In October the group Forest Heroescalled for Kellogg to cut ties with agribusiness corporation Wilmar.
Representatives of the advocacy group said that the Singapore-based company's extraction of palm oil was leading to the destruction of rain forests in Indonesia.
Since then, Wilmar announced a deforestation-free policy. Forest Heroes volunteer Jez Vedua says that's good news and Kellogg deserves credit for putting pressure on Wilmar to change its policy. But she says Forest Heroes next wants to see Kellogg adopt a policy similar to Wilmar's.
Vedua says Kellogg should ensure that any palm oil it uses is not harvested from deforested lands. She says time is important because orangutans and sumatran tigers are both in danger with the current rate of rain forest destruction.
Kellogg's website says it is a minor user of palm oil and all of its palm oil is 100% sustainably sourced. The company says all of its suppliers are members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. But Vedua says the RSPO has been criticized for a lack of transparency. She says Wilmar has sent a clear message to suppliers that destroying rain forests won't be tolerated.
Vedua says while Kellogg may not use much of the world's palm oil, it is a leader in the food industry. She says the policies of the Battle Creek company set an example for other companies.
