EUDR and how to achieve it: four lessons from RSPO

A recent survey by FoodNavigator reveals EUDR preparedness level among world's largest consumer packaged goods manufacturersPalm oil is a raw material that works well in all areas.

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Larger players are better equipped to implement systems that will meet deadlines because they have more resources. What could be extended nowThe survey showed that more work was needed in other areas. The survey found that cocoa, coffee and other products were also affected.

What lessons can other commodities learn from palm oil?

The RSPO was founded 20 years ago and has been working to create a sustainable palm oil supply chain. Ruben Brunsveld, RSPO Deputy Director for EMEA, told FoodNavigator that 90% of the palm oil used in food, feed and oleochemicals entering the European Union is RSPO certified.

From this point of view, much progress has been made from 2004 to today. There are now more than 6,000 members worldwide, about half of whom are in Europe.

The RSPO was created because the product was increasingly being used in global supply chains. FMCG producers, charities such as WWF and NGOs, consumers and even FMCG companies themselves were all seeing the destructive effects the product was having on rainforests around the world. Now it was time to act.

In 2020, we conducted an assurance gap analysis that focused on our third-party auditor system and implemented best management practices to minimize conflicts of interest.

RSPO achieves members' goals

Published in November 2020, the system outlines a three-pronged assurance approach, including head office assessment and witness audit, as well as compliance audit.

We have reached a stage where we are no longer just [certification] Brunsveld says that although we are a standard organisation, “we define ourselves as the global partner that organisations can turn to when they want assurance of sustainable palm oil”.

The RSPO believes that the EUDR is still in force and is not delayed. Instead, it has only been delayed by the legal requirements to submit the required documentation. The RSPO continues to meet its goal of supporting its members in implementing the EUDR by the end of the year.

Brunsveld does not want to focus on the shortcomings of the EUDR process that led to its delay. The EU should be happy that there is a large market for palm oils that does not want to support deforestation. “I think that is something that should be applauded,” he says.

There has been a lot of discussion about how this is done. [EUDR] The committee has been set up. There could have been more discussion with producers about the negative side effects for smallholders from the beginning. We support EUDR in principle, but we still have some issues to resolve.”

He warns that the top priority should be to prevent the exclusion or marginalisation of smallholders in the supply chain. This could reverse the economic progress made by some countries. The EC must also address its limited or non-existent capacity to have parallel discussions with stakeholders around the world to achieve positive global impact.

Brunsveld's simple advice could be useful to the EC, other commodity bodies and their journey towards EDUR readiness:

• Multi-stakeholder approach: Make sure all parties in the chain are involved. Producers, importers, supply chain and consumer goods manufacturers are all communicating. All NGOs, as well as critics, are invited to join the conversation. Openness and transparency are essential.
• Transparency: Show your organization's strengths and weaknesses. You must be as transparent as possible. Anyone can file a complaint, and it is made public through an easily traceable system.
• Progress : Make sure you have a detailed process in place for reviewing your standards. Our review cycle is five years. In this case, we need to make sure that all voices, such as those of smallholders and local communities, but also women, are heard.
• Sharing : Share all your resources and information openly. In the business world, people tend to withhold information when they should be sharing it.

The Future of RSPO

He highlights that there are overlaps across all products working towards a deforestation-free supply chain for food and beverages.

You can’t do one thing without doing another. We should work with other products to achieve the same goals. “The key to all this is ISEAL. It’s a kind of quality controller for sustainability programs where members have to meet certain criteria to become a member,” he explains.

Thanks to a working directive from Brussels, voluntary programs like the RSPO are working together to share information. Brunsveld says these initiatives are necessary to achieve the goal.

What is stopping the EUDR from succeeding? Brunsveld says that the EUDR regulation is already in place and is not being delayed. Instead, the “obligation” to complete the documents has been postponed.

The Commission has proposed to postpone these obligations and it is likely that this will happen. It is not the only thing. [EUDR] He explains that the "law of the land" already exists.

It is certain that companies and organisations will not push for a reopening of the discussion on the current regulation. In the next two months, the RSPO plans to launch a new Palm Resource Information and Sustainability Management System (PRISMA), which should be operational before the original EUDR deadline.

The EUDR also questioned the relevance of organisations like the RSPO in the future. Brunsveld says “we will remain relevant” in the post-EUDR era. We have noticed an increase in our numbers and interest in the RSPO across Europe over the past year because people know that we are the experts in sustainable palm oils.

We are in good standing with our members and we are launching a new [PRISMA] system to help them further comply. It is worth noting that deforestation and sustainable development are just two of our many elements. We also focus on child labor, economics and ecology. Our relevance is not limited to that."