Our partnership with The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)

Proforest has provided technical support to RSPO since its inception, including facilitation of working groups, development of technical requirements and stakeholder consultation. This includes facilitating the original process of developing the RSPO Principles & Criteria (P&C) 2007 and subsequent revision processes, including the most recent RSPO P&C 2018.

Proforest facilitated the development of the RSPO Standard for Group Certification (building on work started by BioCert) and the Accreditation and Certification Requirements for Group Certification. In 2015–16 we supported the consolidation and development of the RSPO Group Certification document for FFB producers, the new RSPO Smallholder Strategy and have facilitated the work of the Smallholder Interim Group (SHIG) leading to the development of the RSPO Independent Smallholder Standard (RISS).

Proforest has been co-facilitating the development of the RSPO Shared Responsibility (SR) mechanism, first under the RSPO SR Taskforce and then the RSPO SR Working Group.

Proforest has supported RSPO to develop its Chain of Custody systems and facilitated the Greenhouse Gas Working Group and the Compensation Taskforce. We led the revision of RSPO’s Supply Chain Certification Systems (SCCS) and the RSPO Certification Systems document, as well as the development of the RSPO SOP for Standard Setting and Review.

Proforest has facilitated or supported RSPO P&C national interpretation processes in countries in Latin America and Africa, including Honduras, Guatemala, Ghana and Gabon. We deliver RSPO endorsed lead auditor training courses, for both the P&C and Supply Chain Certification, in four languages across three continents. You can see more about our training here.

Furthermore, Proforest has provided facilitation services to RSPO’s governance bodies including, on occasion, the RSPO Board of Governors and on a longer term basis for the RSPO Assurance Standing Committee.