RSPO needs reform, more focus on small-holders
BANGKOK: The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil ( RSPO) must give importance to smallholders in the palm oil industry in countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand as they continue to suffer from lower yields.
“While the RSPO continue to address the need for smallholders to produce more using less land and access new markets, the RSPO itself needs reform to address greater challenges,” Datuk Carl Bek-Nielsen, co chairman of the RSPO board of governors said at the recent RSPO event held in Bangkok, Thailand.
Small-holders segment of the production chain makes up 50 per cent of producers in Indonesia, 40 per cent of producers in Malaysia and 80 per cent of producers in Thailand andthey play asignificant role in the palm oil industry, he told the 14th Annual Roundtable Meeting on Sustainable Palm Oil ( RT14).
In addressing the smallholders further, Bek-Nielsen said the RSPO must be clear on its obligation to appreciate, respect and include these small-holders in the journey of the palm oil growth market.
“The smallholder fraternity requires additional resources, time and help, failing to fulfil this will risk them turning their backs on the RSPO and accuse the RSPO of not fulfilling the spirit of the United Nations creed on Sustainable Development. This must go hand in hand with action to raise the living standards of the poor,” he said.
ABek-Nielsen pointed out that the RSPO has come a long way, and it is vital for members and stakeholders to be aware of the fact that RSPO is ‘not born complete’, and that there is much more to be done.
The RSPO was formally established in 2004 under Article 60 of the Swiss civil code and held its inaugural meeting in Kuala Lumpur.
At that time there were 200 participants and 47 members indicating their intent to join what was later to become the RSPO. Today, the RSPO has over 3000 members.
The meeting of members in Bangkok, Thailand, the world’s third largest producer of palm oil was to identify and stimulate progresses and to accept that the RSPO needs to reform.
“This is a meeting where we come together – in spite of our differences in opinions – to share, exchange, agree and disagree on topics with the goal of moving forward. We must also be realistic that things take time, especially when there are millions of people involved in the production of palm oil,” Bek-Nielsen added.
He said the RSPO must also acknowledge that there are mega issues which requires attention, such as NGOs who want to see tighter standards.
“It is indeed pleasing to note that both the NGO and the non NGO communities reached an agreement on convergence between the HCSA and HCS+ approach after having more than one year of intensive work. This year’s roundtable theme focused on ‘ Learning to Live Together’ to accelerate the transformation towards making sustainable palm the norm.”
Over the last few years, there has also been a growing resentment by African and Asian growers against RSPO members who continue to use ‘No Palm Oil’ labels on their products.
“The spirit of the RSPO very clearly states that our shared objective is to promote the production and use of RSPO certified palm oil as the norm.
“But this dream will not happen as long as there are 489 products found on the shelves today with ‘ No Palm Oil’ claims belonging to RSPO members. This is one of the key reasons as to why many growers sitting on the fence, refusing to join the RSPO movement.
“Your actions therefore do not facilitate our shared goal of making sustainable palm oil the norm. On a macro level, Bek-Nielsen said members and stakeholders agree that in today’s world, business as usual is simply not an option anymore.
“NGOs, bankers, retailers, CGM, growers alike understand this. We at the RSPO understand this and that is why we pledge our allegiance towards moving forward and bettering ourselves and doing our level best to strike an important balance on this movement called sustainability, which if operationalized correctly, will be to the benefit of all present here today and beyond,” BekNielsen concluded.