Palm-oil free, plant-based spreads available in Sainsbury’s
The Flower Farm, a palm oil-free spread on a mission to help save the tropical rainforest from deforestation, has secured a new listing in Sainsbury’s.
The brand’s expansion in the UK follows its successful roll out in the Netherlands, with listings in 15 major Dutch supermarkets including leading retailer, Albert Heijn.
The 100% plant-based spread, which is free from gluten, lactose, and cow’s milk protein, has a recommended retail price of £2.95 for a 450g tub.
The margarine’s makers said that unlike traditional margarines, which include up to 50 per cent palm oil, The Flower Farm spread is created using Shea butter, to help combat the “catastrophic deforestation required to fulfil palm oil demand”.
The Shea butter used in The Flower Farm’s production is extracted from the nuts of the Karité tree, 2 billion of which grow naturally in the African Savannah, with no deforestation required.
As a result, The Flower Farm said it has saved approximately 560,000kg of palm oil, which would have taken 1.5 million square metres of palm oil plantation to produce [for more information on how this has been calculated this, visit www.theflowerfarm.world].
Following research revealing that more than one in three (34 per cent) UK consumers are unaware that palm oil production can contribute to the destruction of the rainforest [Nationally representative survey of 500 UK consumers conducted by MSI Consultants (2021)], the brand is on a mission to highlight the fundamental role that people power can play in the fight to save the tropical rainforest.
By switching to a palm-oil free spread, one UK family of four people can save up to 10kg of palm oil in just one year – the equivalent of 27 square metres of palm oil plantation [for more information on how this has been calculated this, visit www.theflowerfarm.world].
Palm oil is considered a problem as it is found in over half of all supermarket products, palm oil is one of the world’s biggest causes of rainforest deforestation.
Around 85 per cent is produced unsustainably, with millions of hectares of rainforest in Asia systematically burned to make way for oil palm plantations.
This is not only damaging for the environment, but is also the leading cause of orangutan extinction, with up to 5,000 orangutans killed each year in palm oil concessions [for more information on how this has been calculated this, visit www.theflowerfarm.world].
With palm oil demand predicted to treble from 75 million tons to 264 million tons per year in the next 25 years [For more information on how this has been calculated this, visit www.theflowerfarm.world], more than 30 million hectares of additional rainforest will be destroyed for plantations. This is simply not sustainable.
The Flower Farm was founded by Dutch entrepreneur Marcel van Wing, after witnessing first-hand the destruction of the tropical rainforest.
Marcel said: “The rainforest is the basis of everything global nature needs. If we want to preserve the planet for future generations, we have to act now.
For consumers, using palm oil-free products is a small step, but it’s a good place to start.
“However, a transformation towards more sustainable food systems is vital for delivering on climate change targets globally, and every retailer has a responsibility to take proactive steps to do the right thing for the planet.
“We are delighted to have Sainsbury’s endorsement as we seek to grow the presence of our palm-oil free spread across the UK retail landscape, whilst raising awareness of the role that palm oil production plays in the destruction of the world’s most biodiverse rainforests.”
