On 12 November, at the Annual Conference of the Japan Society for International Development (JASID) held at Sophia University, Director Yoshida made a presentation on the theme of 'Sustainable palm oil from the viewpoint of the real situation in the producing countries: focusing on the cases of Indonesia and Malaysia'.
From the data published on the RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) website, we calculated the certification acquisition rate for large-scale farms and small-scale producers. It was found that while large companies' farms have made reasonable progress, ranging from 38-99%, the acquisition rate for small producers of FFB suppliers is extremely low (~0%).
The certification acquisition rate for all production areas is less than 30% for large-scale farms and only a few per cent for small-scale farms.
Single certification promotion alone is not enough to raise awareness and implement sustainable oil palm practices, including for small-scale producers.
Companies need to do more than "buy certified oil to reduce supply chain risks" but take +α actions that consider the "sustainability of the palm oil industry as a whole".
