ID :
185580
Tue, 05/31/2011 - 13:42
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/185580
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NESTLÉ TO BOOST USE OF PALM OIL FROM CERTIFIED SUSTAINABLE SOURCES
By Premalatha Jayaraman & Nurul Jannah Kamaruddin
KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 (Bernama) –- Nestlé Malaysia will increase the use of palm oil from certified sustainable sources in Malaysia to about 80 per cent by year-end for locally-manufactured food and beverage products as part of its ongoing commitment to safeguard the environment.
Its managing director, Peter Vogt, said the move was in tandem with Nestlé’s global commitment to use only certified sustainable palm oil by 2015.
He said Nestlé Malaysia, best known in the country for its MILO, MAGGI and NESCAFÉ brands, was confident of achieving the target based on its relationship with major Malaysian plantation companies, where most of them had embarked on their own sustainability approach by balancing environmental concerns and profitability in their operations.
"By end-2011, our consumption of sustainably-produced palm oil in Malaysia is expected to be at about 80 per cent in part because we have direct contact with palm oil-supplying companies like Sime Darby Plantation Sdn Bhd and United Plantations Bhd," he told Bernama in an interview.
Vogt said currently, Nestlé was unable to trace the origins of all its raw materials as some were purchased from suppliers like Cargill.
He said in a move to increase traceability of raw materials and to create shared value towards rural development, Nestlé Malaysia aimed to source more raw materials from local farmers.
Among them, he said, were the chili sourcing project in Kelantan, used for MAGGI chili sauce and the red rice growing project in Sarawak where the raw materials were used in cereals.
"To establish a supply chain from sustainable sources and the rural areas we have programmes to buy products directly from the farmers rather than from trading companies. This will help improve the farmers' income," he said.
Vogt said this effort has also strengthened consumer confidence in the products, adding that Nestlé incorporated it into every aspect of its operations, policies and strategies to reiterate its position as the world's leading nutrition, health and wellness company.
"Nestlé’s business strategy is to create shared value on specific areas of the company's core business activities –- nutrition, health and wellness, water and rural development," he said.
He said this was also manifested in its efforts to promote the importance of health and a good diet among its consumers which Nestlé Malaysia recently expressed through its "How Am I" campaign, which guided Malaysians on how to keep track of their health status.
The company also worked in partnership with the Nutrition Society of Malaysia for the ‘Nestlé Healthy Kids’ programme to promote healthy eating habits among children by educating and motivating them on the importance of a good and balanced diet, he said.
Vogt said following the adage 'Good habits start at home', Nestlé Malaysia also has an internal policy of encouraging wellness among its employees.
"Among them are encouraging employees to use the staircase; Workout
Wednesdays; Free fruits on Tuesdays and Thursdays; monthly walking days; Lunch N Learn sessions; and, regular body mass index checks.
"Another initiative to create shared value with its stakeholders is in the area of water conservation where it works with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in the Setiu Wetlands in Terengganu, which has been identified as a crucial ecosystem that should be protected," he said.
The project involved working with the local community to plant mangrove trees along the riverbank to ensure that the ecosystem was protected, while making them the custodians of the environment, he said.
He said Nestlé Malaysia would also embark on a project in Kinabatangan, Sabah where WWF has been working to protect stretches of the second longest river in Malaysia and reforesting areas which had been degraded by logging and pollutants of soil sediments and chemical fertilizer run-offs.
"These efforts represent Nestlé’s commitment to creating shared value for society and to ensure we operate in a sustainable manner," he said.
Nestlé Malaysia principal activities are manufacturing, marketing and selling food and beverage products such as powdered milk, liquid milk, instant coffee, chocolate and confectionery products, instant noodles, cooking aids, cereals and yogurt.
KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 (Bernama) –- Nestlé Malaysia will increase the use of palm oil from certified sustainable sources in Malaysia to about 80 per cent by year-end for locally-manufactured food and beverage products as part of its ongoing commitment to safeguard the environment.
Its managing director, Peter Vogt, said the move was in tandem with Nestlé’s global commitment to use only certified sustainable palm oil by 2015.
He said Nestlé Malaysia, best known in the country for its MILO, MAGGI and NESCAFÉ brands, was confident of achieving the target based on its relationship with major Malaysian plantation companies, where most of them had embarked on their own sustainability approach by balancing environmental concerns and profitability in their operations.
"By end-2011, our consumption of sustainably-produced palm oil in Malaysia is expected to be at about 80 per cent in part because we have direct contact with palm oil-supplying companies like Sime Darby Plantation Sdn Bhd and United Plantations Bhd," he told Bernama in an interview.
Vogt said currently, Nestlé was unable to trace the origins of all its raw materials as some were purchased from suppliers like Cargill.
He said in a move to increase traceability of raw materials and to create shared value towards rural development, Nestlé Malaysia aimed to source more raw materials from local farmers.
Among them, he said, were the chili sourcing project in Kelantan, used for MAGGI chili sauce and the red rice growing project in Sarawak where the raw materials were used in cereals.
"To establish a supply chain from sustainable sources and the rural areas we have programmes to buy products directly from the farmers rather than from trading companies. This will help improve the farmers' income," he said.
Vogt said this effort has also strengthened consumer confidence in the products, adding that Nestlé incorporated it into every aspect of its operations, policies and strategies to reiterate its position as the world's leading nutrition, health and wellness company.
"Nestlé’s business strategy is to create shared value on specific areas of the company's core business activities –- nutrition, health and wellness, water and rural development," he said.
He said this was also manifested in its efforts to promote the importance of health and a good diet among its consumers which Nestlé Malaysia recently expressed through its "How Am I" campaign, which guided Malaysians on how to keep track of their health status.
The company also worked in partnership with the Nutrition Society of Malaysia for the ‘Nestlé Healthy Kids’ programme to promote healthy eating habits among children by educating and motivating them on the importance of a good and balanced diet, he said.
Vogt said following the adage 'Good habits start at home', Nestlé Malaysia also has an internal policy of encouraging wellness among its employees.
"Among them are encouraging employees to use the staircase; Workout
Wednesdays; Free fruits on Tuesdays and Thursdays; monthly walking days; Lunch N Learn sessions; and, regular body mass index checks.
"Another initiative to create shared value with its stakeholders is in the area of water conservation where it works with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in the Setiu Wetlands in Terengganu, which has been identified as a crucial ecosystem that should be protected," he said.
The project involved working with the local community to plant mangrove trees along the riverbank to ensure that the ecosystem was protected, while making them the custodians of the environment, he said.
He said Nestlé Malaysia would also embark on a project in Kinabatangan, Sabah where WWF has been working to protect stretches of the second longest river in Malaysia and reforesting areas which had been degraded by logging and pollutants of soil sediments and chemical fertilizer run-offs.
"These efforts represent Nestlé’s commitment to creating shared value for society and to ensure we operate in a sustainable manner," he said.
Nestlé Malaysia principal activities are manufacturing, marketing and selling food and beverage products such as powdered milk, liquid milk, instant coffee, chocolate and confectionery products, instant noodles, cooking aids, cereals and yogurt.
