Once again – welcome to RSPO’s next annual roundtable meeting on sustainable palm oil. 

Last year’s RT10 in 2012 was indeed significant as the RSPO commemorated its 10^th Roundtable meeting with the largest number of participants from a record of 37 countries. The total global supply of palm oil that was certified sustainable was 14 percent. Membership in the RSPO grew in leaps and bounds to more than 1,000 members and it continues to do so. The RSPO Principles and Criteria (P&C) was shared in open consultation with various stakeholders during the RT10 whereby comments and feedback were actively solicited. 

Today, supply of Certified Sustainable Palm Oil is at 15 percent of the total global supply of palm oil, the RSPO membership is growing beyond 1,300 and the revised P&C was accepted at the Extraordinary General Assembly with overwhelming acceptance from its members across sectors.

The RT this year will be dedicated to focus on the revised P&C and the various critical aspects. As a multi-stakeholder initiative, the first of its kind for a global commodity, RSPO perceives its progressive approach of assessing and improving its standards every 5 years to be essential in order to positively influence and transform the marketplace.

We are aware that we still have a long way ahead of us in order to achieve our overall goal of transforming markets to make sustainable palm oil the norm; which is why we will gather once again in November 2013 in Medan, Indonesia for RT11.

This year, like the many others before, delegates from all over the world representing the various stakeholders and interest groups will convene and make the best of this platform to impart knowledge, voice opinions, share perspectives, deliberate, debate and formulate future plans that will further strengthen our on-going efforts that will bring us closer towards achieving our targets.

As Henry Ford once said, “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success”. Thus, let us look forward to another year of progress and continuous success at this year’s RT11.

Darrel Webber
Secretary General
Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil