RSPO Releases New Trademark for Sustainable Palm Oil

From now on, producers of household products such as margarine, cookies, chocolate, soap and cosmetics will be able to clearly show their commitment to sustainable palm oil through the use of the trademark.

6/2/2011 --- The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), the multi-stakeholder initiative that aims to promote the growth and use of sustainable palm oil, enters a next phase in its drive to transform the market. The RSPO released its brand new trademark for use in the market by its members. From now on, producers of household products such as margarine, cookies, chocolate, soap and cosmetics will be able to clearly show their commitment to sustainable palm oil through the use of the trademark.

RSPO Secretary General Darrel Webber is convinced the trademark will stimulate all parties across the supply chain to step up their efforts. “This is a milestone moment in the history of the RSPO and the palm oil industry at large. The trademark will soon make it possible for consumers to make a well-informed choice for products containing sustainable palm oil. This would boost global demand which is important in view of the remarkable growth in the production of certified sustainable palm oil by growers in Malaysia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, West Africa, South America, etc.

“This progress stamps RSPO’s commitment and capacity towards its member organizations and the industry at large, not only in encouraging sustainable production of CSPO, but also bracing the marketplace on the demand side.” Webber added.

RSPO members will be able to use the trademark logo on-pack and in communication about products that contain palm-derived ingredients sourced in compliance with the RSPO standards.

Belinda Howell, representing the Retailers' Palm Oil Group, who is also member of the Executive Board of the RSPO, commented that: “There is a growing awareness among consumers that palm oil is a key ingredient in their everyday products. We therefore welcome the fact that consumers will now be able to make a conscious choice for products with palm oil that has been produced in an environmentally and socially responsible way. We expect that consumer goods producers and retailers will start using the RSPO trademark as ingredients using certified sustainable palm oil become available, to demonstrate to consumers that their products are the responsible option."

RSPO President Jan Kees Vis, responsible for sustainable sourcing development with Unilever, the largest buyer of palm oil globally, said: “We have come a long way since the RSPO was founded in 2004, with currently around nine percent of all palm oil produced in the world being RSPO certified. It is also true however we still have a long way to go. Thís is the time to achieve a breakthrough in global demand for certified sustainable palm oil and the trademark will play a key role, as does the commitment by a growing number of companies to only use sustainable palm oil by the year 2015.”

The design of the trademark was unveiled in November 2010 at the 8th Roundtable Meeting of the RSPO in Jakarta, Indonesia. Now, rules governing the use of the trademark have been finalized and a procedure to apply for trademark licenses has been put into place. All details on how to apply as well as all rules can be found on the website at www.rspo.info/market.

The RSPO trademark is being registered in more than sixty countries worldwide, including all major palm oil markets. The RSPO will actively reach out to consumers and other stakeholders in important consumer markets such as Europe, India and China to support the further transition to sustainable palm oil and the trademark will play a central role in these efforts.

The current estimated annual production capacity of RSPO-certified production units, 4.2 million tonnes of sustainable palm oil, equals about 9 percent of global production, estimated to be about 46 million tonnes annually. An estimated 11,500 tonnes of sustainable palm oil currently leave RSPO-certified oil mills every day. About 54 percent of the world's current RSPO-certified palm oil production capacity is in Malaysia. Indonesia is second, with about 35 percent of the current global supply. Papua New Guinea and Colombia provide the remaining 10 percent and 1 percent, respectively.