1st RSPO European Summit on Sustainable Palm Oil

http://www.european-summit.rspo.org/index.php?id=23

Welcome to the 1st RSPO European Summit on Sustainable Palm Oil “Certified sustainable palm oil in Europe: taking the market transformation to the next level”. The summit is held in Berlin on 3rd September 2013, organized by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).

This is the first summit held in Europe bringing together European stakeholders across the palm oil industry to discuss the future of palm oil sustainability.

The European Union is the fourth largest market in terms of palm oil consumption globally. Palm oil is the second largest source of oils and fats in the EU-27, after rapeseed and before sunflower oil. It is part of a mix of oils and fats, which Europe partially imports to meet its domestic demand. In 2012 the EU palm oil consumption stood at 5,890,000 tons, including palm oil used in food and in many other non-food sectors.

European consumption of palm oil poses serious sustainability challenges and raises questions about Europe’s responsibility in managing the footprint of its global supply chain.

Thanks to its sustainability leadership, Europe can play a crucial role in addressing these challenges and steering the industry towards a responsible path. Thanks to all the RSPO members and stakeholders engaged in the RSPO, today there is an international voluntary standard, and a governance tool, to certify the production and use of sustainable palm oil.

The implementation and significance of this standard will be discussed at RSPO’s first European Summit. We need to place sustainable palm oil on Europe’s agenda. Our vision is a European market committed to source 100% certified sustainable palm oil.

I look forward to welcoming you on 3rd September in Berlin.

Darrel Webber
Secretary General, RSPO