Jon Hixson: Why Sustainable Palm Oil Starts With People
Key Highlights
- ➤Yum! and KFC launched a late-2025 Ecuador-Brazil palm oil and soy collaboration
- ➤Conservation International partnership supports farming communities and landscape protection
- ➤RSPO-certified Ecuadorian farm supplies palm oil eventually refined for KFC cooking
- ➤Ecuadorian smallholders average nearly 100 acres of oil palm trees
- ➤Certification requires farmer support, investment and detailed documentation
Expert Statements
Jon Hixson, Global oils category lead at Yum! Brands
“Those issues are important, and they were certainly on my mind as I joined Yum's global oils category lead and traveled to Ecuador with the global nonprofit environmental organization Conservation International, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and other industry partners to visit a supplier, palm oil farms, and producers.”
Jon Hixson, Global oils category lead at Yum! Brands
“But there's another factor in making palm oil sustainable, and it's one that's central to Yum! Brands' culture: people.”
Jon Hixson, Global oils category lead at Yum! Brands
“After spending time with farmers, suppliers and local partners, I was fully reminded that sustainability isn't just about protecting forests.”
Jon Hixson, Global oils category lead at Yum! Brands
“It's also about the people growing our food, the partnerships that further responsible sourcing efforts and the choices we make today to build a stronger supply chain for the future.”
Jon Hixson, Global oils category lead at Yum! Brands
“Responsible sourcing has been a priority at Yum! for years.”
Jon Hixson, Global oils category lead at Yum! Brands
“The more we understand where our ingredients come from and how they're produced, the better decisions we can make together that ultimately strengthen our supply chain and broader business.”
Jon Hixson, Global oils category lead at Yum! Brands
“The most meaningful part of my visit was meeting the smallholder farmers who own palm farms.”
Jon Hixson, Global oils category lead at Yum! Brands
“One lesson became clear throughout the trip.”
Jon Hixson, Global oils category lead at Yum! Brands
“By helping farmers adopt more responsible agricultural practices, we can support greater productivity on existing farmland, help protect habitats and strengthen the resilience of our supply chain.”
Jon Hixson, Global oils category lead at Yum! Brands
“I've always believed that businesses and the environment have a symbiotic relationship, and I left Ecuador with an even stronger opinion that sustainability is about protecting the planet and its people.”
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / October 20, 2026 / Images provided by Conservation International.
When people hear the words "sustainable palm oil," they often think about rainforests, wildlife and the climate. Those issues are important, and they were certainly on my mind as I joined Yum's global oils category lead and traveled to Ecuador with the global nonprofit environmental organization Conservation International, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and other industry partners to visit a supplier, palm oil farms, and producers.
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