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Use Independent Accredited Accessors, WWF Advises Palm Oil Plantations
Use Independent Accredited Accessors, WWF Advises Palm Oil Plantations
26/02/2016 (Bernama) - World Wide Fund for Nature-Malaysia (WWF-Malaysia) is advising palm oil companies to use only independent accredited assessors to conduct verification and assessment for better monitoring of palm oil plantations.
Following such procedures would allow companies to manage their risks, plantation or supply chain more credibly, said WWF-Malaysia in a statement.
WWF Lead on Palm Oil Adam Harrison was quoted as saying in the statement that independent accredited assessors conduct verification and assessment against robust and comprehensive standards that have been developed by multiple stakeholders.
These independent, third party service providers should be accredited by a body such as Accreditation Services International (ASI), he said.
It should also be assessed against credible, multi-stakeholder standards like the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) Principles and Criteria, the Palm Oil Innovation Group (POIG) Charter and Indicators and the recently launched standard, RSPO NEXT.
WWF-Malaysia said while it welcomed the focus on the role of commodities in combating forest loss and companies making commitments to eliminate deforestation from their supply chains and investments.
However, it pointed out that some palm oil companies appointed second party consultants to monitor, assess and report its compliance against its own policies and commitments.
The definition of what is considered 'no deforestation', 'no peat' and 'no exploitation' may also vary from company to company, it added.
Over time, companies making such commitments are increasingly being challenged to demonstrate that they are delivering their new policies.
In some cases, evidence is emerging that they may not be doing so successfully, said WWF-Malaysia.
By investing in the RSPO, they will be able to benefit from a single well-supported complaints process rather than for each company to set up its own.
This can provide assurance to stakeholders and investors that compliance to these advanced criteria has been verified independently by accredited certification bodies, alongside compliance with the RSPO's principal and criteria, it added.
Following such procedures would allow companies to manage their risks, plantation or supply chain more credibly, said WWF-Malaysia in a statement.
WWF Lead on Palm Oil Adam Harrison was quoted as saying in the statement that independent accredited assessors conduct verification and assessment against robust and comprehensive standards that have been developed by multiple stakeholders.
These independent, third party service providers should be accredited by a body such as Accreditation Services International (ASI), he said.
It should also be assessed against credible, multi-stakeholder standards like the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) Principles and Criteria, the Palm Oil Innovation Group (POIG) Charter and Indicators and the recently launched standard, RSPO NEXT.
WWF-Malaysia said while it welcomed the focus on the role of commodities in combating forest loss and companies making commitments to eliminate deforestation from their supply chains and investments.
However, it pointed out that some palm oil companies appointed second party consultants to monitor, assess and report its compliance against its own policies and commitments.
The definition of what is considered 'no deforestation', 'no peat' and 'no exploitation' may also vary from company to company, it added.
Over time, companies making such commitments are increasingly being challenged to demonstrate that they are delivering their new policies.
In some cases, evidence is emerging that they may not be doing so successfully, said WWF-Malaysia.
By investing in the RSPO, they will be able to benefit from a single well-supported complaints process rather than for each company to set up its own.
This can provide assurance to stakeholders and investors that compliance to these advanced criteria has been verified independently by accredited certification bodies, alongside compliance with the RSPO's principal and criteria, it added.