The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil is a global, multi-stakeholder initiative on sustainable palm oil. Members of RSPO , and participants in its activities come from many different backgrounds, including plantation companies, manufacturers and retailers of palm oil products, environmental NGOs and social NGOs and from many countries that produce or use palm oil. The principal objective of RSPO is to promote the growth and use of sustainable palm oil through cooperation within the supply chain and open dialogue between its stakeholders. Sustainable palm oil production is comprised of legal, economically viable, environmentally appropriate and socially beneficial management and operations. This is delivered through the application of the RSPO Principles and Criteria for Sustainable Palm Oil Production, and the accompanying indicators and guidance. The Principals and Criteria are currently in the final round of approval by RSPO Executive Board. The following document provides an overview of the RSPO certification systems including the standards principles, criterion, and indicators.
- Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil Certification Systems RSPO 27 Jun 2007 [pdf, 197 KB]
| Sub-Category |
Private Sector
|
| Standard for |
Sustainable Oil Palm Production
|
| Focus |
All of the RSPO Criteria apply to the management of oil palm. All relevant RSPO Criteria also apply to mills.
|
| Structure |
The standard has eight principles and criteria for sustainable palm oil production. They include:
- commitment to transparency;
- compliance with applicable laws and regulations;
- commitment to long-term economic and financial viability;
- use of appropriate best practices by growers and millers;
- environmental responsibility and conservation of natural resources and biodiversity;
- responsible consideration of employees and of individuals and communities affected by growers and mills;
- responsible development of new plantings; and
- commitment to continuous improvement in key areas of activity.
|
| Conformity Requirements |
The RSPO Principles and Criteria for Sustainable Palm Oil Production defines indicators and guidance for each criterion. Indicators are specific pieces of objective evidence that must be in place to demonstrate or verify that the criterion is being met. Guidance consists of useful information to help the grower/miller and auditor understand what the criterion means in practice, including in some cases specific guidance for national interpretation of the criterion and for application by smallholders.
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| Auditing System |
RSPO accredited certification bodies.
|
| Geographic Focus |
Worldwide
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| Website |
http://www.rspo.org
|