KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 22 — The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) marked a special milestone at its Annual Roundtable conference (RT2023), to reflect on nearly two decades of impact made possible via the collaborative efforts of its members and partners.

Themed "Partners for the Next 20”, the RT2023 presented an opportunity to take unified action on the core challenges facing the sustainable palm oil industry, including mitigating climate change, increasing uptake of certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO), and protecting labour rights.

RSPO Chief Executive Officer, Joseph D’Cruz in his opening remarks said through nearly two decades of voluntary action, its members have banded together to raise the bars of sustainability within the industry.

"The impact we have collectively achieved is increasingly being acknowledged by stakeholders outside our industry, and we are seeing a definite shift in the sustainable palm oil narrative in our favour,” he added.

In a statement, RSPO highlighted its key achievements over the last two decades, including the increase in global certified area from just 125,000 hectares in 2008 to 4.9 million hectares across 23 countries this year.

The CSPO supply reached a new milestone at 15.4 million metric tonnes, while RSPO Trademark licences have increased significantly to more than 1,600 licences in over 100 countries and territories, with growth seen in China, Japan and Southeast Asia, signalling significant opportunities in these markets.

In addition, the RSPO Smallholder Support Fund (RSSF) has provided US$4.2 million in funding to support 44,203 farmers in 12 countries since 2013. (RM19.6 million)

Charting new territory, RSPO’s Certification, Trade and Traceability System (CTTS), launched last month with the formation of the tripartite consortium of global agri-tech experts, exemplifies how the organisation is advancing and digitising its tracking and traceability systems into an end-to-end digital infrastructure.

For nearly 20 years, the RSPO has facilitated global change to make the production and consumption of palm oil sustainable, with 200 members from 16 countries in 2004, and now grown more than 5,700 members in over 100 countries and territories globally. — Bernama