Eight principles and nine criteria drawn up in Singapore by the
Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) have now been adopted.
The standards cover many aspects of sustainability to ensure that
production is environmentally desirable and socially beneficial while
making economic sense.
They were ratified in Singapore at the third roundtable meeting of
RSPO, which was formed by companies in the industry to promote the
growth and use of sustainable palm oil through co-operation within the
supply chain and consultation with stakeholders.
RSPO has 95 members representing a third of the world’s palm oil
production and including some of the largest processors and
manufacturers, many in the Asia Pacific region. Among the prominent
members are Mitsubishi, the China National Cereals, Oils and Foodstuffs
Corporation, the Indonesian Palm Oil Producers’ Association, and
Malaysian Palm Oil Association. The roundtable was attended by more
than 300 delegates from 28 countries involved in supply and production,
and at least ten plantation companies committed themselves to
pilot-test the principles and criteria during the next two years.
Andrew Ng, the RSPO secretary-general, said: ‘This is a major
achievement, considering the RSPO was founded only less than two years
ago. Without the goodwill of all stakeholders this would not have been
possible.’
