23/11/2011 (eTaiwan News) - A conservation group says more companies in Europe, Australia and Japan should buy palm oil from environmentally responsible sources.

The WWF says an assessment of more than 130 major retailers and manufacturers shows that only half of the palm oil they use is considered "sustainable."

The WWF said in a statement Tuesday that many companies are making progress in reducing the impact of palm oil plantations on deforestation, but urgent action is still needed to prevent the loss of more tropical jungles.

Environmentalists say large tracts of forests in countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia have been cleared in recent decades to create palm oil plantations, threatening wildlife and causing ecological damage.