More sustainably produced palm oil in animal feed
Level: Spearhead
The large-scale production of palm oil can entail serious risks for both people and the environment, such as deforestation and decreased biodiversity. The criterium contributes to improving the conditions for a transition to a more sustainable cultivation of oil palm.
Details
- Type:
- Technical specification
- ID:
- 11395:1
- Group:
- Lamb and mutton
Criterion text
Animal-based foods shall be produced from animals where products from oil palm1, if it forms part of the feed, is produced in such a way that, at a minimum, it covers the following:
- Implemented routines that ensure that the conversion to agricultural land does not result in deforestation or damage to areas of high conservation value. The evaluation of what is regarded as high conservation value can be undertaken in agreement with the High Conservation Value Approach2, or a similar evaluation method relevant for the geographical area.
- The planting of oil palms on peatlands is prohibited as of November 2018. This applies to both existing and new plantations.
- The use of plant protection products shall be in accordance with the principles for Integrated Pest Management (IPM3). This involves preventing plant protection problems, monitoring the risk of damage in cultivations, need-based measures, as well as following up and evaluating the effectiveness of pest control measures.
It is adequate that the documentation of the traceability for products from oil palms in the animal feed can be shown through a segregated supply chain (Identity Preserved or Segregated), or through the principle of Mass Balance, or through the principle for credits (Credits/Book and Claim).
1. Included in products from oil palm are fractions and derivatives from palm oil and palm kernel oil as well as palm kernel expeller, whether or not ground or in the form of pellets.
2. High Conservation Value Approach, hcvnetwork.org/hcv-approach
3. IPM (Integrated Pest Management) Integrated Pest Management concerns a sustainable use of plant protection products. By combining different types of measures, weeds, fungal diseases and pests in the cultivation can be prevented or suppressed. Plant protection measures in your cultivation - Jordbruksverket.se (in Swedish)
Verification
Upon request, the supplier shall be ready to present one of the following, for example:
- Valid licence/certificate for a label/certification that covers the requirement, for example RSPO. If the principle Credits/Book and Claim is applied then a certificate issued by RSPO can be shown demonstrating that the proportion of fats from palm oil used in the production of animal-based products is covered by an equivalent amount of RSPO-Independent Smallholder Credits. Read more about RSPO-credits.
- The supplier's self-declaration including technical documentation of requirement compliance that has been verified by an accredited verification body, accredited for the task according to ISO/IEC 17029 or an equivalent standard.
Proposed follow-up
This requirement can be followed up during the contract period by, for example, spot checks of the product(s) subject to the requirements undertaken on one or more occasions.
Certification
If the requirement has been verified by means of a certification, then the supplier can show that the product(s) comply with the requirements by providing their own evidence or evidence from a subcontractor/feed supplier with, for example:
- Valid licence/certificate for a label/certification that complies with the requirement, for example RSPO (Round table on Sustainable Palm Oil) principles Identity Preserved, Segregated, Mass Balance or Credits/Book and Claim. If the principle Credits/Book and Claim is applied then a certificate issued by RSPO can be shown demonstrating that the proportion of palm oil used in the production of an animal-based food product is covered by an equivalent amount of RSPO-Independent Smallholder Credits. Read more about RSPO-credits.
Self-declaration verified by an accredited verification body
If a self-declaration verified by an accredited verification body is used as evidence for the requirement, ensure that it is verified by a verification body, accredited for the task according to ISO/IEC 17029 or an equivalent standard.
Make use of specialist expertise in your organisation when following up the summitted evidence of compliance. This could, for example, be an environmental or sustainability strategist with extensive expertise within questions related to sustainability.
Information about the criterion
The criterium covers conventional food products with animal-based content from beef, pig, lamb and sheep as well as cow's milk. Market access to products that comply with criteria can be very limited, particularly composite products. Follow-up can also require significant resources, for both the purchaser and the supplier. A market analysis needs to ensure that there is availability before the criterium is applied.
Market analysis (Swedish)
Organic production
Within organic production, as large a proportion as possible of the animal feed should come from the farm itself. If palm oil is used in the feed, it is organically certified, grown without the use of chemical fertilisers or plant protection products, and is traceable within the value chain in the same way as other organic products.
According to regulations from IFOAM and KRAV, there are specific requirements that the oil palm shall not be grown on land that has previously had a high conservation value and has been converted to agricultural land during the last five years.
If the goal is to procure organic products, organic palm oil in feed can be an additional value obtained as a result of the process. The National Agency for Public Procurement has sustainability criteria for organic products at the core level and advanced level, and they are available within each product group in our criteria service.
Criteria service
Environmental goals
Motive
The oil palm is an important source of income for many growers. From the oil palm, various products are extracted, including palm oil and palm kernel oil that due to their diverse characteristics can be used in everything from margarine, cakes and biscuits, ready-made meals, to soap and cosmetics. The byproducts that are left after the oil and fat have been utilised can be used as animal feed.
Palm oil is primarily produced in Indonesia and Malaysia. More than one-third of the plantations that have been established in these areas during the last twenty years have been at the expense of tropical forests and entailed a large negative effect on people, plants and animals .
The market for certified products from byproducts of the oil palm, that are used in for example animal feed, is not a as developed as the market for pure palm oil, and the supply chains can be complex. Organisations that are willing to support a responsible production of palm oil and/or to balance the effects of the palm oil used in their products, can acquire RSPO-credits. The system of credit trading is a tool to accelerate and increase the conditions for a transition towards more sustainable production methods for oil palm.
Read more about RSPO-credits
In Sweden, there is the Swedish Platform on Risk Commodities that was launched in April 2022. The platform is coordinated by ETI Sverige (Ethical Trading Initiative) and the members of the platform commit to requiring, verified more sustainable soy and palm oil through, for example certification. Similar initiatives exist in other countries.
The Swedish Platform on Risk Commodities
New Regulation on deforestation-free products
In December 2022, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU agreed upon a new regulation on deforestation-free products (EU) 2023/1115. The regulation covers inter alia soy, palm oil, cocoa and other risk-crops connected to deforestation. It is still not completely clear what consequences the deforestation regulation will have on different parties on the market. The regulation will be applied from the 30 December 2024.
Read more about the regulation on deforestation-free products
Versions history
The version date indicates when the sustainability criterion was created or last updated. Last reviewed dated tells when we last checked that the sustainability criterion still is relevant.
- Current ID
- 11395:1
- Version date
- 2023-06-29
2023-06-29: 11395:1 New version number. Adjusted name. Updated requirement text for increased stringency. UTZ removed as verification. Revised definition of palm oil products in feed. Updated proposal for follow-up, motive and application.
2020-12-21: The requirement is added to sub-group milk and dairy from cows and product group lamb and mutton.2020-03-25: Original version