Ensuring sustainability through satellite monitoring  

Satellite monitoring is a highly innovative way to ensure that palm oil is in fact produced sustainably. Great progress has been made in recent years in the sustainability and traceability of palm oil. But there is much more still to do, with new solutions being constantly developed. One such technological advancement already helping with deforestation prevention and wildlife protection is satellite monitoring.

Satellite monitoring is helping to fill the gap between what happens day-to-day on the ground in palm oil plantations, and what is reported officially by producing companies. This helps to ensure that claims made by farmers and producers are backed up by evidence, and that ultimately, customers can have greater confidence when buying products containing palm oil.

How does satellite monitoring help prevent deforestation and protect wildlife? Specialist companies have created images of the earth’s surface using satellite mapping. They now have global coverage of the palm oil supply chain, and because palm oil is no longer the main cause of deforestation globally, they now monitor cocoa, rubber, soy and other commodities too.

They use satellites which can see through clouds (important in countries such as Indonesia which have long rainy seasons) and combine this with local on-the-ground intelligence and machine learning to create a comprehensive picture of forests and land use. This gives much higher levels of scrutiny of the industry than ever before.