Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to implement the UK Statement Sustainable production of palm oil, published on 30 October 2012, and to reduce the amount of palm oil in food and bathroom products purchased by consumers, in order to prevent further loss of tropical habitats and species from deforestation.

The 2012 Commitment on Sustainable Palm Oil has been a success. Nearly all palm oil imported to the UK is now certified sustainable.

This Government is building on that success by continuing to support zero-deforestation supply chains for key commodities, including palm oil. The UK is a signatory to the Amsterdam Declarations, has endorsed the New York Declaration on Forests and is a member of the Tropical Forest Alliance 2020, all of which support action to prevent deforestation and encourage the production of sustainable palm oil.

Through our international climate finance, the Government is supporting a number of programmes focused on sustainable palm oil production. Those programmes are designed to strengthen governance, promote market-based solutions and put in place incentives, policies and actions that support sustainable production alongside forest protection.