Spectrum Sustainable Palm Oil

Organic Farming
Biotechnology
Small-Scale Agriculture
Sustainable Palm Oil

DAABON Organic and Sustainable Palm Oil

About DAABON Organic
One of the great joys of doing what we do is being able to impact communities for the better--and to work with others who are doing the same. Our partnership with DAABON Organic, the company who supplies our palm oil for Spectrum Organic Shortening, is the perfect example.

DAABON Organic is a family owned business now in its third generation. Under the guidance of Alberto Davila Diaz Granados, President of DAABON Organic, the company has become a pioneer in sustainable agriculture and the leading grower of organic ingredients in South America.

Spectrum chose to partner with DAABON for several reasons. We wanted a superior organic palm oil product to produce our Organic Shortening, and, as with all our supplier decisions, we wanted to work with people who were committed to being stewards of their community and the planet.

DAABON's farms are located in the northern Caribbean coast of Colombia on the western slopes of the Santa Marta mountain range. All are certified in accordance with international third party certifying agencies and have obtained social and environmental certification through such organizations as S.A. 8000, Eco-Cert, Proforest and Bio Suisse. It's clear that DAABON is proud of their role in creating a sustainable model for the palm industry. As Granados says, 'The commitment of DAABON to social responsibility has gone from the stage of a challenge to that of a consolidated reality.'

DAABON impacts local communities by allocating a percentage of their export revenues to fund social projects in Santa Marta, and aids in the activities of their workers' welfare association. They are also part of the Productive Alliances, working together with small farmers to create a sustainable model.

One of the reasons DAABON is able to make such a large impact on an entire industry is vertical integration. They are the only company in the world that has vertically integrated their palm oil production from seeder to farming, harvesting, mechanical pressing, physical refinery and finally to end products. By being directly involved in all stages of the process, DAABON is able to ensure not only the quality of their product, but the treatment of their employees and the land.

DAABON and Spectrum share a common goal of educating consumers about healthy food products and social responsibility. It's yet another example of a partnership that is changing things for the better.

Questions about Palm Oil? Read here for the Answers

Why all the controversy about palm oil?
Some large companies have not taken a sustainable approach to palm oil production. They have cleared large tracts of land through burning and clearcutting, and have alienated communities and created tension between locals and the company executing the project. The concern today is that land cultivated as palm plantations do so in a sustainable way--that will preserve the biodiversity of the region and create partnerships with the community, rather than enmity.

Why is palm oil so popular?
With the spotlight on the detrimental effects of trans fats and hydrogenated oils, palm oil has emerged as a healthier alternative that is naturally solid at room temperature. Palm oil is made up of short- and medium-chain fatty acids that the body uses for energy; as opposed to the long-chain fatty acids found in animal-based oil that clog arteries and degrade cardiovascular health. As expected, the more companies and consumers learn about the benefits of palm oil, the greater the demand for the product.

Where can I find out more about palm oil and sustainable production?
The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is a great place to start. RSPO is a non-profit organization representing the major players along the palm oil supply chain--growers, processors, traders, consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, investors, environmental groups and social NGOs. These participants are committed to meeting the increasing demand for palm oil in a manner that is sustainable for economic, social and environmental viability.

Setting down guidelines to shape the growth of an entire industry in a responsible way is a gargantuan undertaking. RSPO has broken it down into five objectives:

* Research and development definitions and criteria to establish common ground for communication and expectations
* Undertaking practical projects designed to facilitate implementation of sustainable best practices
* Developing solutions to practical problems encountered in plantation management, procurement, trade and logistics
* Acquiring financial resources to finance projects developed by RSPO
* Communicate RSPO's work to all stakeholders and to the public at large

As the only vertically integrated organic palm oil company, DAABON contributes valuable insight to RSPO. For more information, visit www.daabon.com/europe/palmoil.htm.

The Story of Co-op Coagrobellaena, a Co-op of DAABON Farmers
Mrs. Maria Cervantes Matta owns a farm named 'The Miracle'. It's an apt name for what she and her fellow coo members have experienced over the last five years. She and three other farmers, Filipe Moreno de la Cruz, Hector Marin and Marco Fidel Merio Manjarrez, are all members of the Co-op Coagrobellaena in Colombia. Before becoming members of the coop, they grew rice and struggled with enormous debt to finance their crops. 'Rice was my ruination,' says Moreno, owner of the farm 'The Rest', 'but palm oil is my salvation.'

Some years ago, before the formation of the coop, Mattes saw a television program that invited small farmers to organize into coops and become members of one of the Productive Alliances--alliances between local farmers and larger industrial players in order to promote ecologically and socially responsible practices. She and the others went to the state governor's office to discuss the prospect and 'they listened carefully to the stories of our lives,' says Mattes, 'and then began to sound out different larger growers and refineries of palm to see who might be interested in forming a productive alliance with us. As it turns out, there was only one company interested -- DAABON -- and today we can say that the alliance has been a success.'

DAABON provided, and continues to provide, for the coop's training, technical assistance, financial support and ongoing personal support. Manjarrez, owner of the farm 'The Struggle', tells how DAABON has eased the struggle for he and his family while helping them establish a sustainable palm growing business. 'In March I began to harvest palm oil fruit,' explains Manjarrez of his first palm oil harvest, called Castreo, 'with the commitment of DAABON to cover 50% of the freight charges to deliver my fruit to the DAABON crusher. This is really a big help.'

There is an air of hope amongst the Coop Coagrobellaena. Members speak about building houses near their farms so that they can live where they work instead of making the long trek from town. And local businessmen sense that this wave of prosperity is different than past flushes from rice and bananas. 'We businessmen see the present situation with the palm oil crop as something quite different,' says Carlos Caballero Maestre, owner of the local store The Star, 'since the small farmers have the support of larger industrial partners with a serious and long term vision. This gives store owners the confidence to supply the small farmers with different goods, groceries and tools for the sustenance of their families and the development of their farms.'

It takes many committed people to make an endeavor sustainable. But the rewards to consumers, companies and families alike are well worth the effort.