Kuala Lumpur, 11 July 2018 – The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) proudly announces NTUC FairPrice as Southeast Asia’s first homegrown supermarket retailer to become an RSPO member. NTUC FairPrice’s move to join the RSPO is an important step towards its sustainability efforts and further shows the brand’s commitment in championing responsible industry practices.
“It’s heartening to see brands like NTUC FairPrice leading the charge towards sustainability specifically in palm oil. In RSPO, we’ve always believed in the strength of many, hence our multi-stakeholder approach where we encourage and help all our members to take concrete steps to collectively solve one of the biggest environmental problems that our generation faces,” said Stefano Savi, RSPO Outreach and Engagement Director.
“With more retailers on board, we are able to reach more consumers and increase awareness on how their simple shopping habits can make a big impact towards a more sustainable lifestyle,” Savi added.
NTUC FairPrice is Singapore’s largest supermarket chain with over 200 stores across the country. Situated in a haze-prone region, Singapore has seen increasing support for ethical sourcing and consumption, with customers seeking environment-friendly and ethically-produced products including sustainable palm oil. NTUC FairPrice started actively sourcing for sustainable palm oil three years ago, and with the support of organisations like Southeast Asia Alliance on Sustainable Palm Oil (SASPO) and RSPO, it finally secured a reliable source and has successfully gained RSPO membership.
“Sourcing for sustainable palm oil can be a challenging task especially with the strict restrictions and the additional resources needed. We are privileged to have supportive partners like RSPO in our commitment towards this cause. NTUC FairPrice remains committed in adopting the necessary measures to embrace and advocate long-term sustainable practices while adhering to our social mission of providing good value and moderating cost of necessities for our customers,” said Mr Tng Ah Yiam, Deputy CEO, Head of Products.
Consumer education is key in the shift to sustainable practices as increased demand will further drive demand and supply of sustainable products, eventually reducing the price gap that is usually identified as one of the main hurdles in purchasing sustainable products. Following its onboarding as an RSPO member, NTUC FairPrice will continue to work with various stakeholders to steadily expand its portfolio of value products made using certified sustainable palm oil.
“Consumers have the power and responsibility to demand for better, more sustainable products from their favourite brands, and we commend NTUC FairPrice’s efforts to listen and respond to its customers’ needs as a responsible business leader. We strive to see more organisations heed the call and follow suit soon,” Savi concluded.
To check NTUC Fairprice’s progress towards achieving 100% Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO), kindly visit its member page on the RSPO’s website.
For more information on NTUC FairPrice, visit http://www.fairprice.com.sg.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Gayathri Velayutham
RSPO
Edward Tan
Edelman
Goh Huijuan
NTUC FairPrice
