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<p>The Government is not taking steps to reduce the amount of imports of products
containing palm oil into the UK as we recognise the versatility of palm oil and that
replacing it with other fats and oils may have unintended consequences, as alternatives
usually require more land for production. This was also shown in a 2016 World Wide
Fund for Nature report. The Government is, though, committed to achieving sustainably
sourced palm oil, working with the private sector and non-governmental organisations
to create a UK market for sustainably sourced palm oil and reduce the environmental
impact of palm oil production overseas.</p><p> </p><p>In 2012, the Government established
the UK Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil to improve reporting, traceability and understanding
of supply chains to ensure continuous improvement and increased use of certified palm
oil. Latest figures indicate that the UK’s certified sustainable palm oil rose from
16% in 2010 to 75% in 2017. The UK’s Global Resource Initiative (GRI) builds upon
the Government’s work convening commodity-specific roundtables, and will identify
actions the UK can take across supply chains to improve sustainability of products,
including palm oil, and reduce deforestation.</p><p> </p><p>The UK is also a member
of the Amsterdam Declarations Partnership that supports a 100% sustainable palm oil
supply chain in Europe, and supports the Tropical Forest Alliance (TFA) which recently
secured the Marrakesh Declaration on palm oil, under which seven countries and major
companies have agreed principles for responsible palm oil in the region. We recognise
that more remains to be done and will continue to explore opportunities to improve
the sustainability of palm oil production.</p><p> </p>
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