Palm Oil Certification and Evidence Guide

Palm Oil Certification and Evidence Guide

A Guide to Palm Oil Certification and Evidence

Please watch this video for a guide to the palm oil certification standards and evidence requested for this years reporting. Included in the video are examples of evidence claims and common issues seen with evidence claims.


Background

  1. The expansion of oil palm plantations has been a significant driver of deforestation in Indonesia and Malaysia for the past 20 years, accounting for one third of Indonesia’s loss of old-growth forest.
  2. The complex nature of the supply chains makes it difficult to address the issues of deforestation and conversion. 
  3. Certification has been used a method to address the social and environmental issues prevalent in the palm industry
What is Certification?

Chain of Custody Models
  1. Chain of custody refers to the process by which materials, in this case palm,  and associated information are transferred, monitored, and controlled as they move through each step in a supply chain. There are three commonly recognised types of chain of custody models:
    1. Identity preserved (3rd Party Verified Supply Chain) - ensures the identity of the palm is maintained throughout its supply chain. 
    2. Segregated (3rd Party Verified Supply Chain) - certified palm is kept physically separate from uncertified palm.
    3. Mass balance - certified and uncertified palm are mixed at any stage of the supply chain

 


Certification Schemes for Palm Oil

Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is the main globally accepted certification scheme.
  1. Growers are assessed against RSPO standards once every five years, with annual checks for compliance carried out
  2. Most companies cannot source directly from plantation, so they ensures palm oil from certified growers reaches consumers
  3. As long as companies buy their palm oil from a certified supply chain, they can use the RSPO logo on their products.


Table 1 (below) summarizes the certification schemes that were judged by the Accountability Framework Initiative to provide credible deforestation- or conversion-free assurance as well as the accepted chain of custody models. The list has been produced using desk-based research and consultation.
Table 1


Certification Evidence

  1. When completing the declaration form, please enter the final manufacturing site name along with the RSPO site certification number. 
  1. We will use the RSPO Site certification Number to check against the Public database to ensure that the certification is still in date, is applicable to your company and the correct chain of custody model was selected. Please sure you make provide us the correct Site Certification Number.
  1. Once verified this information will be fed to your clients who have you reported on behalf of so they can understand the sustainability progress of their supplies and make informed decisions going forward.

Contact 3Keel
For support throughout this process please do engage with the resources on the Knowledge Base and reach out to us at support.3Keel@mondra.com. We are also available on 01993 764 710 extension 400.