Unilever: 36pc of raw materials sustainably sourced

08/04/2013

Multinational company Unilever has announced that 36 per cent of its agricultural raw materials are sourced in a sustainable way.

With more than a third of its materials now sourced sustainably, Unilever are now closer to their 100 per cent target for 2020. The announcement comes before the company's Sustainable Living Plan Progress report due on April 22. The plan was launched in 2010 and saw Unilever pledge to halve its environmental footprint while doubling in size.

The company, which reported annual sales of €51 billion in 2012, now buys half of its raw materials from the farming and forestry industries and says that sustainable sourcing allows its brands to stand out in the marketplace.

Cuisine brand, Knorr launched a soup in France last September which promoted the tomato ingredient as the first Unilever product to be sustainably grown in accordance with the Unilever Sustainable Agriculture Code.
This advance in sustainability was brought about through the Knorr Sustainability Partnership Fund which spends €1 million annually to support vegetable suppliers in sustainable agriculture projects.

By the end of 2012, 43 per cent of cocoa used in Unilever products was reported to have been sustainably sourced and the Magnum brand sourced 64 per cent of its cocoa through the Rainforest Alliance certification.
Unilever has also worked with vanilla supplier, Symrise, to bring about the company's first Rainforest Alliance-certified vanilla beans, the partnership has also led to Symrise training over 1,100 farmers.

All palm oil used in Unilever products is now certificated by GreenPalm as part of the company's pledge to reach 100 per cent of certified sustainable palm oil by 2020. Last year the company joined talks at the China Sustainable Palm Oil Supply Chain Forum, to promote faster uptake in China.

Working in partnership with Usina Sao Joao, Unilever also purchased 3,262 tons of Bonsucro sustainable sugar credits in Brazil in December 2012.

Businesses working to promote the sustainability of products around the world are all helping to contribute to a more secure future by reducing the pressure on the world's natural forests and landscapes.