Catch-22 situation
What this particular gap underlines is that the RSPO P&C may have been put together in Singapore or Geneva, but they aren’t applicable to every context.
It also underlines the fact that sometimes the will and the financial means may be there to implement RSPO rules at the firm level, but at the national level, it is not high on the list.
A ‘watering down’ of the P&C on pesticides would not be acceptable. Perhaps, instead, it would be possible for the RSPO to accept interim national interpretations or national interpretations on specific issues.
Under the RSPO’s organisational rules, it is likely such a measure could work via a measure under the board of directors. It would also be likely to be subject to push-back from the NGO members.
But what are the alternatives? Plantation developers are likely to go ahead and develop in Africa, whether or not certification is available. There are alternative means of financing. The market for vegetable oil in Africa is large and getting larger. This means that these operations will be subject to no RSPO rules.
One of the points that has been made about palm oil certification is that it is the only agricultural commodity with such widely accepted and high standards. No other crop has the same level of scrutiny. One of the dangers is that, if the bar is set too high for many operations for palm oil, those who are able to access forest and land for plantation development will either develop or switch to another crop with low (or no) level of scrutiny whatsoever.
Rules that the RSPO has in place around high conservation value or conservation set-asides, will be nowhere to be seen.
This can’t be an outcome that the RSPO or NGOs will be happy with. This will mean worse environmental, social and economic outcomes across the board.
In other words, a compromise isn’t just preferable, it’s necessary – particularly if the overall objective is sustainability.
Pierre Bois d’Enghien
Agronomist Engineer & Environmental Expert
This is an edited version of the article posted on Star Online, on Sept 26, 2016.
