KUALA LUMPUR(Commodity Online): After 3 years since the certification of sustainable palm oil (CSPO) by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), a multi stakeholder initiative, the industry reaches a turning point by hitting its first one million hectares of certified production area around the world.
The achievement follows the certification of the mills and supply base of Agropalma, a leader in South America’s palm oil industry. It also marks the inaugural certification of sustainable palm oil in Brazil. With the certification of Agropalma, the global production of CSPO now boasts close to 5 million tonnes, representing a rapidly increasing volume of 10 percent of global palm oil production.
Darrel Webber, RSPO Secretary General, welcomed the achievement: “With the certification of Agropalma in Brazil, RSPO marks a new phase of expansion in Latin America”, he said.
Marcello Brito, Commercial and Sustainability Director of the Agropalma Group added: “The certification ensures the viability of sustainable production at the moment when we observe an increase in deforestation in the Amazon sphere.”
RSPO membership has increased by a whopping 30 percent since the beginning of 2011 with over 650 member organizations to date from 50 countries around the globe represented by a broad spectrum of industries from consumer goods manufacturers, cosmetics; processors & traders; the financial sector; retailers; and non- governmental organizations.
