MESSAGE FROM THE CO-CHAIRS

Dear Fellow Members,

We warmly welcome you all to the 18th RSPO General Assembly of RSPO members, our second virtual gathering in light of the ongoing exceptional circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic.

As a diverse international organisation, we lend our perspectives from different corners of the world, yet come together as one in this virtual space, united in our shared vision to transform markets to make sustainable palm oil the norm.

We find ourselves in a critical moment as the world slowly recovers from the pandemic, albeit at varying speeds. The international community continues to face multiple challenges, from rebuilding the global economy and trade, addressing the deepening social inequalities that persist across the world, and combating climate change that is no longer a threat on the faraway horizon, but a reality we experience in our daily lives.

Such challenges only underscore the importance of the RSPO and the spirit of shared responsibility that we have all committed to, with the standards as the nucleus from which we build a more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable sector. During the year, despite the challenges brought about by the ongoing Covid crisis, our organisation marshalled ahead and achieved significant milestones across various fronts. Our advances are reflective of the organisation's growth — this year, RSPO membership surpassed the 5,000 mark, spread across the map in 101 countries.

We successfully launched the RSPO Hotspot Hub to further intensify fire prevention efforts in oil palm plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia with advanced satellite technology. We witnessed the first group of nearly 5,000 Independent Smallholders in Africa achieve RSPO certification, representing the single largest certified Independent Smallholder group across all regions. Furthermore, certified Fresh Fruit Bunch production from Independent Smallholders crossed one million metric tonnes. We introduced a Gender Inclusion Guidance to enhance gender equality in the industry and affirm our commitment to women’s rights. CSPO production in Latin America and CSPO uptake in North America reached record levels this year, plus we oversaw the adoption of the RSPO Trademark in Colombia; a first for the LATAM region. Today, the RSPO Trademark is already being used in 111 countries and territories. Looking at the past year from this wider angle, we should be proud of what we have achieved together, in less than ideal circumstances.

Yet our work is far from over. The review of the Principles and Criteria will start again next year and be tabled for adoption in 2023, aimed at addressing some of the key challenges and ongoing priorities, such as closing the gap between CSPO supply and demand, developing strategies to further enhance rural livelihoods, stepping up efforts to mitigate GHG emissions, and identifying ways to strengthen our auditing and assurance systems.

Furthermore, future proofing the palm oil industry calls on us all to revisit our commitment to Shared Responsibility, as RSPO members. Since the SR requirements were endorsed in October 2019, we have all pledged to meet our sustainability obligations, apropos of our unique, respective roles. We know that Covid-19 presented challenges in the past year and several members were unable to reach their volume targets, however this, coupled with the persistent challenge of the plateauing uptake of certified sustainable volumes only means that fulfilling our collective sustainability commitments is more imperative than ever - to spur market demand and increase supply.

This year’s General Assembly marks the next phase of our work as we continue to scale up our joint efforts, reinforce our multi-stakeholder engagement and strengthen our alliances so we, in synergy with the global community, can do our part in achieving climate resilience at this crucial stage for the planet.

Through our strengthened resolve, we are optimistic that we can accelerate positive change in our industry, and together meet our ambitious goal of true market transformation.