Chester has taken another major step towards becoming the world’s first Sustainable Palm Oil City.
Restaurants and retailers in the city are signing up to become new ‘Champions’ for the Chester Zoo led campaign.
This week, Olive Tree Brasserie, who have restaurants on Watergate Row, Chester and Stockton Heath, have been announced as the latest organisation to join the movement.
Chester is bidding to become the world’s first Sustainable Palm Oil City as part of a major conservation campaign by Chester Zoo to protect South East Asian rainforests.
Olive Tree Brasserie, founder and owner Dean Wilson, said:
“We are very proud to be working with Chester Zoo and supporting their campaign. About 98% of our food is made fresh from scratch so we made just a few small adjustments to be able to become a Champion. I think what is important is that we are behind the message that conservation is key and the hospitality industry should do whatever it can to play its part.”
Orangutans are among the many species being pushed to the brink of extinction by unsustainable oil palm plantations, which are wiping out huge areas of rainforest.
There is intense demand for the oil, which features in thousands of household products in the UK from food to cleaning materials and cosmetics.
Conservationists are battling to promote sustainable palm oil production to protect the rainforests and the wide range of species that live there.
The campaign requires businesses to adopt a sustainable palm oil policy and audit supply chains.
Zoo conservationists are calling on restaurants, food outlets, retailers, workplaces visitor attractions, manufacturers, schools and colleges to join the fight to help prevent extinction.
Faye Sherlock, Sustainable Palm Oil City Project Officer at Chester Zoo, said:
“It’s truly inspiring to see more and more businesses in the city coming on board to ensure products in their supply chain are sustainably sourced and do not contribute towards the extinction of wildlife. Chester is leading the world on this issue and we’re proud to be part of it.”
The Chester Sustainable Palm Oil City campaign, led by Chester Zoo, partners with the Orangutan Land Trust and the Sumatran Orangutan Society, is endorsed by key conservation organisations and supported by a host of industry advisors.
