GreenPalm to discuss sustainable palm oil at the European RSPO Summit 2014
GreenPalm will join other European stakeholders within the palm oil industry to discuss the role and responsibility of Europe to make certified sustainable palm oil the norm at the European Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) Summit on the 4 June, in London.
Bob Norman and Simon Chrismas, from the sustainable palm oil certificate-trading programme, will share their knowledge and experience with other delegates interested in resolving the problems associated with achieving 100% palm oil sustainability throughout an incredibly complex supply chain.
Bob Norman will address the issue of smallholder engagement. Smallholders, defined by the RSPO as farmers of 50 hectares or less, account for 40% of the world's palm production. However, they rarely have direct access to large multinational buyers committed to sustainable palm oil, selling instead to their local mill.
"Unfortunately, segregated supply chains are not always inclusive for smallholders, but it is absolutely imperative that in the race for manufacturers and retailers to meet their own CSR objectives, smallholders are not forgotten," said Norman.
"But the good news is that there are ways of preventing this situation recurring and that is exactly what we will be investigating with manufacturers and retailers at the European RSPO Summit."