In February 2011, Aviko became the first chilled and frozen potato supplier to join the international Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil scheme (RSPO).
RSPO ensures that Aviko is buying its oil only from plantations that have been built without cutting down new rainforest, that respect local residents and employees, and that preserve the habitat of endangered species such as orangutans.
By the end of 2011, Aviko had purchased sustainability vouchers for 13% of the total volume of palm oil it had bought, and this figure has more than doubled in the current year to 30%. It is a major step forward for the company’s CSR programme as palm oil represents 80% of all the oils it uses.
Mohammed Essa, general manager UK and Ireland, Aviko, commented that the company was also looking to raise its certification status: “The ambition is to move to 100% by 2015 and to ‘upgrade’ from the Book and Claim system we currently use to the Identity Preserved (top tier) by 2015 as well.”
“This represents another positive step on our CSR journey, which, of course, is ongoing. The fact that we are looking to upgrade our certification status is testament, however, to our commitment to becoming the most sustainable potato producer in the world.”