Eco-Business

New RSPO-certified smallholder groups 2024

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil’s updated standards aim to improve smallholder inclusion as EUDR kicks in. But decline in credit prices – which growers heavily rely on to recoup certification costs – sparks fears of financial strain.

Growers and traceability platforms at the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil say the compliance portal for EU’s deforestation law – meant to kick in next month – only opened for registration last week and is not fully live yet.

Environmentalists warn the plan to increase palm oil content in biodiesel will mean more deforestation, despite its association with renewables.

Palm oil trade certifier Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil is facing scrutiny for a new standard that NGOs say weakens the protection of forests. RSPO says revision to its approach addresses implementation challenges.

Oleh Kristine Sabillo

Oleh Rhick Lars Albay dan Theodora Abigail

Oleh Robin Hicks

Oleh Louise Hunt

Segala #palm oil Berita →

Sarawak's so-called green revolution is little more than a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Companies and the state government are operating in ways that not only devastate the environment but also marginalise remote Indigenous communities. Oleh Fiona McAlpine

If policymakers and ESG proponents fail to ensure that the ESG agenda is equitable and credible – directly benefiting working class and rural communities – the credibility of ESG will deteriorate further. Oleh Dr Pieter E. Stek

The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) can help protect nature and biodiversity but requires careful cooperation. Oleh Jack Hurd

These smallholder farmers can become "technopreneurs" in their own right if more incentives were provided for them to adopt technology and digitisation initiatives that can help improve sustainability performance. Oleh Siti Dina Razman Pahri

Oleh Lifeng Fang

Oleh Tran Quynh Chi

Oleh Renard Siew

Oleh Firdaus Cahyadi

Segala #palm oil Pendapat →

Simon Lord and Pamela Mar on Sustainability One on One

In the first in a new video series where sustainability leaders interview each other about the toughest things about their jobs, Simon Lord of Malaysian palm oil giant Sime Darby Plantation went head to head with Pamela Mar of Hong Kong-based textile and apparel giant Fung Group.

Studio EB Smallholder fish farmers in rural Kalimantan are turning towards sustainability, with some assistance from an agribusiness company.

Jali, founder of transport cooperative Parung Jaya Cooperative, speaks to one of his drivers

Studio EB What does it mean to build a clean and fair palm oil supply chain? For drivers in Indonesia used to unsafe working conditions, this is what it could look like.

Daughter Riri Damayanti (left) and her father Syamsul Bahri (right) are colleagues at a palm oil company in South Sumatra.

Studio EB What has been the effect of this agribusiness company's dual-income policy on the households of its Indonesian workers?

Segala #palm oil Video →

Podcast on RSPO's new principles and criteria for certifying palm oil as environmentally and socially sustainable.

Studio EB The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil has released new criteria for certifying responsibly grown palm oil. What's changed and how does RSPO respond to criticism that the new standard lowers the bar for deforestation?

Studio EB Transboundary haze pollution is back with a vengeance in Southeast Asia. The Eco-Business Podcast talks to RSPO CEO Joseph D'Cruz about what the palm oil sector can do to put out the peatland fires that have burned annually for four decades.

Palm oil farmers working with Natural Habitats

Some environmentalists would argue that there's no such thing as sustainably grown palm oil, because of the crops links to deforestation and human rights abuses. Eco-Business spoke to Monique van Wijnbergen about how palm can be done right.