Nestle : using satellites to monitor palm oil plantations for deforestation
September 14, 2018 at 01:34 pm IST
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LONDON (Reuters) - Nestle will use satellites to monitor palm oil plantations for signs of deforestation, it said on Friday, as it aims to speed up its commitment to more sustainable ingredient sourcing.
The maker of KitKat and Aero bars is using technology developed by Airbus and a non-profit group called the Forest Trust. The technology, called Starling, acts as a verification system that uses radar and satellite imagery to monitor forest cover changes in almost real-time.
Palm oil, a type of vegetable oil used in confectionery and other goods, is controversial because of the environmental impact of clearing forests to make way for plantations.
The majority of the world's palm oil comes from Malaysia and Indonesia, where deforestation has hurt orangutan populations.
In 2010, Nestle pledged to wipe out deforestation in its supply chain by 2020 and earlier this year pledged to have 100 percent of its palm oil certified by Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil by 2023.
By the end of the year, all of the land supplying Nestle with palm oil will be covered by Starling. Nestle also plans to use it in areas that supply pulp and paper.
(Reporting by Martinne Geller; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
Nestlé S.A. is the world's leading agri-food group. Net sales break down by category of products as follows:
- powdered and liquid beverages (26.7%): soluble coffees (Nescafé and Starbucks brands), coffee in capsules (Nespresso), chocolate drinks (Nesquik, Milo, etc.), tea drinks (Nestea), etc.;
- pet food (20.3%): brands such as Purina, Friskies, Felix, etc.;
- pharmaceutical, nutrition and well-being products (16.4%): nutritional supplements (Resource, Boost, Nutren, Optifast, Peptamen brands, etc.), infant and maternal nutrition products (NAN, illuma, Cerelac, Nido, Gerber), ketogenic beverages (BrainXpert), (Nesquick, Fitness, Cheerios, Lion, etc.), etc.;
- ready meals and seasoning products (12.5%): frozen and chilled dishes (Lean Cuisine, Hot Pockets and Stouffer's brands), soups (Maggi), etc.;
- dairy products and ice cream (11.8%): powdered milk, sweetened condensed milk, yoghurt and cream desserts, ice cream (Nido, Nesvita, Carnation, La Laitière, Coffee Mate, Nestlé Ice Cream, Dreyers, Häagen-Dazs, Extrême brands, etc.);
- chocolates, sweets and biscuits (8.7%): Kit Kat, Smarties, Cailler, Terrafertil, etc. brands;
- bottled waters (3.6%): Nestlé Pure Life, Vittel, Perrier, S. Pellegrino, etc. brands.
Net sales are distributed geographically as follows: Switzerland (1.2%), France (3.8%), the United Kingdom (3.8%), Germany (2.4%), Europe (12.8%), the United States and Canada (35%), China (5.9%), Asia and Oceania (21.4%) and Latin America (13.7%).
NESTLÉ S.A. 
