Nov. 26, 2007 Representatives of the palm oil industry have adopted a new certification label for palm oil products grown and manufactured according to green criteria.

The new standard was launched at last week's Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) in Malaysia, where members formally adopted RSPO's 2005 draft principles for sustainable palm oil production.

Under the scheme, palm oil producers must commit to preserving rainforests and wildlife, paying workers fairly, and avoiding conflicts with indigenous people.

RSPO represents major palm oil processors as well as consumer goods manufacturers such as Unilever and Proctor & Gamble. Environmental nonprofits World Wildlife Fund and Friends of the Earth worked with RSPO in developing the green certification.

British supermarket chain Sainsbury's has just become the first retailer to label the use of palm oil in all of its products. In July, The Body Shop pledged to source all of its palm oil from a farm certified to operate according to RSPO's guidelines.