Health & Palm Oil in France: how to stop and prevent misleading information?

Transcription

1 Health & Palm Oil in France: how to stop and prevent misleading information? Laure d Astorg, Secretary General EPOC, October 29

2 Our Members

3 The situation in France since 2013 : both health and environmental issues 2010: Greenpeace campaign 2010: Fierce criticism led by a few nutritionists Heard it s bad for health (CV disease, cancer ) Parliamentary Daudigny amendment in 2012 Will to increase the tax on Palm Oil because it is bad for health No-palm oil growing trend at the supermarket Label no palm oil on products Retailers TV Ads on no palm oil products in their supermarkets => Lead French consumers to think that Palm Oil is bad for health. Negative media coverage on both on health and environmental aspects Bad for health Don t know where Palm Oil comes from Destroying rainforest in the Far-East and Africa A negative consumer perception about palm oil An ingredient which could be avoided

4 Paris International Agricultural Show 2014 Visitors Mean time spent 15,000 to 20,000* 5 mn *Estimation from host and hostesses counting

5 A major event: signature of a Zero deforestation Commitment Charter Official signature of a Zero deforestation Commitment Charter countersigned by Carrefour, in presence of the Ministry of Agriculture: Committing companies to use in their products 100% RSPO certified Palm Oil by the end of Committing companies to use in their products 100% sustainable palm oil by 2020.

6 A sustainable palm oil is: An oil which respects all the RSPO criteria An oil which the origin is known and consequently which is traceable back to the plantation An oil without impact on deforestation from high conservation value forest An oil without impact on deforestation from high carbon stock forest and peat lands An oil which doesn t come from burn field agriculture An oil which protects workers, populations and local communities rights, respecting the free and informed consent principle for these communities An oil which encourage the development of small independent producers

7 2014 : Launch of a consumer website at the SIA Showcasing palm oil s naturalness Providing visitors with an easy-tounderstand information Responding to their concern on both health and environment

8 2014 : Go live with an advertising print campaign A print advertising was deployed from April, 28 until July, 21 across a series of outlets.

9 Provide the French market with key facts and figures regarding the consumption of palm oil in France Elaboration of a study in partnership with the CREDOC on the consumption of palm oil in France => The level of consumption does not justify the actual controversy.

10 Evolution of the palm oil image in % 50% 45% 46% 50% Image Barometer IFOP 40% 38% 30% 20% 31% 31% 28% 26% 33% 18% 21% 25% 21% 22% 20% 16% 13% 14% Février Juillet Décembre 10% 8% 5% 9% 0% Produit 100% naturel Provient d'un fruit Intéressante pour la texture qu'elle apporte Intéressante pour la conservation des produits Part modeste dans l'alimentation Pas d'effet négatif sur la santé Production respectueuse des hommes et de l'environnement

11 Environment remains the main concern for consumers In France, the health issue dominated the online conversations at the beginning of The trend reversed a the end of the year with mainly online conversations on the environmental aspect (71%).

12 Organization of a workshop on Zero deforestation at the Forum Convergences September 2015 More than 130 participants (NGOs, companies, retailers, scientifics, journalists ) Representative of different sectors (palm oil, soy, rubber, paper pulp and timber) commited in sustainability Participation of French consumers with a live tweet during the workshop

13 Provide information to doctors and their patients in waiting rooms October 2015 to March 2016 Outreach of brochures to patients in waiting rooms in France An information document for doctors! An information document for their patients! An online quiz for patients!

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