Help
BM TRADA first to gain RSPO approval for sustainable Palm Oil
Date: 15th April 2010
BM TRADA Certification Ltd has become the first independent body to gain approval to carry out third-party certification under the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) Supply Chain Certification Systems. With a worldwide network of joint venture partners and representatives, BM TRADA has more than 10 years’ experience of supply chain certification, working with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) and other national schemes.
Palm oil represents around 30% of all vegetable oil production around the world. It has the highest yield per hectare of any oil or oilseed crop and can be found in one in 10 supermarket products. However, it can only be cultivated in tropical areas - the major producers are Indonesia and Malaysia – and the RSPO certification schemes were developed to counter mounting international concern about the environmental effects of production, by providing a sustainably-sourced alternative.
Marieke Leegwater, Manager Sustainable Production/ RSPO T & T group, said: ‘Now that BM TRADA has been officially recognised as a supplier to RSPO, companies involved in palm oil, right down the supply chain, can be independently certified as suppliers of sustainable, RSPO-certified palm oil. ’
Until 31st March this year, companies could achieve certification under the RSPO schemes through self-assessment. The move by RSPO to permit certification only by approved bodies, Ms Leegwater stressed, ‘further adds to the credibility of the scheme’. As the first to gain RSPO approval, BM TRADA has undergone an independent approval process.
BM TRADA Certification Business Development Executive Alasdair McGregor, said, ‘We are very proud to be the world’s first certification body to be approved for this vitally important scheme. We are already working with a number of clients who have identified how important it is to their business to be able to provide assurance about the sustainability of the palm oil that they use. We expect RSPO-certified, sustainable palm oil to be available in the marketplace in the near future.’