As part of Sprouts’ sustainable sourcing efforts, we have committed to ensuring all Sprouts brand products containing palm oil, palm kernel oil, and derivatives be certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) with book and claim credits or a mass balance, segregated, or identity–preserved supply chain certification, or other pre-approved equivalent certification by the end of 2022. This policy aims to promote more efficient land use and forest protection, and will further the positive social impact our products have on the natural foods industry.

Palm oil is a nutritious, versatile raw material, and the most land-use efficient among vegetable oils. It is used in a variety of food products, and home and personal care items. However, not all palm oil is created equal, and its production has often been associated with deforestation, which contributes to climate change, biodiversity loss, soil erosion, and water pollution. In some cases, palm oil production has also been linked to human rights issues. For these reasons, we believe it is important that our customers have the confidence that the palm oil used in our Sprouts Brand products has been responsibly sourced.

We also strongly encourage all our local and national brand suppliers to join us and comply with these principles for Sustainable Palm Oil throughout their operations. Our goal is for all local and national brands also comply with this policy by the end of 2024.

Sourcing Requirements

• Compliance with Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) Principles (or equivalent).
• No development on peat lands regardless of depth and use of best management practices for existing plantations on peat.
• Protection of High Conservation Value (HCV) and High Carbon Stock (HCS) forests.
• No new development on peatlands and the use of Best Management Practices for existing plantations on peatlands.
• Commitment to no-burn policies.
• Commitment to traceable and transparent palm oil supply chains
• Respect for human rights, including the right to free, prior and informed consent, for community stakeholders impacted by expansion.
• Compliance with the Sprouts Code of Conduct which describes our expectations in food safety, forced labor, child labor, abuse of labor, freedom of association and collective bargaining, discrimination and harassment, wages and benefits, work hours and overtime, health and safety, environment, and anti-corruption.
• Support for the integration of smallholder farms into sustainable supply chains.
• Traceability to the extraction mill and validation of fresh fruit bunches.