German chemical and biotech giant BASF is making progress towards reaching its commitment to source 100% certified sustainable palm (kernel) oil, the company announced on 28 October.
In its Palm Progress Report, the company said it had purchased 140,400 tonnes of certified sustainable palm kernel oil (CSPKO) during the past year, which represented around 83.5% of its total volume, a rise of almost 14% compared to 2018.
In 2019, BASF said it had also been able to achieve traceability for 90% of its global palm footprint of 382,000 tonnes back to the oil mill level.
Two of the company’s key renewable raw materials are palm oil and palm kernel oil (PKO) and their primary derivatives, which are mainly used to produce home and personal care ingredients, as well as food ingredients.
“While we are working towards reaching our 2020 commitment, we are further committed to foster sustainable palm by expanding our oil commitments to significant intermediates based on palm oil and palm kernel by 2025,” Ralph Schweens, BASF president care chemicals, said in the report.
BASF first made its Palm Commitment in 2011, and this was later extended in 2015, to procure all its oils from RSPO-certified sources by 2020.
First published for the year 2016, the Palm Progress Report features the company’s palm commitment as well as its palm sourcing policy and its approach to include smallholder farmers.
The company said it had also strengthened its ‘No deforestation, no peat and no exploitation’ (NDPE) commitment and had published its Forest Protection Policy in June 2020.
BASF’s portfolio is organised into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. It uses palm oil and PKO to produce ingredients for cosmetics and home and personal care products. It also produces crop protection products and biotech seeds for the oils and fats sector.
