Palm oil is the most widely consumed vegetable oil on the planet, with global use more than doubling over the past 15 years. The production of palm oil requires considerable swaths of land to be cleared for palm nurseries and plantations. As a significant buyer of palm oil, PepsiCo is an important actor in addressing land-related human rights issues in the industry.

This case study is part of “The Human Rights Opportunity”, a report published by Shift – the leading center of expertise on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights – in collaboration with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) in July 2018. The report presents 15 real-life cases of businesses to bring to life one of the most significant, but most often overlooked opportunities for business to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) agenda: supporting the realization of universal human rights.