First German RSPO Seminar Held on Sustainable Palm Oil

Oil palm has emerged as the world’s most important vegetable oil source and is essential to meet the food demands of the growing world population that by 2040-2050 will grow to 9 billion from 6.8 billion now.

Oct 29 2010 --- On the 27th of October, a seminar on sustainable palm oil under auspice of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) was held in Düsseldorf/Neuss, Germany. The seminar was organized by IOI-Loders Croklaan Europe, an executive board member of the RSPO. It included presentations from RSPO members such as Unilever, WWF Germany, Oxfam as well as German retailer REWE Group. Approximately hundred participants – mostly representatives from the European food industry - attended the seminar. 

Oil palm has emerged as the world’s most important vegetable oil source and is essential to meet the food demands of the growing world population that by 2040-2050 will grow to 9 billion from 6.8 billion now. The global production amount approx. 40 million tons per year. Oil Palm uses less land and generates more oil per hectare compared to all other major oil crops. Thus, yield improvement will be one of the key drivers for sustainable palm oil agriculture in the future.

“The availability of sustainable palm oil continues to grow, and it’s important that food manufacturers acknowledge these sustainability efforts from growers by changing to source sustainable palm oil. Palm has the potential to be world’s most sustainable crop. The RSPO is the best way forward to ensure sustainable palm oil production”.  These remarks were made today by Marc den Hartog,  Sales & Marketing Director for IOI-Loders Croklaan and RSPO Executive Board member during the seminar.

“Unilever has been one of the first moving towards sustainable, segregated palm oil, with a goal of having all palm oil used in Europe certified or segregated by 2012, and worldwide by 2015. In 2009 Unilever purchased 185,000 tons sustainable palm oil by green palm certificates to buy. This amount will be doubled in 2010/2011. Palm oil should not be discredited. Growers should be a member of the RSPO. In 2010 Unilever had cut direct contracts to buy palm oil from an Indonesian supplier following a report that the supplier drives rainforest destruction. NGO’s can play a pivotal part in the way palm oil is produced”, said Merlin Koene, communication director Unilever Germany, Austria and Switzerland during the seminar. 

Dr Ludger Breloh, managing director of REWE Group’s strategic purchase for organic fruit and vegetables, announced REWE Group’s new sustainable palm oil strategy and told the audience about the development of a special Pro Planet label for sustainable products that reflects their environmental and social commitment.

"To help bring transparency to the market for sustainable palm oil, WWF published the 2009 Palm Oil Buyer's Scorecard which assessed 59 European retailers and manufacturers that use palm oil in their products" said Carrie Svingen, WWF International Manager for Markets and Communications related to sustainable palm oil and soy. "WWF asks all companies that buy palm oil to join the RSPO and make public commitments to purchase 100% sustainable palm oil by 2015.  But commitments are only the first step. Companies need to start purchasing sustainable palm oil as soon as possible as part of a stepwise approach to transforming their palm oil supply chain. WWF plans to reassess the progress of buyers on CSPO when it publishes the next iteration of the Scorecard in 2011."

According to Johan Verburg, Oxfam private sector advisor: “Urgency of market players is required to contribute to social and ecological aspects in palm oil producing countries. The RSPO is a valuable tool that has the potential to deliver tangible results if mainstream markets are willing to commit”.