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Confectionery giant Nestlé has responded to a recent online protest that saw its Facebook page hijacked by Greenpeace supporters and agreed to source palm oil in a sustainable fashion.

Nestlé, which counts Kit Kat, Smarties and Aero among its brands, has announced a partnership with The Forest Trust, a not-for-profit organisation, and will buy palm oil from suppliers who adhere to responsible sourcing guidelines.

The Forest Trust will audit Nestlé's suppliers and will identify and exclude those that do not adhere to its sustainability guidelines. Nestlé, which buys 0.7 per cent of world palm oil production, has committed to ensure that by 2015 all its palm oil supply will come from sustainable sources.

Nestlé is the first global consumer goods company to become a member of The Forest Trust but other food manufacturers, such as Unilever and Kraft, have already responded with pledged to source sustainable palm oil.

Last month Greenpeace posted a video on YouTube to highlight rainforest destruction by Sinar Mas, an Indonesian-based palm oil supplier, which was Nestlé's prime supplier. (The confectionery company recently terminated the contract.)

Entitled 'Kit Kat: give the orang-utan a break', the video showed an office worker biting into a Kit Kat, which became an orang-utan¹s finger.

When Nestlé attempted to remove the footage, Greenpeace highlighted the move, sparking thousands of protests on its Facebook page. The video has since been viewed more than one million times.

Scott Poynton, executive director of The Forest Trust, said: 'If there are suppliers that want to change the way they operate, our team on the ground will help them improve their practices in order to comply with Nestlé's.' Greenpeace has recently directed its attention to global banking giant HSBC, which it accuses of financing Sinar Mas.

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