Success from first public consultation of the RSPO P&C Review process

The RSPO’s P&Cs form the foundations of the economic, environmental and socially responsible sustainable palm oil production around the world. The review process, which was launched earlier this year and is being facilitated by Proforest, aims to bring the P&Cs in line with best practices and understandings of sustainability. It aims to be comprehensive, transparent, and inclusive. 

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The Taskforce is the dedicated multi-stakeholder working group created as part of the P&C review process to deliberate the structure and the content of the revised standard. Their latest meeting followed the successful completion of the first round of public consultation, which has actively engaged with a total of 907 stakeholders in 10 languages. The revised P&Cs have already reached the highest number of stakeholders than any other RSPO document to date. This phase, as with the rest of the process, engaged with all RSPO stakeholder sectors and membership categories: growers, retailers, banks and investors, processors and traders, consumer goods manufacturers, environmental and social NGOs; and supply chain associates, affiliates and honorary members. 

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“The RSPO P&C review is pretty transparent ... allowing all stakeholders to be involved, giving everyone the opportunity to express their needs, to express their wishes and to express their requirements.”

- Participant from the Public Consultation in London, October 2017

And the process has indeed been profoundly comprehensive, with a total of 18 face-to-face events attracting 722 participants in 13 countries using 7 languages (English, Bahasa Malaysia, Bahasa Indonesia, Thai, Spanish, French, Mandarin). Included in these events were 8 full P&C consultation workshops, 5 roadshow events to reach out to newcomers to the RSPO family, and additional webinars and presentations conducted in Portuguese, Italian and German.

Producers of palm oil are at the heart of the drive towards sustainable palm oil, and the review process has had a particular focus on smallholders, with a document on developing requirements for smallholders developed alongside the revised P&Cs and an additional 5 smallholder-focused workshops which took place across Africa, Asia and Latin America. Over 35% of RSPO members who responded through the online survey were growers.

“The review process so far has been incredibly engaging…with multi–stakeholder representatives discussing in-depth the issues and really working very collaboratively together. There is a very positive, hard-working atmosphere in the taskforce meetings themselves and I think we are really making some good progress.”

- Participant from the Public Consultation in London, October 2017

Comments will now be reviewed by the Taskforce and work will then begin to produce the second draft of the document ready for the second public consultation in early 2018. A final draft is expected to be produced ready for ratification in November 2018.

Proforest will also be attending the RSPO RT15 that begins today in Bali, Indonesia, joining sustainable palm oil stakeholders to discuss opportunities, share knowledge and best practices and address key challenges.  The theme of this year’s Roundtable meeting is Inclusivity and Accountability. We will be contributing to important discussions on subject such as delivering no deforestation, no peat, no exploitation; improved labour practices; sustainable palm oil in Africa and RSPO commitments for smallholders.

We will have a booth in the exhibition hall. If you are attending, please visit us at booth number 11.

View the full RT15 programme on the RSPO website

Follow our activities at RT15 by following us on twitter @proforest

 *** Please note that, due to disruptions caused by the eruption of Mount Anung, the first day of RT15 has been cancelled. The Rountable is expected to continue on the 29th. Follow developments on RSPO's twitter feed ***