Roundtable on Sustainable Palmoil

Singapore, 23 November 2005 – The members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) today have adopted the Principles and Criteria for Sustainable Palm Oil Production (P&C) with an overwhelming majority. The 8 Principles and 39 Criteria encompass all facets of sustainability ensuring that production is economically viable, environmentally appropriate and socially beneficial...

Download the endorsed P&C with preamble

[42 KB] / in Spanish

[50 KB]

/ in Portuguese

[39 KB]

/ in Japanese

[22 KB]

Read and download proceedings from the 3rd Roundtable Meeting (RT3) held on 22-23 November 2005 in Singapore

4th Roundtable Meeting (RT4) on Sustainable Palm Oil (1st announcement)

Since its formation in April 2004, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has grown steadily in size, complexity and accomplishments. At the 3rd Roundtable Meeting (RT3) on Sustainable Palm Oil, and 2nd General Assembly (GA2) of members held in November last year, the Principles & Criteria for Sustainable Palm Oil Production (P&C) were adopted by RSPO. Programmes were initiated to provide a framework for verification of the P&C, to develop a Code of Conduct for all members and a Smallholder Task Force and several other activities were launched. With the acceptance of the 100th Ordinary Member on 22 May 2006, and total membership at roughly 140 members, RSPO has grown into a significant association.

With increased profile comes increased expectation and pressure to act. The future direction of RSPO is at a crossroads as it moves from the definition -of “sustainable palm oil” to defining its uptake and use in the market. RT4 provides the key event for RSPO, and interested stakeholders to discuss and exchange experiences related to implementation of the P&C, verification and supply-chain aspects. Furthermore the new Code of Conduct for members will be elaborated.

RSPO is delighted to announce RT4 to which all stakeholders are invited to this coming 21 & 22 November 2006 in Singapore.

RT4 exhibitions

We would like to invite organisations that have been involved with or interested in sustainable palm oil production and use, to share their experiences through exhibitions that will form an integral part of RT4. Owing to the success of exhibitions at the previous Roundtable meetings, we believe that the exhibitions provide an added avenue for stakeholders to share ideas, experiences, lessons learnt and to provoke thought in a more intimate and personal setting – something that would add to the constructive and open debate as we progress towards implementing and verifying the Principles & Criteria for Sustainable Palm Oil Production (P&C) at RT4.

Download RT4 exhibitions invitation letter

[36 KB] and application form

[68 KB]

RSPO draft verification systems paper now available for public comments

The RSPO Verification Working Group (VWG) has been established in order to provide detailed recommendations on verification arrangements for consideration by RSPO’s Executive Board (EB). As the first step in this process, an Options Paper was prepared, and circulated for comment by the members of the VWG. Following incorporation of these comments, a first draft of the detailed recommendations for RSPO verification systems has been prepared. This draft also takes account of recommendations to the EB previously made by the RSPO Criteria Working Group. The objective of these detailed requirements is to ensure that RSPO assessments are carried out with objectivity and consistency, together with the required levels of technical rigour and stakeholder credibility. This draft is now subject to a period of public consultation until 31 August 2006. Following the public consultation phase, a subsequent draft will be prepared for comment by the VWG, and final recommendations will then be submitted to the RSPO Executive Board.

RSPO Publication on Benchmark Better Management Practices for Sustainable Palm Oil

Implementation of Better Management Practices (BMPs) in various aspects of palm oil production is essential for achieving the overall objective of sustainable production of palm oil. RSPO's publication on benchmark better management practices for sustainable palm oil aims to document current ‘best-in-class’ environmental and social BMPs among RSPO members and stakeholders in the oil palm industry globally, in line with RSPO objectives and criteria as well as to give various players in the palm oil supply chain and stakeholders a good appreciation of the BMPs that are expected to be implemented by the growers. We aim to objectively showcase the ‘best-in-class’ BMPs in the palm oil producing countries, in a pictorial, semi-technical and informative format.

Due to requests from prospective participants, RSPO has agreed to a final extended application deadline of 16 June 2006.

As of 31 May 2006, we have received 8 applications from plantation companies in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Malaysia covering a variety of BMPs. Part C of these applications, which describe the nominated BMPs, are now posted on our website for public comments (see download links below). With sponsorship secured, the participation fee is estimated at Malaysian Ringgit 25,000 per company.

RSPO is also seeking additional funds to support the participation of small-sized plantation companies, smallholder organisations as well as NGOs working with companies/smallholders in the project.

If you would like to participate in this project, please submit an application form (downloadable below) to us before the final deadline of 16 June 2006. Small plantation companies and/or NGOs who require financial support should indicate their need in the application.

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) invites applications for the post of RSPO Indonesia Liaison Officer, based in Jakarta, Indonesia. The satellite office in Indonesia and the RSPO Indonesia Liaison Officer will be responsible to support the RSPO secretariat in Kuala Lumpur and promote the overall objectives of the RSPO in Indonesia.

Download advertisement for the post of RSPO Indonesia Liaison Officer

[25 KB]

RT4 & GA3 announcement

We are proud to announce that the 4th Roundtable Meeting (RT4) on Sustainable Palm Oil will be held from 21 to 22 November 2006 in Singapore. The 3rd annual RSPO General Assembly (GA3) is also scheduled to commence immediately after RT4 on 22 November 2006. Official announcements for both events will be distributed soon. Meanwhile, please keep the above dates free and we look forward to your active participation.

RSPO Position on conflict between Union SP KAHUTINDO and RSPO member PT Musim Mas

The RSPO’s Executive Board (EB) has received documentation from IUF, BWI and MTUC in relation to the conflict between trade union SP KAHUTINDO and plantation company PT Musim Mas. SP Kahutindo accuses PT Musim Mas of serious violations of workers’ rights and refusal to negotiate with SP Kahutindo. PT Musim Mas alleges it has tried to negotiate with SP Kahutindo and has always acted within the applicable laws...

2nd MPOA Seminar
New dynamics in global vegetable oil trade: Industry's response?

The Seminar scheduled for 15-16 May 2006 at the Crowne Plaza Mutiara Kuala Lumpur will update participants on the latest developments in the plantation industry, especially the palm oil sector, with regard to the concerns, issues and challenges that are impinging on the industry, the demands in the global market place, new research advances, and new business opportunities.

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) invites applications for the post of RSPO Secretariat Administrator, based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Our deadline for applications is 5 May 2006.

Download advertisement for the post of RSPO Secretariat Administrator

[24 KB]

RSPO members are expected to communicate on an annual basis, their progress in contributing directly to the production and use of sustainable palm oil. RSPO members are also expected to provide the RSPO Secretariat an indication of when to expect their reports by 8 April 2005. These 2-page write-ups from each RSPO member (organizations representing key players along the palm oil supply chain from producers to banks and NGOs) covers activities like efforts in producing, procuring and/or utilizing sustainable palm oil, implementation and/or sponsorship of projects/initiatives and outlook of planned activities over a 12-month period:

Alternatively, the various annual communications of progress sorted according to organizations can be downloaded from the Register of RSPO members.

Download the recommended format of the RSPO Annual Communication of Progress

[40 KB]

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) cordially invites individuals and organizations to participate in the following working groups that are committed to tackle issues concerning trial implementation of the recently endorsed RSPO Principles & Criteria for Sustainable Palm Oil Production (P&C) over the next 2 years, verification of the P&C, and the role of smallholders in all this. In addition, stakeholders are encouraged to nominate or suggest potential candidates to be part of the working groups below. To indicate your interest or to submit nominations, please send an email (with relevant contact information) to the RSPO Secretariat by 15 February 2006.

Once we compile the relevant volunteer lists, we will contact you again with further details. Meanwhile, please do not hesitate to contact us for more information.

1. Verification Working Group (VWG)

At the 2nd RSPO General Assembly (GA2), the membership of RSPO adopted a motion to form a Verification Working Group (VWG) tasked with developing a verification methodology for RSPO that would be used to identify sustainable palm oil produced and supplied according to the demands of the P&C. We are now making a call for volunteers to join the VWG. Those accepted are expected to play an active role in representing their stakeholders’ interests at the VWG level, including ensuring that consultation with their stakeholders are carried out and putting forth the concerns, comments or ideas to the multi-stakeholder VWG group. We anticipate a kick-off meeting on 22 February 2006 in Kuala Lumpur.

2. Smallholder Task Force (STF)

Engagement of smallholders at the farm level in Indonesia (Photo by Teoh Cheng Hai).

Engagement of smallholders at the farm level in Indonesia (Photo by Teoh Cheng Hai).

During the development of the P&C, it was quickly recognised that smallholder producers, who make up roughly 30% of palm production in Indonesia for instance would need special attention when drawing up the P&C specifically for this sub-sector’s use. At the 2nd RSPO General Assembly (GA2), a motion was tabled by Sawit Watch, Migros, The Body Shop, New Britain Palm Oil Ltd and WWF-Switzerland for the formation of a Smallholder Task Force (STF) “to be led by the social members of the Executive Board of the RSPO, in open and transparent collaboration with all other RSPO members and Executive Board members, and which should encourage the maximum possible engagement of smallholders, smallholders’ organisations, extensions services and growers’ associations.” The activities proposed in this motion include:

3. Two-year P&C trial implementation

Fourteen companies offered to volunteer in testing of the P&C through implementation trials during RT3. These companies were later joined by other companies and organisations that offered to work on various aspects of testing and implementation. This period allows for feedback to improve existing P&C, while results would go towards setting thresholds or benchmarks as well as providing data or information on measuring performance against the P&C. The potential for funding assistance to carry out trials is another exciting development and adds incentive for more volunteer companies to carry out either a full trial audit or implementation. We also highly encourage engagement and collaboration between different stakeholders.

In order to volunteer or propose implementation trial projects, organisations and individuals are requested to register themselves with the RSPO Secretariat. This not only legitimises activities, but opens access by participants to results sharing from/with other projects, potential access to funding and increased positive profile amongst the public.

Please send an email (with relevant contact information) to the RSPO Secretariat by 15 February 2006 to register your interest in participating in any of the above working groups.

RSPO Principles & Criteria for Sustainable Palm Oil Production
Public release version

Principle 1: Commitment to transparency
Principle 2: Compliance with applicable laws and regulations
Principle 3: Commitment to long-term economic and financial viability
Principle 4: Use of appropriate best practices by growers and millers
Principle 5: Environmental responsibility and conservation of natural resources and biodiversity
Principle 6: Responsible consideration of employees and of individuals and communities affected by growers and mills
Principle 7: Responsible development of new plantings
Principle 8: Commitment to continuous improvement in key areas of activity

Update: RSPO Principles & Criteria for Sustainable Palm Oil Production
By Andrew Ng, RSPO Secretary-General, 10 October 2005

From 17 October 2005 onwards, the Principles & Criteria for Sustainable Palm Oil Production (P&C) will be publicly available through the RSPO website. This marks a milestone in RSPO’s 18-month existence. During the first Roundtable Meeting (RT1) on Sustainable Palm Oil that was held in Kuala Lumpur in August 2003, it was evident that the need to provide a clear set of guidelines and encompassing, broad definition for sustainable palm oil was pressing. It was agreed that, amongst other things, it would be necessary to establish a credible definition of sustainable palm oil production that would be provided through the development of a set of criteria. With the completion of the third and last Criteria Working Group (CWG) meeting between 21 and 22 September 2005 in Kuala Lumpur, the stage is now set for RSPO to tackle the most prominent and pressing issue for which RSPO has been formulated...

This article was originally written for the RSPO Members' newsletter (Jul-Sep 2005).

Conservation within a Production Landscape:
Guidelines for a Meaningful Conservation Programme
By Dr Reza Azmi, Wild Asia, & RSPO Affiliate Member

The oil palm sector is a plantation industry and is interested primarily in maximising crop yield and profits. So, why is biodiversity an issue? Dr Reza Azmi was recently invited, as part of a team from Wild Asia, to provide a biodiversity assessment of an established oil palm plantation recently and this proved enlightening for them, as well as the plantation company involved. In this paper, Dr Reza Azmi shares some of the ideas they developed in the hopes that this might provide some ideas to other plantation owners in enhancing biodiversity within the plantation landscape...

This article was originally written for the RSPO Members' newsletter (Jul-Sep 2005).

2nd Announcement of the 3rd Roundtable Meeting (RT3) on Sustainable Palm Oil

We are pleased to provide the 2nd and updated announcement for RT3! This version features: agenda and information on sponsors. We look forward to seeing you in Singapore.

Tan Sri B. Bek-Nielsen showing the award winning workers quarters belonging to the company at his office

Borge Bek-Nielsen, a Danish businessman who came to Malaysia during the height of a communist insurgency and created a successful oil palm industry in the country's tropical jungles, has died. He was 79...

Comments from 2nd Public Consultation on RSPO Principles & Criteria for Sustainable Palm Oil and key issues arising

The second round of public consultation on the draft RSPO Principles and Criteria was held from 25 May 2005 to 25 July 2005. Comments were received from 18 stakeholder individuals and organisations, as well as from two RSPO public meetings that involved a large number of participants.

Press Statement: RSPO response to potential involvement by oil palm sector in haze and fires

The recent haze that has enveloped parts of Malaysia and Indonesia has been a cause for great concern, as it has serious implications for human health impacts, the environment and the economy. As part of the RSPO Principles and Criteria for Sustainable Palm Oil, currently at an advanced stage of drafting, land clearing techniques that do not require burning are enshrined within it, both for replanting in existing plantations as well as for development of new plantings...

Read 'Roundtable: Act against fire starters,' an article in The Star (17 Aug 2005)

Guidelines on Better Management Practices for the Mitigation and Management of Human-Elephant Conflict in and around Oil Palm Plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia

WWF-Malaysia has produced a guide on 29 July 2005 to present ways for the mitigation and management of human-elephant conflict through the adoption of better management practices (BMPs).

The Bahasa Indonesia version of the draft Criteria for Sustainable Palm Oil (public consultation draft version 2) is now available courtesy of Unilever.

Download Bahasa Indonesia version of the draft Criteria

[236 KB] or

[265 KB]

RSPO would like to invite organisations that have been involved with or interested in sustainable palm oil production and use, to share their experiences through exhibitions that will form an integral part of RT3. Owing to the success of exhibitions at the previous Roundtable meeting in Jakarta in October 2004, we believe that the exhibitions provide an added avenue for stakeholders to share ideas, experiences, lessons learnt and to provoke thought – something that would add to the constructive and open debate as we move towards providing clear definition through the launch of the Criteria for Sustainable Palm Oil at RT3.

ANNOUNCEMENT 4 July 2005:

RSPO Public Fora on Sustainable Palm Oil (July-August 2005)

The RSPO is conducting a series of public fora on sustainable palm oil in July and August 2005. The objectives of these fora are:

To inform and update stakeholders on developments on efforts on production and use of sustainable palm oil
To brief stakeholders on the process and progress of development of Criteria for sustainable palm oil
To seek feedback and views from stakeholders on issues relating to sustainable palm oil

This time round, the sessions would concentrate on gathering feedback on the draft Criteria for Sustainable Palm Oil.

Date	Location
14 July 2005	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
15 July 2005	Sandakan, Malaysia
To be announced	Jakarta, Indonesia
To be announced	Medan, Indonesia

All stakeholders are kindly invited to attend the above fora. We will continue to provide more details on dates and venues as it becomes available. Please check this space frequently for updates.

Download Andrew Ng's presentation for the public fora [179 KB]

Download Minutes from the public forum (14 July 2005, Kuala Lumpur) [49 KB]

Download Minutes from the public forum (15 July 2005, Sandakan) [39 KB]

Download Draft criteria for sustainable palm oil (public consultation draft version 2)

[266 KB] or [297 KB]

ANNOUNCEMENT 25 May 2005:

2nd Public Consultation on RSPO Draft Criteria for Sustainable Palm Oil

The RSPO is in the process of developing a credible definition of sustainable palm oil production that would be provided through a set of criteria which will cover legal, economic, technical, environmental and social aspects of palm oil production. They are intended to be globally applicable and covers both existing plantations and the development of new plantations. The development of criteria is being undertaken by an international group of experts representing various interests along the palm oil supply chain and it is facilitated by ProForest, an independent consultant. This process is expected to take approximately 12 months.

The development process has been designed to ensure that there is considerable opportunity for input from any interested person or organisation. The RSPO regards it is essential that the principles and criteria are developed with wide stakeholders input. This means that any interested stakeholder can provide input into the principles and criteria.

Download Draft criteria for sustainable palm oil (public consultation draft version 2)

The conference organized by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and WWF aims to exchange the latest methods on identifying and managing HCVF, and come to a consensus in applying these techniques. Topics for discussion include: 1) use of HCVF in plantations: planning and establishment of plantations, working in data deficient areas and 2) Beyond FSC certification: uses of HCVF in oil palm and mining areas. The conference will be held during 23-25 August 2005 in Sanur, Bali, Indonesia.

WWF-Malaysia has produced a draft guide entitled Guidelines on the Better Management Practices for the Mitigation and Management of Human-Elephant Conflict in and around Oil-Palm Plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia, which is now open for review by experts and stakeholders, especially RSPO members. Please send all comments and questions to Daniel Chong DChong@wwf.org.my. The deadline for comments is 23 May 2005.

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is perplexed at the manner in which a grouping of Papua New Guinea NGOs has dismissed RSPO and its initiatives. The RSPO was founded to help address the environmental and social problems of oil palm development that were raised by various groups from international NGOs to those at grassroots level...

Latest RSPO Factsheet available in Bahasa Indonesia

Download RSPO Factsheet in Bahasa Indonesia

[84 KB]

The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) together with RSPO organized a reporting seminar for RSPO Members on 11 March 2005. The purpose of the seminar was for ACCA to impart concepts and applications of environmental and social reporting to companies part of the oil palm supply chain as well as for ACCA to share their experiences on the benefits of reporting on sustainability. The half-day seminar, attended by almost 30 RSPO Members from Malaysia (Peninsular and Sabah), Singapore and Indonesia, featured two informative presentations by Mr Tay Kay Luan, Head of ACCA Malaysia, titled ‘Sustainability Reporting: Growing pain or gain?’ and Mr Stan Rodgers, Principal Consultant of Shemsi Sdn Bhd, titled ‘Getting Started: A walk through the environmental reporting guidelines for Malaysian companies.’ This was followed by a Q&A session, which discussed in detail, the risks of self-assessment and self-declaration, benefits of having third-party verification, future trends in sustainability reporting, as well as the importance of transparency and value of honesty in any reporting exercise. During the seminar, RSPO Secretary-General, Mr Teoh Cheng Hai, also took the opportunity to introduce the ‘RSPO Annual Communication of Progress,’ a document intended for RSPO Members to use for reporting their organizations’ efforts in promoting the production and use of sustainable palm oil.

Download ‘Sustainability Reporting: Growing pain or gain?’ presentation by Mr Tay Kay Luan, Head of ACCA Malaysia

[96 KB]

Download ‘Getting Started: A walk through the environmental reporting guidelines for Malaysian companies' presentation by Mr Stan Rodgers, Principal Consultant of Shemsi Sdn Bhd

[480 KB]

We are pleased to announce that the 3rd Roundtable Meeting (RT3) on Sustainable Palm Oil will be held in Singapore on 22-23 Nov 2005. More information will be given in the next update. Meanwhile, please keep these dates free for the event of the year for RSPO!

The need for periodic reporting by RSPO members on the progress they are making towards meeting the overall objective of RSPO has been considered by the Executive Board since RT2. At its meeting on 17 February 2005, the Board agreed that members are expected to communicate on an annual basis, their progress in contributing directly to the production and use of sustainable palm oil. By cooperating, networking and working together within the multi-stakeholder platform provided by RSPO, members can ensure that all players along the palm oil supply chain operate transparently and constructively as well as participate in projects and activities to promote sustainable palm oil production, procurement and consumption. To safeguard the integrity of the initiative as a whole, it is envisaged that only those members who openly communicate progress will be allowed to continue their participation in the RSPO.

Download the recommended format of the RSPO Annual Communication of Progress

[40 KB]

We would like to welcome Mr Andrew Ng as the next Secretary-General for RSPO. He will join the Secretariat on 21 March 2005 and will take over from the current Secretary-General, Mr Teoh Cheng Hai on 30 April 2005. To ensure a smooth transition, Mr Teoh has been appointed as Advisor to the Executive Board for a period of 12 months commencing 1 May 2005.

Mr Ng was formerly the Environmental Policy Analyst for WWF-Malaysia and also the coordinator of WWF’s Forest Conversion Initiative (FCI) in Malaysia and a key member of the global FCI team which initiated the RSPO process. Through this initiative, he has worked with various stakeholders, from industry to NGOs in Malaysia as well as European and Indonesian stakeholders. His tasks often involved ensuring that regional perspectives, concerns and needs were accurately communicated through providing the relevant context and articulating the aspirations of NGOs as well as industry stakeholders in the region to other audiences, notably European NGOs and other stakeholders.

2nd Criteria Working Group (CWG) Meeting on Carey Island (15-18 February 2005)

The RSPO Criteria Working Group (CWG) held its second meeting over the period 15-18 February 2005 in Malaysia, hosted at the Golden Hope Academy, Carey Island, Selangor. The objective of the meeting was to make substantial progress towards the preparation of Version 2 of the RSPO Draft Criteria for Sustainable Palm Oil. The CWG discussions were positive and productive, and consensus was achieved at the meeting on the amendments required to the majority of criteria, including issues that had been the subject of most public comment. Following further input by the CWG, Version 2 will be available for further public comment during the period June–July 2005. The RSPO will aim to launch the Criteria at th