Issue 1 - American Palm Oil Council

Concurrent movesConcurrent with the trial testing, effortswere made by major oil palm processingcountries to develop appropriateguidelines and indicators for nationalinterpretation of the generic P&C andthe guidance document. Reports by theNational Interpretation Working Groups(NIWGs) showed significant progress toalign national legislation and requirementsto the generic guidance of the P&C.National draft guidance documents forIndonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guineaand Colombia are being finalised and areexpected to be approved by the RSPOExecutive Board early this year. Theapproved guidance and indicators willprovide the basis of certification againstthe RSPO P&C in the respectivecountries.As the P&C were originally developedwith plantation agriculture in mind, theRSPO established a Smallholder TaskForce (STF) at RT3 in November 2005 toexamine the P&C and make theserelevant and practical to the smallholdersector.A national STF was also established forIndonesia to study the specific needs ofits small growers, to ensure they candirectly participate in the process. In spiteof limited funding, both STFs haveproduced a draft guidance document,which is expected to be finalised in thefirst half of the year.The generic RSPO P&C have alsoundergone comprehensive review; theCWG reconvened in Bogor, Indonesia,last October to consider feedback from apublic consultation process as well asinput from NIWGs, STF and volunteersinvolved in pilot-testing of the P&C.Most of the feedback was related toindicators: 24 new ones were accepted, 10were deleted and 24 others amended.Seven criteria were also amended. Therevised P&C were approved by the GeneralAssembly at the conclusion of RT5 and willbe used as the standard for certification.Accreditation mechanismIndependent certification bodies (CBs)will be tasked with ensuring consistentcredible assessments and results againstthe P&C requirements.The RSPO mechanism for approving CBsmatches internationally recognisedstandards namely those in ISO/IEC Guide65: 1996 General requirements for bodiesoperating product certifications systemsand/or ISO/IEC Guide 66: 1999 Generalrequirements for bodies operatingassessment and certification/registration ofenvironmental management systems.RSPO has supplemented these withspecific requirements.A stringent process is adopted toevaluate CB applications foraccreditation, including a 30-day periodfor stakeholders to submit comments onthe applicants. These will be given dueconsideration by the RSPO ExecutiveBoard when discussing approval.At RT5, RSPO gave initial approval ofaccreditation of two CBs – SGS Malaysiaand Control Union. Since RT5, two moreCBs have been found to comply withrequirements for accreditation andapproval will be considered after theperiod for public comment.Astringentprocess isadopted to evaluateCB applications foraccreditation, including a 30-day period for stakeholders tosubmit comments on the applicants.Certification processThis process sets out the role andfunctions of CBs which are to:• Evaluate competency of assessmentteams;including the minimum competencyof lead assessors and the assessment teams• Examine the assessment process –procedures, definition of the unit ofcertification, planning for time-boundcertification of organisations with manymanagement units or subsidiary companies,assessments of conformity or nonconformitieswith each indicator, etc•Gather evidence from stakeholdersduring certification assessments• Make their documentation, such asassessment reports, publicly available• Manage conflicts of interest• Set up mechanisms to respond tocomplaints and grievances.In assessing major non-conformitiesagainst the P&C, RSPO has definedcompulsory international indicators thatmust be complied with; failure to do sowill automatically trigger a finding of‘Major Non-conformity’.RSPO endorsement of nationalinterpretations requires at least onecompulsory indicator for 39 criteria,while at least 45% of all indicators atnational level must be identified ascompulsory.GLOBAL OILS & FATS BUSINESS MAGAZINE • VOL.5 ISSUE 1, 200813