KFC UK/IRELAND has officially ditched suppliers actively involved in rainforest clearance.
The UK arm of KFC, part of the Kentucky-based Yum! Brands, has updated its policy statement on packaging sourcing yesterday after a Greenpeace investigation found KFC using packaging produced by Asia Pulp & Paper, one of the largest pulp and paper manufacturers in the world and a company that continues to pulp Indonesian rainforest according to the NGO.
The new policy will effectively rule out KFCs former supplier APP from future commissions. KFC UK has now said it will only work with suppliers that can “demonstrate sustainable forestry management throughout their supply chain and that are not actively involved in rain forest clearance”.
Greenpeace rainforest campaigner Ian Duff said: Millions of KFC customers in the UK will be relieved to hear that their meals no longer contribute to the destruction of pristine Indonesian rainforest, the place endangered species like the Sumatran tiger call home.
KFC joins a long list of major global brands including Disney, Mattel, Nestlé, Xerox, Kraft, Unilever, and Danone, which have ruled out supply from the tarnished company thanks to campaigning efforts by Greenpeace and others.
By walking away from companies like the increasingly toxic APP brand, KFC UK is sending a strong message to the business community that its not acceptable to buy from companies that are turning the rainforest into rubbish, added Duff.
Its now crucial that Yum, KFCs parent company and the worlds largest fast-food retailer, takes similar steps and introduces a global zero-deforestation policy to ensure that none of its operations, which span a 100-plus countries, are buying from suppliers like APP.
Findings from a 12-month investigation by Greenpeace, published in May, revealed that KFC packaging used in some of the companys UK stores including food holders like Streetwise Lunchbox’ and Snackbox contained significant levels of mixed tropical hardwood, a clear indicator of rainforest timber. Greenpeace research traced a number of these products back to APP.
