The RSPO, or Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, is a non-profit international membership organization that promotes the growth and use of sustainable palm oil. Established in 2004, it has been working under global standards and a multi-stakeholder governance, which makes it a self-regulatory organism. With approximately 5,000 plus members around 90 plus countries, the RSPO-certified growers now represent about 19% of the world’s Palm Oil production.

While their main office lies in Zurich, Switzerland, their secretariat is based in Kuala Lumpur, with a satellite office in Jakarta, since SouthEast Asia represents the most active Palm Oil productive region of the world.

We mapped Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil to:

  • Protecting Ecosystems/Low Impact

The RSPO certifies:

  • Products
  • Companies
  • Suppliers and Manufacturers

Cost to get certified:

While the variable expenses (according to each country and auditor) on the assessment by a third party body of certification run exclusively on the affiliate’s account, fees may also vary according to each specific membership category. Prices on membership can range from 250 to 2000 Euros accordingly, you can find more detailed information on their different memberships by clicking on this link.

Do they perform audits on companies:

Yes, they do have a main assessment for certification availability which occurs every 5 years. If approved, members then undergo an annual certification audit for continued compliance. All of this process is overseen by a third party accredited body of certification.

Standards listed on their website

Yes, you can find further information in their certification webpage. You can access their Supply Chain Certification Systems’ document by clicking here.

Controversies: