Kraft

Manufacturer of: Lots. The second largest food and beverage company in the
world. The product I called about was Kraft peanut butter.

Email in response to phone query:

Dear Mr Ross,

Thank you for your enquiry regarding our Kraft Nuts Peanut Butter product.

Within the Australian and New Zealand market, Easy Mac and some of our biscuit
products contain low levels of palm oil as part of our vegetable oil ingredient. In fact,
our Australian/New Zealand business accounts for less than .0001 per cent of the
world's palm oil market. We utilise this palm oil in substitution for trans-fats, which as
a result provides better health and wellness products.

All of our main palm oil suppliers participate in the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm
Oil (RSPO). The Roundtable’s more than 200 members have the common goal of
finding economically viable, environmentally appropriate and socially beneficial ways
to produce palm oil. Members include the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), governments of
palm oil producing countries, plantation owners, traders and palm oil producers.

We support the goals and efforts of RSPO to develop and enforce guidelines
promoting responsible palm oil production. However, more work needs to be done to
ensure these standards are widely accepted and that RSPO members are in
compliance. As such, we actively encourage our suppliers to pursue more effective
enforcement according to the organization’s sustainability principles and criteria, and
offer viable solutions to the issue of deforestation. That is why, in principle, we
support the call for a moratorium, as it is substantively in line with the Roundtable’s
principles regarding conversion of rainforests and peatland areas for palm oil.

We appreciate your contact and if you require any further assistance please do not
hesitate to contact the Kraft Advisory Service on freecall 0800 444 045.

Yours faithfully,
Amanda Grouios
KRAFT FOODS AUSTRALIA
Consumer Relations Team

Thoughts I had:
I’m not sure what the moral significance of the fact that their NZ/Aus market uses
0.0001 of global palm oil is. Does the small amount absolve them of
responsibility for the consequences of its production? Does the NZ/Aus market
have more moral significance for me?
I’m glad that they’re using it instead of trans fats. Are those the same trans fats
they claimed “posed no known health risk and stated that a causal link (to health
problems) was unproven” in Australia in 2005?
If more work needs to be done ensuring suppliers are in compliance does that
mean they are currently not complying? Sounds like a reason to avoid palm oil
altogether, good idea Kraft!