Palm oil is an ingredient found in the majority of baked snacks sold in the United States and is the most widely used vegetable oil in the world. Per GSUSA's licensed bakers, it is necessary to use palm oil in our cookies because of its unique ability to provide volume and texture in baked goods, usually without adding trans fats. Additionally, growing palm oil requires less land in comparison to other vegetable oils and supports the livelihoods of more than 4 million farmers globally. Although we continue to explore alternatives, currently, there are no viable or readily available alternatives for use in the production of Girl Scout Cookies.
The world's food supply is intricately tied to the use of palm oil, so we believe promoting sustainable manufacturing principles is the most responsible approach for Girl Scouts and Girl Scout Cookie development. At Girl Scouts, we have an opportunity to use our strong voice to bring about positive change on this important issue, and our bakers have made the following commitments:
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GSUSA and our licensed bakers are members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), a non-profit organization of growers, buyers, manufacturers, conservationists, and other interested parties striving to develop and follow best practices to ensure an ethical supply chain.
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Our licensed bakers are committed to Sustainable Palm Oil in Girl Scout Cookies. Girl Scout Cookies baked by both ABC Bakers and Little Brownie Bakers use Mass Balance RSPO certified palm oil and include the RSPO Mass Balance logo on their packaging (i.e., RSPO “Mixed” certification label)
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Both bakers’ future goal is to achieve 100% RSPO-segregated certified palm oil products for all Girl Scout Cookies they produce. They continue to work with their suppliers to explore strategies and timelines to achieve this goal.
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To read more about our bakers’ positions on palm oil, visit their websites: Little Brownie Bakers.
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Thanks to the encouragement of and partnership with Girl Scout members, GSUSA and our bakers have realized the power of the Girl Scout brand to make a positive difference in the move towards sustainably produced and ethically sourced palm oil.