Allies for Wildlife: Sustainable Palm Oil in action!

In today's blog, the team at Chester Zoo have made waves across our community and beyond with their work on sustainable palm oil:

Palm oil. A forever contentious commodity that has remained a focus of attention for BIAZA and its members for the past decade. Oil palm production, its links to deforestation and the decline of orangutans brought this topic to the attention of zoos and aquariums globally. With the aim of conserving species impacted in the field, many of which we have in our collections, our sector has been able to effectively highlight the link between what we are buying, selling and eating in the UK and Ireland, to tropical deforestation in South East Asia. 

Back in 2016, BIAZA’s sustainability group developed guidelines for members on sustainable palm oil, ensuring that our conservation work extended from field conservation to vital sustainability action in our own supply chains. Fast forward to 2022, where global zoos joined together through WAZA to create the PalmOil Scan app: a tool made by zoos, for zoos. The app scores global manufacturers on their use of sustainable palm oil and action towards deforestation-free supply chains. Available in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, the app is promoted as part of our sector's education programmes to encourage sustainable behaviour change and action by zoo visitors. 

The Sustainable Palm Oil Communities Project, led by Chester Zoo and in collaboration with organisations from across the UK, is another example of united efforts to drive change. The project has seen nearly 200 businesses nationwide make a switch in their supply chains to sustainable palm oil. From coffee shops to primary schools, organisations in the campaigns' 6 active communities have taken actionable steps to protect wildlife, with the support of dedicated community lead organisations.

The project would not be possible without the collective action of businesses and our community leads, and their words clearly emphasise the impact of coming together for a shared goal:

Emma Cowley, Sumatran Orangutan Society, Oxford: "Through SOS’s work on the SPOC project, we’ve seen the power of shared purpose. When communities, conservationists and companies come together, we can drive real progress for orangutans and the forests they depend on".

Harry Handford, Blackpool Zoo, Blackpool: “Collaboration on the SPOC project has resulted in strengthened links with key businesses who share the same sustainability and conservation mission as Blackpool Zoo. It has even sparked conversations with Blackpool South MP Chris Webb, highlighting the extent of awareness raising”.

Lucy Cullinane, Efeca, Dorset: “We love being part of the campaign – we meet regularly to discuss how to bring on board champions, and how we can all spread the word about our communities. Here in Dorset, we’ve had great success with our newsletter, attending events and making more people aware of sustainable palm oil".

Kathy Baker, Newquay Zoo, Newquay: “Collaboration has been the absolute key to SPOC. The Zoo team here are fully on board and It's been great to get out into the community and connect with other businesses through such a valuable project.”

Zoe Montgomerie, The Deep, Hull & East Riding of Yorkshire: “Collaboration is crucial to our community, allowing us to reach potential champions across a large geographic region. Talking about sustainable palm oil has dispelled myths and opened doors to new perceptions, with champions even expressing how simple making the switch to sustainable palm oil was.”

These collaborations around the topic of palm oil are vital in removing inconsistency in messaging, making it easier for the public and industry to make responsible decisions when it comes to purchasing, and cleaning up our global supply chains. Zoos, aquariums and their partners are showcasing that standing together as allies is one of our most powerful tools in the fight against deforestation.

- Catherine Barton, Policy Lead Deforestation-Free Commodities and Regenerative Agriculture at Chester Zoo & Eleanor Evans, Deforestation-free Campaigns Project Officer at Chester Zoo