiesel meets the European EN 14214 standard for biodiesels. Hydrodeoxygenated biodiesel is produced by direct hydrogenolysis of the fat into alkanes and propane. The world's largest palm oil biodiesel plant is the €550 million Finnish-operated Neste Oil biodiesel plant in Singapore , which opened in 2011 with

1976-402: Is much more efficient than other oils in terms of land and water usage; however, deforestation causes more biodiversity loss than switching to other oils. The biggest global producers of palm oil are Indonesia, who produced 60% of it in 2022, followed by Malaysia, Thailand, and Nigeria. Indonesia produces biodiesel primarily from palm oil. Humans used oil palms as far back as 5,000 years. In

2052-682: Is not red), and in saturated fat content: palm mesocarp oil is 49% saturated, while palm kernel oil and coconut oil are 81% and 86% saturated fats, respectively. However, crude red palm oil that has been refined, neutralized, bleached and deodorized, a common commodity called RBD (refined, bleached, and deodorized) palm oil, does not contain carotenoids. Many industrial food applications of palm oil use fractionated components of palm oil (often listed as "modified palm oil") whose saturation levels can reach 90%; these "modified" palm oils can become highly saturated, but are not necessarily hydrogenated . The oil palm produces bunches containing many fruits with

2128-430: Is produced when processing oil palm, including oil palm shells and oil palm fruit bunches, can also be used to produce energy. This waste material can be converted into pellets that can be used as a biofuel. Additionally, palm oil that has been used to fry foods can be converted into methyl esters for biodiesel. The used cooking oil is chemically treated to create a biodiesel similar to petroleum diesel. Although palm oil

2204-588: Is still produced by women for domestic use. The FAO additionally states that peasants in Benin practice agroecology . They harvest palm fruit from small farms and the palm oil is mostly used for local consumption. Cameroon had a production project underway initiated by Herakles Farms in the United States. However, the project was halted under the pressure of civil society organizations in Cameroon. Before

2280-503: Is the world's second largest producer of palm oil, producing 19.7 million tonnes in 2023-24. In 1992, in response to concerns about deforestation , the Government of Malaysia pledged to limit the expansion of palm oil plantations by retaining a minimum of half the nation's land as forest cover . As of 2023-24, Nigeria was the fifth-largest producer, with 1.5 million tonnes. Both small- and large-scale producers participate in

2356-461: Is traditionally, and still industrially, produced by milling the fruits of oil palm. Besides milling, palm oil is produced by cold-pressing the fruit of the oil palm since the 1990s. This type of artisanal palm oil is usually not further refined, so they keep the natural red color. It is bottled for use as a cooking oil , in addition to other uses such as being blended into mayonnaise and vegetable oil . The result of milling or cold-pressing

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2432-468: The Indochinese tiger . Forests have been cleared in parts of Indonesia and Malaysia to make space for oil-palm monoculture . This has significant impacts on the local ecosystems leading to deforestation and biodiversity loss . For example, these processes have resulted in significant acreage losses of the natural habitat of the three surviving species of orangutan . One species in particular,

2508-932: The Sumatran orangutan , has been listed as critically endangered because of habitat loss due to palm oil cultivation. In addition to environmental concerns, palm oil development in regions that produce it has also led to significant social conflict . Regions with fast growing palm oil production have experienced significant violations of indigenous land rights, influxes of illegal immigrant labor and labor practices, and other alleged related human rights violations. The palm oil industry has had both positive and negative impacts on workers, indigenous peoples and residents of palm oil producing communities. Palm oil production provides employment opportunities, and has been shown to improve infrastructure , social services and reduce poverty. However, in some cases, oil palm plantations have developed lands without consultation or compensation of

2584-560: The FLA audits are in the apparel sector (approximately 75%), followed by footwear, equipment, and accessories. Other industries represented in the FLA supplier database include collectibles, jewelry, hosiery, paper products, home goods, electronic products, and bags. FLA-affiliated companies fall under different categories: Participating Company, Participating Supplier, Category B Collegiate Licensee, Category C Collegiate Licensee, or Category D Collegiate Licensee. Participating Companies and Participating Suppliers submit their entire supply chain to

2660-555: The FLA board passed a requirement that requires FLA affiliates to disclose their factory lists. In order to receive accreditation from the Fair Labor Association, participating companies must demonstrate substantial compliance with the Workplace Code of Conduct throughout their supply chain. They must also undergo performance reviews, independent factory monitoring, verification of remediation initiatives, and

2736-613: The FLA cautioned that due diligence in the region would not be enough to detect or rule out forced labor. This was due to a few issues including travel restrictions to the region. In March, the FLA called for the U.S. government to engage with the EU and other countries to establish a direct diplomatic channel to address the issue with the Chinese government. The association directed its affiliates to review their direct and indirect sourcing relationships to make sure they are in line with FLA principles. It also called for companies to identify

2812-613: The FLA commit to upholding the FLA Workplace Code of Conduct, which is underpinned by " International Labour Organization standards and internationally accepted good labor practices", and to establishing internal systems for monitoring workplace conditions and maintaining code standards throughout their supply chains . The FLA conducts independent and unannounced audits of factories used by FLA affiliates to evaluate compliance of all code elements and verify companies' internal compliance efforts. The FLA monitors factories all over

2888-439: The FLA has "... a weak code that fails to provide for women's rights, a living wage, the full public disclosure of factory locations, or university control over the monitoring process." WAAKE-UP! was also critical of the Fair Labor Association as much of its funding comes from organizations it monitors, creating a potential conflict of interest . The organization FLA Watch monitors the Fair Labor Association. On January 25, 2012,

2964-549: The FLA independent external monitoring process and commit to a range of obligations as affiliates of the FLA. The human and labor rights violations in domestic and overseas supply chains that surfaced in the mid-1990s were brought to the forefront on university and college campuses by student activists and national human rights groups. In response, universities joined companies and civil society organizations, including trade unions, in opposition to sweatshop labor. There are currently 208 colleges and universities that are affiliated with

3040-438: The FLA. Over 2,000 collegiate licensees that produce products for these institutions have joined the FLA. These licensees are required to disclose the names of facilities producing collegiate products and to uphold the FLA Workplace Code of Conduct in these facilities. High-revenue licensees and those with substantial overseas suppliers must submit their facilities to the FLA independent external monitoring process as well. In 2019

3116-564: The New York Times published an extensive exposé of labor conditions at a supplier factory for Apple iPads in China called Foxconn. The report documented widespread violations of worker rights, including the use of excessive overtime, crowded dorms, and the use of poisonous chemicals causing worker fatalities. At least 19 Foxconn workers have attempted suicide or fell from buildings in manners that suggested suicide attempts. Shortly before

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3192-570: The Voluntary Principles Plenary in Oslo, UN Special Representative on Business and Human Rights John Ruggie held up the FLA as a model multi-stakeholder initiative: "The gold standard among voluntary initiatives, I think, is the Fair Labor Association. It leads the way precisely because its Secretariat is encouraged and even mandated to cast a critical eye on performance and to recommend practical innovations—to stay focused like

3268-970: The Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.150 via cp1114 cp1114, Varnish XID 923752821 Upstream caches: cp1114 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 08:01:01 GMT Palm oil Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from the mesocarp (reddish pulp) of the fruit of oil palms . The oil is used in food manufacturing, in beauty products, and as biofuel . Palm oil accounted for about 36% of global oils produced from oil crops in 2014. Palm oils are easier to stabilize and maintain quality of flavor and consistency in ultra-processed foods , so they are frequently favored by food manufacturers. Globally, humans consumed an average of 7.7 kg (17 lb) of palm oil per person in 2015. Demand has also increased for other uses, such as cosmetics and biofuels, encouraging

3344-461: The Xinjiang region because of workers' rights violations. It was the first time the organization prohibited sourcing from a specific country/region. FLA affiliates are partners in implementing the FLA Workplace Code of Conduct and developing and sharing best practices in labor compliance globally. FLA-affiliated companies represent a large spectrum of industry. The overwhelming majority of factories

3420-487: The account of Abina Mansah's life. However, this was overtaken by cocoa in the 1880s with the introduction of colonial European cocoa plantations. Palm oil is naturally reddish in color because of a high beta-carotene content. It is not to be confused with palm kernel oil derived from the kernel of the same fruit or coconut oil derived from the kernel of the coconut palm ( Cocos nucifera ). The differences are in color (raw palm kernel oil lacks carotenoids and

3496-427: The actions plans that FLA-affiliated companies develop with their suppliers to correct any issues that are found. The FLA also promotes a complaint channel for third parties in cases where there is a persistent or serious labor violation in a production facility used by any FLA-affiliated company, and where other grievance mechanisms or lack of procedures have failed workers. Any person, organization, or company may file

3572-523: The announcement, more than 130 apparel and footwear companies have signed the Commitment. The FLA and the AAFA developed the Commitment to address forced labor risks for migrant workers. Each signatory company commits to working with its partners so that no worker pays for their job; workers retain control of their travel documents; and workers are informed of the basic terms of employment before joining

3648-500: The average worker's wage within a given facility by collecting data from several categories, including base wages, incentives, and benefits. The dashboard is intended to help businesses, governments, NGOs, and others track global wages and identify where workers are not earning fair wages. The dashboard will be part of ASN Bank's 2019 Living Wage Report. In April 2018, FLA released a report that garment workers in Bangladesh are among

3724-687: The carbon emissions as using fossil fuel, and, for example, "biodiesel made from Indonesian palm oil makes the global carbon problem worse, not better." There are pressures for increased oil palm production from Indonesian palm-based biodiesel programs. The biodiesel currently contains a 30:70 palm oil to conventional diesel ratio (known as B30) at the gas pumps. The Indonesian government is aiming to produce 100% palm oil biodiesel (or B100) to transition out of using conventional diesel. The Indonesian government has estimated it would need to establish approximately 15 million hectares of oil palm plantations to meet these future demands. The organic waste matter that

3800-529: The company or police, or are left unreported because victims fear retaliation from their abuser. Pesticides used by palm oil plantations include paraquat , which has been banned in Europe over links to Parkinson's disease , and glyphosate , which has been involved in a US class-action lawsuit regarding cancer (the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) classified glyphosate as causing serious eye damage but did not find evidence implicating it as

3876-542: The country's deficit of edible oils while providing an important cash crop, it is claimed to have environmental benefits in the region, because it does not compete against food crops or native vegetation and it provides stabilisation for the soil. Palm oil was introduced to British Burma (now Myanmar) in the 1920s. Beginning in the 1970s, smaller-scale palm oil plantations were developed in Tanintharyi Region , and Mon , Kayin , and Rakhine States . In 1999,

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3952-523: The economic benefits, Non-governmental organisations (NGOs), such as Nature Tropicale , claim biofuels will compete with domestic food production in some existing prime agricultural sites. Other areas comprise peat land , whose drainage would have a deleterious environmental impact . They are also concerned genetically modified plants will be introduced into the region, jeopardizing the current premium paid for their non-GM crops. According to recent article by National Geographic , most palm oil in Benin

4028-414: The fleshy mesocarp enclosing a kernel that is covered by a very hard shell. The FAO considers palm oil (coming from the pulp) and palm kernels to be primary products. The oil extraction rate from a bunch varies from 17 to 27% for palm oil, and from 4 to 10% for palm kernels. Along with coconut oil, palm oil is one of the few highly saturated vegetable fats and is semisolid at room temperature. Palm oil

4104-420: The foaming agent in nearly every soap, shampoo, or detergent. Around 70% of personal care products including soap, shampoo, makeup, and lotion, contain ingredients derived from palm oil. However, there are more than 200 different names for these palm oil ingredients and only 10% of them include the word "palm". Palm oil is used to produce both methyl ester and hydrodeoxygenated biodiesel . Palm oil methyl ester

4180-399: The founder of monitoring group Verite, said about Van Heerden's remarks: “That he would make any comments prior to workers being interviewed off-site in a confidential environment is somewhat premature, to say the least. He doesn’t speak Chinese and he is not a trained auditor qualified to make quick assessments.” Mr. van Heerden also explained the rash of suicides at Foxconn as follows: ""I

4256-543: The growth of palm oil plantations in tropical countries. The use of palm oil has attracted the concern of environmental and human right groups . The palm oil industry is a significant contributor to deforestation in the tropics where palms are grown and has been cited as a factor in social problems due to allegations of human rights violations among growers. In 2018, a report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature acknowledged that palm oil

4332-401: The identification of alternate sourcing options opportunities, and said it would work with the government and other groups to find solutions to end human rights violations in the region. Because of forced labor reports, U.S. lawmakers called for American companies and consumers to stop buying goods produced in Xinjiang factories. At the end of 2020, FLA banned the use of cotton and textiles from

4408-804: The indigenous people inhabiting the land, resulting in social conflict. The use of illegal immigrants in Malaysia has also raised concerns about working conditions within the palm oil industry. Some social initiatives use palm oil cultivation as part of poverty alleviation strategies. Examples include the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation's hybrid oil palm project in Western Kenya, which improves incomes and diets of local populations, and Malaysia's Federal Land Development Authority and Federal Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority, which both support rural development. The use of palm oil in

4484-719: The industry. In much of the Niger Delta , palm oil is commonoly referred to as "red oil" (or red gold) to distinguish it from the "black oil" ( crude oil ) which dominates production. Thailand is the world's third largest producer of crude palm oil, producing 3.6 million tonnes in 2023-24. Nearly all of Thai production is consumed locally. Almost 85% of palm plantations and extraction mills are in south Thailand. At year-end 2016, 4.7 to 5.8 million rai (750,000 to 930,000 hectares; 1,900,000 to 2,300,000 acres) were planted in oil palms, employing 300,000 farmers, mostly on small landholdings of 20 rai (3.2 hectares; 7.9 acres). ASEAN as

4560-431: The lacking of enforcement on laws meant to protect indigenous lands. In countries such as Guatemala, palm oil plantations have significant leverage within the local justice system, leading local police to disregard land claims, going as far as using force to break up protests, and even murdering local leaders. While only 5% of the world's vegetable oil farmland is used for palm plantations, palm cultivation produces 38% of

4636-461: The late 1800s, archaeologists discovered a substance that they concluded was originally palm oil in a tomb at Abydos dating back to 3,000 BCE. Palm oil from Elaeis guineensis has long been recognized in West and Central African countries, used widely as a cooking oil . European merchants trading with West Africa occasionally purchased palm oil for use as a cooking oil in Europe. Palm oil became

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4712-438: The natural environment, including deforestation , loss of natural habitats, and greenhouse gas emissions which have threatened critically endangered species , such as the orangutan and Sumatran tiger . Slash-and-burn techniques are still used to create new plantations across palm oil producing countries. From January to September 2019, 857,000 hectares of land was burned in Indonesia; peatlands accounted for more than

4788-534: The physical conditions are way, way above average of the norm." Mr. Van Heerden is also reported as saying “Foxconn is really not a sweatshop.” and “Workers are very outspoken and they’re not intimidated at all.” Mr. van Heerden's praise of Foxconn's labor conditions were widely criticized. The New York Times noted that "Mr. van Heerden’s apparent praise of conditions at Foxconn came despite previous reports of employees committing suicide, dying in factory explosions and complaining of sometimes working more than 70 hours

4864-575: The price of crude palm oil and refined palm oil Thai farmers have a relatively low yield compared to those in Malaysia and Indonesia. Thai palm oil crops yield 4–17% oil compared to around 20% in competing countries. In addition, Indonesian and Malaysian oil palm plantations are 10 times the size of Thai plantations. Palm is native to the wetlands of western Africa, and south Benin already hosts many palm plantations. Its 'Agricultural Revival Programme' has identified many thousands of hectares of land as suitable for new oil palm export plantations. In spite of

4940-486: The production of biodiesel has led to concerns that the need for fuel is being placed ahead of the need for food, leading to malnutrition in developing nations. This is known as the food versus fuel debate. According to a 2008 report published in the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews , palm oil was determined to be a sustainable source of both food and biofuel, and the production of palm oil biodiesel does not pose

5016-614: The project was halted, Herakles left the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil early in negotiations. The project has been controversial due to opposition from villagers and the location of the project in a sensitive region for biodiversity. In 2018, total palm oil production in Colombia reached 1.6 million metric tons (1.8 million short tons), representing some 8% of national agricultural GDP and benefiting mainly smallholders (65% of Colombia's palm oil sector). According to

5092-455: The publication of the New York Times story on Foxconn, on January 13, 2012, Apple became a dues paying corporate member of the FLA. The amount Apple pays the FLA in dues is not public information. Publicly available records indicate that the FLA's president and CEO Auret van Heerden has an annual base salary of $ 259,359.00. On February 16, 2012, after taking a guided tour of Foxconn, FLA CEO Auret van Heerden said, "The facilities are first-class;

5168-663: The ruling military junta, the State Peace and Development Council , initiated the large-scale development of such plantations, especially in Tanintharyi, the southernmost region of Myanmar. As of 2019, over 401,814 ha of palm oil concessions have been awarded to 44 companies. 60% of the awarded concessions consist of forests and native vegetation, and some concessions overlap with national parks, including Tanintharyi and Lenya National Parks , which have seen deforestation and threaten conservation efforts for endemic species like

5244-663: The workforce. In November 2018, the FLA published a research report commissioned the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF). The report highlighted the risks of forced labor among workers, particularly migrants from neighboring countries, in the palm oil supply chain in Indonesia and Malaysia. The report indicates it is important that workers have access to functioning grievance mechanisms, and called for collaboration to tackle forced labor issues. In January 2020, in response to reports of forced labor in China’s Xinjiang region,

5320-534: The world due to extreme weather caused by climate change , the Indonesian government banned exports of palm oil. This combined with a reduced harvest in Malaysia greatly increased global prices, while reducing availability causing ripple effects in the global supply chain. On 23 May 2022, the Indonesian government reopened trading hoping to balance supplies. Indonesia is the world's largest producer of palm oil, producing 44 million tonnes in 2023-24. Malaysia

5396-438: The world's total vegetable oil supply. In terms of oil yield, a palm plantation is 10 times more productive than soybean , sunflower or rapeseed cultivation because the palm fruit and kernel both provide usable oil. Palm oil has garnered criticism from environmentalists due to the environmental importance of where it is grown. However, it is indisputably more efficient in comparison to other oil-producing plants. In 2016, it

5472-482: The world, including the Americas; Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA); South Asia; South East Asia; and East Asia. There are currently over 4,500 facilities subject to FLA independent monitoring. On average, FLA accredited monitors conduct approximately 150 proactive, announced assessments and verification visits per year. FLA affiliates are responsible for working with the facilities following an inspection to develop

5548-469: The worst-paid in the world. The report found that workers would need an 80% pay raise to earn wages close to the report's most conservative living wage benchmark, 13,620 taka per month. In September 2018, Bangladeshi unions rejected an increase in the minimum wage (raising it to 8,000 taka or $ 95.50 a month) demanding more be done. In 2019, the FLA was part of a group of global trade associations representing garment, footwear, and travel goods buyers who sent

5624-449: Was angered by Heerdeen's comments. "Mr. van Heerden's comments are outrageous and shocking, even to those of us who have been monitoring the FLA's irresponsible reporting for years," she told Fox News. "Attributing the suicides of sweatshop workers who make iPhones to mere boredom is insulting and the FLA's most creative argument to date for defending its corporate funders." Labor laws Too Many Requests If you report this error to

5700-526: Was found that palm oil farms produce around 4.17 metric tons of oil per hectare. By contrast other oils, such as sunflower, soybean, or peanut only produce 0.56, 0.39, and 0.16 metric tons respectively per hectare. Palm oil is the most sustainable vegetable oil in terms of yield, requiring one-ninth of land used by other vegetable oil crops. In the future, laboratory-grown microbes might achieve higher yields per unit of land at comparable prices. However, palm oil cultivation has been criticized for its impact on

5776-400: Was very surprised when I walked onto the floor at Foxconn, how tranquil it is compared with a garment factory," he said. "So the problems are not the intensity and burnout and pressure-cooker environment you have in a garment factory. It's more a function of monotony, of boredom, of alienation perhaps." Teresa Cheng, an international campaigns coordinator for United Students Against Sweatshops,

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