Impressive uptake of CSPO Palm Oil in 2011

Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) experienced unprecedented growth in 2011, according to a statement issued by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).

The RSPO released a report, 2011 RSPO CSPO Growth Interpretation Narrative (2011 GIN), which is the first of its kind for any sustainable commodity.

The report confirms the upward trend in the supply and sale of sustainable palm oil since the certification of the commodity was launched by the RSPO in 2008. The supply of CSPO has increased by 250% from 2009 to 2011, with the year-on-year sales volume increasing by 94% since 2010.

The RSPO attributes the surge to a rising number of certified growers entering into RSPO’s certification process. In 2008, there were just 17 certified growers in two countries; now there are 29 grower companies with 135 mills in six countries.

RSPO membership has similarly been increasing, with membership of consumer goods manufacturers increasing by over 60% and retailer membership increasing by 50%, both primarily in the European region.

“The growth of CSPO has shown an escalating trend and clearly reflects the inclination of sustainability standards towards palm oil,” Darrel Webber, Secretary General of the RSPO, commented.

“A total of US$21.5 million worth of premiums has been paid to date to RSPO certified growers since the first certificates via the Book & Claim system under the GreenPalm were traded in 2008 - and we hope that the growers have found this valuable in empowering their transformation to sustainable cultivation practices.”