RSPO Introduces Sustainable Palm Oil Trademark

BRUSSELS and JAKARTA, IndonesiaThe Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) unveiled a trademark that will allow consumers to easily distinguish products containing certified sustainable palm ingredients sourced according to RSPO rules. Product manufacturers and retail companies will be able to apply the new logo to thousands of consumer products beginning early 2011.

"The RSPO trademark will reassure consumers that products they buy contribute to sustainable cultivation of palm oil and other palm products," said RSPO President Jan Kees Vis. "RSPO certification and this trademark mean that palm cultivation does not contribute to the sustained destruction of valuable tropical forests or damage the interests of people in the regions where the palms are grown."

The new trademark will encourage more companies to commit to using only certified sustainable palm oil. With the supply of certified oil steadily growing, many companies have already pledged to make the switch over the course of the next five years.

The trademark was unveiled at the annual RSPOs annual meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, where more than 750 representatives of companies and NGOs worldwide are discussing ways to ultimately make the world's palm oil production sustainable.

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil was formed to generate a supply of palm oil that did not violate social and environmental standards. A multi-stakeholder organization, the RSPO brings together close to 400 palm growers, palm oil processors and traders, retailers, investors and leading NGOs such as WWF and Oxfam International.