Roundtable on

Sustainable
Palm Oil
Transforming the market
to make sustainable palm
oil the norm

Global demand for vegetable oil Why is palm oil

is growing fast so popular?
Source: Oilseeds - World Markets
and Trade, USDA, January 2017

(MT)
Relatively
70
Palm
cheap
60

50 Soybean
40 Most
30 Rapeseed versatile
20
Sunflower
10

0 High
yielding
04

05

06

07

08

09

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17
0

0
-2

-2

-2

-2

-2

-2

-2

-2

-2

-2

-2

-2

-2

-2
03

04

05

06

07

08

09

10

11

12

13

14

15

16
20

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

The expansion of plantations to meet global demand for

vegetable oils could happen at the expense of forests,
wildlife and communities.

Percentage of Population Living

Below National Proverty Line
Source : CIA World Factbook

>60%

50-60%

40-50%

30-40%

20-30%

10-20%

<10%
Areas suitable for oil palm cultivation
No data
(Source: CIA World Factbook)

Global Biodiversity
GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY : SPECIES NUMBERS OF VASCULAR PLANTS
180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
80 80

60 60
California-Current

Canary-Current

40 40

Holarotis

20 20

Paleotropis
0 0
Benguela-Current

20 20
Peru-Current

Neotropis

40
Capensis 40

Australis

60 Areas suitable for oil palm cultivation 60

Antarctis
80 80

W. Barthlott 1996, 1977

Diversity Zones (DZ) : Number of Species per 10.000km2 W. Barthiott N. Biedinger, G. Braun F.Feig, G. Kier,
W.Lauer & J. Mutke 1997
DZ 1 (<100) DZ 5 (1000-1500) DZ 9 (4000-5000) modified after
DZ 2 (100-200) DZ 6 (1500-2000) DZ 10 (5000) W. Barthiott, W. Lauer & A. Placke 1966
Department of Botany and Geography, University of Bonn
DZ 3 (200-500) DZ 7 (2000-3000) Capensis floristic regions German Aerospace Research Establishment, Cologne

Cartography: M. Gref
Sea surface temperature
Department of Geography, University of Bonn
>29C >27C cold currents

The RSPO was

established in 2004 to
2004
promote the
production and use of
sustainable palm oil for
People, Planet, and
Prosperity.

Oil Palm a membership-based

organization Environmental
Growers
NGOs

Palm Oil
Processors Social
and Traders NGOs

Banks /
Consumer Goods Investors
Manufacturers

Retailers
INTERNATIONAL
CERTIFICATION
SCHEME
TRADEMARK

HOW RSPO OPERATES

ORDINARY MEMBERS AFFILIATE MEMBERS SUPPLY CHAIN MEMBERS

GENERAL ASSEMBLY (GA)

BOARD OF RSPO SECRETARIAT

GOVERNORS

STANDING COMMITTEES

WORKING GROUPS/
TASK FORCES

8 PRINCIPLES
for growers to be RSPO certified
Environmental responsibility
1 Commitment to
transparency 5 and conservation of natural
resources and biodiversity

Compliance with Responsible consideration of

2 applicable laws and
regulations
6 employees, and of individuals
and communities aected by
growers and mills
Commitment to
3 long-term economic and
nancial viability 7 Responsible development of
new plantings

Use of appropriate best Commitment to continuous

4 practices by growers
and millers
8 improvement in key areas of
activity

RSPO WORLDWIDE IMPACT

illion mt

ha
ion

+21%
12.15 m

mill

e s
n tri
2.53

ou

ills
9c

of palm oil globally is

0m
8

1
er

s;
3 certied by the RSPO
ov

nie
m

pa
ro

s
litie
(Source: based on USDA
om
4f

ci
9c 0 fa
benchmark for 2016)
3

6 3
3,3

3,9
nd
ies a
m pan As of end-2016, RSPO certified palm
4 8 co r 50 markets
2,2 s in ove oil plantations cover an area
462 licensee
approximately 34 times the size of
Singapore island - and this
CSPO Volume Growers Certification continues to grow fast.
Certified Production Supply Chain Certificates
Area
Trademark Licensees
Membership

COMMITTED TO SMALLHOLDERS

139,962 Individual Smallholders

335,158 Individual Smallholders

RSPO supports smallholders to improve their livelihoods by targeting

improved management practices, better quality fresh fruit binches,
increased yields and access to markets.

Thailand
Guatemala
76 ha
1,759 ha
Costa Rica 8,403 ha

22,037 ha
Papua New Guinea
Malaysia
Colombia 60,660 ha
257 ha
3,690 ha 1,783 ha

Solomon Islands
Brazil Ghana 585 ha
21,691 ha 1,650 ha Indonesia
Equador 180,135 ha
6,760 ha
7,252 ha
Ivory Coast
7,414 ha Sum of Area Certied by Scheme Smallholders
Sum of Area Certied by Independent Smallholders

RSPO Smallholders Support Fund grants up to 100%

of certification cost to smallholders.

Globally produced Costa Rica

RSPO-certified Others 1.59%
sustainable palm oil 4.89%
Papua New Guinea
5.25%
Indonesia
56.90%

Malaysia
30.41%

Some of the brands with a

RSPO Trademark License

Sweden
Norway
Denmark
Germany
United Kingdom
Netherlands
France
USA
Belgium
China
India

Italy
Countries where Switzerland
some industries
committed to
100% RSPO-certied Australia
sustainable palm oil

Nations showing
positive momentum

Some of the global companies committed to

100% RSPO certified sustainable palm oil

Find out more at www.rspo.org

Published in April 2017 by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil
@rspotweets
Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil
Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)