Palm oil industry labourers at work. Picture: 123RF/TAN KIAN YONG
After a pilot test in Indonesia, Unilever is scaling up that approach to cover all palm facilities in Southeast Asia, including farms, refineries and processing plants, and is looking into whether the technology can be applied to other regions. Environmental concerns have spurred the adoption of sustainable palm oil, but complex supply chains that begin with estates spanning millions of hectares make it difficult for the industry to be fully traceable. What’s more, the credibility of certified-sustainable palm oil, such as that of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, has been questioned by environmental groups who say greenwashing and bad practices still take place, albeit hidden from the public.
Providing granular visibility into Unilever’s palm-supply chains is Orbital Insight, a California-based Big Data company that uses geolocation data, satellites, drones and balloons to track what is happening on the planet. Orbital will use a combination of geofencing, anonymous mobile data and satellite imagery to monitor movement of trucks and their deliveries, and to identify any deforestation that has taken place in the past, or recently, at suppliers’ sites.
It is consumers that are driving manufacturers to seek better visibility into where raw materials are sourced from, especially if it involves commodities associated with farming practices that are not sustainable, Crawford said.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Oil prices stable as China gets set to ship large amount of oilChinese state-owned oil firms have tentatively booked tankers to transport at least 20-million barrels of US crude for August and September
Source: BDliveSA - 🏆 12. / 63 Read more »
Oil and gas drilling rig off Cape Town coast sparks pollution fearsThe arrival in Cape Town of the oil and gas drill rig DeepSea Stavanger, en route to the Brulpadda prospects in the Outeniqua basin off Mossel Bay, has triggered oil spill fears among environmentalists.
Source: IOL - 🏆 46. / 51 Read more »
Source: Channel24 - 🏆 48. / 51 Read more »
Source: IOL - 🏆 46. / 51 Read more »
Valentino Rossi urges riders to control aggression after 'terrifying' crashYamaha's Valentino Rossi has urged riders who make their way up to the premier class to exercise caution when fighting for track positions.
Source: IOL - 🏆 46. / 51 Read more »
Oil edges higher as China increases US crude importsOil firms book tankers to transport at least 20-million barrels of US crude for August and September
Source: BDliveSA - 🏆 12. / 63 Read more »