Summary
The 2021 edition of the WWF Palm Oil Buyers Scorecard assesses the progress and performance of 227 major retailers, manufacturers and hospitality* companies on key actions they can and should be taking to show their commitment and support for a sustainable palm oil industry. While there has been progress since the first scorecard was launched in 2009, much also remains the same: twelve years on, corporate efforts still fall drastically short of what is needed to counteract the ongoing damage to our world’s most vital forests and natural ecosystems. Palm oil is the world’s most traded vegetable oil, and its many unique properties — including versatility, affordability and land use efficiency — have turned into an essential part of modern consumption habits. While oil palm cultivation delivers benefits to various tropical economies and local communities
across the globe, irresponsible production is a significant driver of deforestation, ecosystem conversion, biodiversity loss, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Unsustainable production also threatens the lives of people living and working in palm oil producing landscapes in the form of land grabs, displacement, and human rights violations.