Palm oil is the world's most widely produced vegetable oil. It comes from the fruit of the oil palm and is an important cooking ingredient in the tropical belt of Africa, Southeast Asia and parts of Brazil. In Europe it is an ingredient in approximately half of all packaged goods such as shampoo, margarine, fish fingers, detergent, soap and ice cream.

UTZ CERTIFIED traceability services for palm oil

The production of palm oil has been under scrutiny for some time now. There are social and economic challenges facing the industry, as well as significant environmental issues. Palm oil is associated with human-rights violations, deforestation, habitat loss of endangered species and a significant increase in greenhouse gas emissions. Today's consumers are increasingly aware of this and expect their favorite brands to take responsibility.

In response to the pressing global call for sustainably produced palm oil, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) was formed in 2004. The objective of the RSPO is to promote the growth and use of sustainable oil palm products through credible global standards and engagement of stakeholders. Its members accepted the principles and criteria for sustainable production in November 2007, at which time the organization contracted UTZ CERTIFIED as its provider for traceability services. Over 400 companies, organizations and NGOs are currently members of RSPO.

Outlook

The collaboration between RSPO and UTZ CERTIFIED has made great steps forward in the past three years and will continue to do so in the future. In 2011, UTZ CERTIFIED will launch its new release of its traceability system, enabling RSPO to deliver its goals even more efficiently and effectively.

For all questions relating to the RSPO “Principle and Criteria” and “Supply Chain Certification System”, please contact RSPO Secretary at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or alternatively visit the RSPO website www.rspo.org.

For all questions relating to the RSPO Traceability System serviced by UTZ, please contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it