MESSAGE FROM THE CEO

Dear Valued Members,

I am deeply honoured to be taking part in my first RSPO General Assembly as the Chief Executive Officer of this inspiring global organisation. Since assuming this role in March 2022, I have been humbled by the warmth and collegiality with which all our staff, members and partners have welcomed me. The support, advice and feedback I have received from all of you has been invaluable.

I joined RSPO at a critical time, just as the world was slowly opening up and recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, which dramatically impacted the way we work, assemble and engage with one another. As I approach my first year since taking the reins of RSPO, I continue to be impressed by the professionalism, determination and resilience of my colleagues, who found innovative ways to keep working together across various time zones without taking their eyes off our goal of sustainable market transformation. Their commitment and perseverance has carried this organisation through a challenging period. For this I would like to express my deepest admiration and gratitude.

GA19 marks an auspicious moment, as it has been nearly two decades since 16 countries and 200 participants met at the inaugural meeting of the RSPO in Kuala Lumpur to adopt the Statement of Intent in support of the Roundtable process. Today, our membership counts over 5400 members, coming from every corner of the world. Yet we are more than just strength in numbers. As a collective with a solid commitment, united by our shared values, we have accomplished so much since that inaugural meeting in 2003. In many ways, RSPO has already transformed the market – sustainability is now embedded in the vocabulary of the global palm oil industry and supply chain because RSPO has defined it.

One of the highlights of this year’s Assembly is the release of the latest RSPO Impact Report, which reveals in quantitative terms our organisation’s impact across a broad swathe of the sustainability spectrum. To highlight just a few of the key findings of the report: today, an estimated 4.5 million hectares of land are RSPO certified, and of this area, over 300,000 hectares are conserved and protected through RSPO certification. Greenhouse gas emissions that have been prevented since 2015 are equivalent to nearly 400,000 cars driven annually. The RSPO Smallholder Support Fund has directed over USD 4 million to support thousands of smallholders across 12 countries since 2013. Female workers in certified estates and mills now receive training in equal proportion to male workers on average, and represent 12.1% and 24.2% of management and administrative roles, respectively. These are just a few examples of RSPO’s positive impacts that tell the story of one of the biggest changes to a global commodity sector that has ever been accomplished.

While we can look back and be proud of these achievements, our work is far from over. We find ourselves navigating an extremely challenging landscape, with a perfect storm of crises. Just as we are still rebuilding and recouping our losses from the global pandemic, we find ourselves facing yet another black swan event, with the ongoing war in Ukraine affecting global patterns of trade, production and consumption. Our industry has felt the shocks of disrupted agricultural supply lines, which are further exacerbating food insecurity and inflation. Undoubtedly, the biggest crisis of all is the climate emergency, which is already unleashing its deadly consequences all over the world.

These challenges only underscore the significance of RSPO’s role in being an agent of sustainable change, and a force for good for the planet and people, especially at a time when the world is demanding real action and solutions. Our track record of achievement over almost 20 years is proof that we are up to the task – we have the tools and the expertise, and most of all, the firm commitment needed to overcome these challenges.

In this next crucial chapter of scaling up the sustainable palm oil value chain, I’d like to call on all actors – regardless of where we are in the value chain – to truly embody the spirit of Shared Responsibility by strengthening our alliances and multi-stakeholder engagement, and to work together more closely in order to future-proof our industry.

Looking forward to a fruitful GA19!

Joseph JD D’Cruz
Chief Executive Officer, RSPO

MESSAGE FROM THE CO-CHAIRS

Dear Fellow Members,

We are very pleased to be hosting the 19th Annual General Assembly (GA19) of RSPO in person after almost three challenging years since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. As we turn the page to move on from that unprecedented chapter for the world, we now find ourselves in an opportune moment of recovery and rebuilding. Despite the many difficulties the global community had faced during the worst of the pandemic, we are proud to note that RSPO has not wavered in its commitment to its vision of sustainable market transformation. Not only has RSPO held itself strongly against the shifting winds, it has emerged even stronger as an international organisation.

Indeed, the challenges of the past few years have urged us to reflect and ‘look at the forest beyond the trees’ – to identify and rectify our shortcomings, as well as reinforce our strengths to propel us forward in a sustainability landscape that grows more demanding by the day.

Foremost among these changes has been bolstering the RSPO Secretariat senior staff with new and highly competent talent. In March of this year, we warmly welcomed Joseph D’Cruz (JD) to take the reins as our new CEO. Since then, JD has thoroughly impressed us with his high level of proficiency, organisational acumen and down-to-earth approach to leadership. His profound understanding of the sustainability challenge and policy has been an inspiration for us all – we put our absolute faith in him to steer us in the right direction in sustainably transforming the palm oil value chain, especially at this critical juncture not only for our organisation but also for the planet.

During the year, we fortified our support for smallholder farmers, who we believe to be the beating heart of our industry. We were thrilled to witness a number of ‘firsts’ for smallholder groups, particularly in emerging producer regions. We applaud the Ghanian farmers who became the country’s first RSPO certified Independent Smallholder Group, embodying how sustainable agriculture can improve livelihoods and mobilise community development. We also commend the four Mexican Independent Smallholder groups who participated in the Holistic Programme of PepsiCo, Nestlé, Oleofinos, and Oleopalma, for obtaining the first RSPO certification in the Latin American region. And in Thailand, we were very pleased to see Thai smallholders complete the first Master Trainers Course from the RSPO Smallholder Trainer Academy.

RSPO has also been mindful of the struggles faced by smallholders owing to the impacts of pandemic-related lockdowns and disrupted supply chains. Last year, we allocated a hardship allowance of 1.2 million Malaysian ringgit (about USD 270,000) to the RSPO Smallholder Support Fund as an additional mechanism of support for smallholders. Through this financial assistance, we were able to help farmers in Indonesia and Malaysia access Covid healthcare and medical assistance, new farming equipment, protective gear and food supplies. Apart from financial aid, we continue to build closer ties with smallholder groups and local communities through our outreach programmes across the regions where we operate.

At this year’s General Assembly, we would also like to highlight the accomplishments of the Membership as revealed by our latest Impact Report and Annual Communication of Progress. ACOP 2021, which had an all-time high submission record, revealed encouraging results in CSPO production and consumption. RSPO membership has also doubled since 2014 to reach over 5,400 members spread across 100 countries and territories as of October 2022.

Our impacts continue to be far reaching and deep. Our certification levels remain one of the strictest across other voluntary agriculture sustainability standards. Today, an estimated 4.5 million hectares of land are RSPO certified, and of this area, over 300,000 hectares – about 12 times the size of Kuala Lumpur or 30 times the size of the city of Paris – are conserved and protected through RSPO certification. An estimated half a million workers in estates and mills around the world are represented under the RSPO Principles and Criteria (P&C) through certification. These positive impacts would not have been possible without the collective efforts of our membership, and we would like to encourage the continued spirit of shared responsibility moving forward.

Finally, we would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the RSPO family, which has shown true strength and resilience amid such challenging times. The storm may have passed, but this does not mean there won’t be more ahead. Yet we believe that we are better equipped today with the resources, expertise and clarity of vision to face the challenges to come.

Here’s to a successful GA19!

Anne Rosenbarger
Co-Chairperson

Dato’ Carl Bek-Nielsen
Co-Chairperson