General Assembly 21-2B

Background:

In line with the ‘RSPO Standard Operating Procedure for Standard Setting and Review (2020)’ and in compliance with the ‘ISEAL Code of Good Practice for Setting Social and Environmental Standards Version 6.0’, the 2018 RSPO Principles and Criteria (in application since 15th November 2018) and the 2019 Independent Smallholder (ISH) Standard (in application since 13th November 2019) have been reviewed and revised.

The 2018 RSPO Principles & Criteria and the 2019 RSPO Independent Smallholder (ISH) Standard are the RSPO’s active main standards for RSPO member companies that produce palm oil and independent smallholders that produce Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB).

In February 2022, RSPO began a comprehensive Standards Review process to assess the 2018 RSPO P&C and the 2019 RSPO ISH Standard to ensure that RSPO standards remain relevant and reflect stakeholder understanding of good sustainability practices. Terms of Reference (TOR) were developed for the review process, establishing a multi-stakeholder Steering Group (SG) to provide oversight to a multi-stakeholder Standards Review Task Force (TF) that was established to lead this process, supported by three Technical Committees (TCs).

The Task Force met on four occasions, with several work streams working in between the physical Task Force meetings as well, operating by consensus. In line with ISEAL requirements, two rounds of Public Consultation (60 days and 30 days, respectively) were organised in 2022 and 2023, during which comments were collected in online surveys and from a total of 17 physical consultations were organised globally in 9 countries across Southeast Asia, West Africa, and Latin America. These comments were analysed, considered, and discussed by the Task Force and led to further revisions and improvements of the draft standards.

Following the completion of the Standards Review in August 2023, the SG directed the RSPO Secretariat on 6th September 2023 to address and propose technical solutions to the substantive issues raised by the TF, as well as to revise the draft standards for clarity, auditability, implementability, and relevance. The directive was approved by the Standards Standing Committee (SSC) on 8th September 2023 and endorsed by the RSPO Board of Governors on 13th September 2023. The directive also stipulated that the revision of the standards should be done in parallel with the revision of the Certification System for P&C and ISH Standards, with a deadline of submitting the revised standards for adoption no later than the RSPO General Assembly scheduled for mid-November 2024.

Various activities were taken by the Secretariat to implement the directions of the SG, including internal and external engagement to formulate proposals to address the outstanding substantive issues and address market/regulatory relevance of the standard, as well as identifying potential gaps in the scope, structure and supporting processes underpinning implementation of the standards. These proposals were discussed with the SG, and approved proposals were implemented into a new draft (Revision 1.0) proposed by the Secretariat on 3rd June 2024.

The new draft (Revision 1.0) went through 5 Targeted Consultations with various stakeholder groups in June, July and August 2024, and a 45-day Stakeholder Consultation period beginning 5th July 2024 (with 7 physical workshops in 7 countries, and 7 webinars). Comments and feedback were analysed, considered, and incorporated in an updated draft (Revision 2.0) by the Secretariat.

Per the direction of the Standards Standing Committee (SSC) and the SG, a Multi-Stakeholder Consultation Task Force (MSCTF) was established and met from 2nd to 9th September 2024 to reach consensus on the remaining issues identified as requiring a multi-stakeholder discussion from the Stakeholder Consultation period. For inclusiveness and transparency, the SSC also requested an online Public Comment period on the Konveio platform for Revision 2.0 to run in parallel with the MSCTF, from 2nd to 15th September 2024.

Issues from the MSCTF that were not able to reach consensus were raised to the SG, together with comments on issues previously unraised from the Public Comment period. The SG met on 26th and 27th September 2024 to discuss the outstanding items, and reached consensus on all.

Following approval by the SG, the draft 2024 RSPO Principles and Criteria and the draft 2024 RSPO Independent Smallholder (ISH) Standard was forwarded to the SSC for approval on 3rd October 2024. The SSC approved endorsed the revised 2024 RSPO P&C and 2024 RSPO ISH Standard on 4th October 2024, and approved that the revised standards be forwarded to the RSPO Board of Governors (BoG) for endorsement as a GA Resolution for adoption by RSPO members at the 21st RSPO General Assembly of the RSPO.

The drafts of the revised 2024 RSPO Principles and Criteria and revised 2024 RSPO Independent Smallholder (ISH) Standard drafts for adoption by RSPO members can be accessed here on the RSPO website.