Delhaize bans deforestation

Ban deforestation by 2018

To achieve this goal, Greenpeace has set up a large-scale campaign with mails and social media, where consumers asked Delhaize to ban certain products, to which Delhaize has now replied. The chain has committed to a zero tolerance deforestation policy by 2018. It is not the first time Delhaize has vowed to do this, with the previous time – in 2010 – not leading to any significant policy changes, but now Delhaize will ask its suppliers to only use palm oil from producers who have not participated in deforestation, a question it will ask for the majority of its own brands.

Greenpeace hopes that the other large chains, Carrefour and Colruyt, will now follow suit. Wilmar International, world’s largest palm oil trader, had already promised to only sell palm oil that was not created through deforestation, while Nestlé, Unilever, Ferrero, L’Oréal and Vandemoortele (Belgium’s largest consumer of palm oil) have also promised to only produce deforestation-free products.