Sustainable and Responsible Palm Oil
The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil
The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) was formally established in 2004 to promote the growth and the use of sustainable palm oil, as well as to develop and agree Principles and Criteria for sustainable palm production.
Today the RSPO is an international, multi-stakeholder forum of over 300 members and affiliates representing all those along the palm oil supply chain including producers, processors and traders, consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, banks and investors, environmental and social NGOs.
In November 2007 the RSPO ratified its Principles and Criteria for sustainable palm oil production and following the approval of national interpretations by each country, plantations will be able to undergo the official certification process to permit them to sell palm products that are certified as sustainable. Over the next few years a transitional phase is expected as RSPO certified products gradually enter the market place and the supply chain adapts to enable these products to meet the demands of customers and consumers in the most efficient way.
We have been an active member of RSPO since 2004 and we fully support its efforts to work with participants throughout the palm oil supply chain to encourage the supply and use of sustainable palm oil products in the market place. We aim to offer our customers the option to utilize all three chain of custody trading models authorized by the RSPO – segregation; mass-balance; and book and claim.
We were one of 15 plantation owners to volunteer to pilot test the Principles and Criteria prior to their finalization. We have already made substantial progress in preparing our plantations to meet these and are working towards achieving certification as quickly as possible. We are also encouraging our third-party suppliers to join the RSPO and attain RSPO certification, and it is our hope that all oil palm plantations become certified.
We are also actively participating in the RSPO working groups on Trade and Traceability and Communications and Claims.
Related resources:
Visit the RSPO web site for more information
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