RSPO should not become ‘elitist certification’

At the recently concluded International Palm Oil Congress & Exhibition (PIPOC 2017) hosted by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) here, LMC International chairman James Fry pegged crude palm oil (CPO) at RM2,700 to RM2,800 per tonne, while United Plantations Bhd deputy chairman Datuk Carl Bek-Nielsen(filepic) projected CPO at RM2,400 to RM2,800 per tonne in 2018.

 KOTA KINABALU: The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) members have been urged against pursuing the strictest environmental and social standards on oil palm smallholders, or risk becoming an elitist certification.

RSPO co-chairman Datuk Carl Bek-Nielsen said that in pursuing high standards, there was a serious risk of eliminating 60% to 70% of the world’s palm oil producers, who will never be able to live up to the RSPO’s standards.