Unilever Partners with Orbital Insight, IoT Tech to Cut Deforestation from Global Palm Oil Supply Chain

Unilever is partnering with Orbital Insight, a satellite imagery and data analytics firm, on a pilot program to help the consumer-goods company meet its goal of a deforestation-free supply chain by 2023 and trace its global palm oil supply from factories back to individual forests and farms, Orbital announced Tuesday. Orbital Insight will use satellite imagery, GPS, artificial intelligence, the internet of things and other visibility data to monitor palm oil farms, the health of local forests, and traffic to and from Unilever's suppliers and production facilities. The technology "allows us to continuously monitor planted and natural forests, grasslands and agriculture, water resources, buildings and roads. We can quantify cars, trucks, ships, railcars and commercial aircraft," according to the release. Orbital Insight will use satellite imagery, GPS, artificial intelligence, the internet of things and other visibility data to monitor palm oil farms, the health of local forests, and traffic to and from Unilever's suppliers and production facilities. The technology "allows us to continuously monitor planted and natural forests, grasslands and agriculture, water resources, buildings and roads. We can quantify cars, trucks, ships, railcars and commercial aircraft," according to the release.