The Human Rights Dimension in the Revised RSPO Principles & Criteria

Abstract

This paper focuses on the recent inclusion of Principle 6 pertaining to human rights issues into the newly revised Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) Principles and Criteria (P&C). It provides a brief overview of RSPO’s track record on human rights issues prior to the inclusion of this principle, and what changes this principle will bring in the implementation of RSPO standards. It will also discuss the industry response to this new principle, which has largely been negative. The paper will offer an alternative analysis of the benefits of including this human rights principle for RSPO and for the industry as a whole.