09/11/2010 (Bernama) – The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) Tuesday unveiled a trademark that will enable consumers distinguish products containing palm ingredients that are sourced following its riles starting next year.

In a statement here Tuesday, RSPO said the new symbol could demonstrate the rules starting next years.

It said product manufacturers and retail companies would be able to apply the new logo, which was unveiled in Jakarta, to their packaging starting early 2011.

Its president, Jan Kees Vis, said the trademark would reassure consumers that products they buy contribute to sustainable cultivation of palm oil and other palm products.

“The RSPO certification and this trademark mean that palm cultivation does not contribute to the sustained destruction of valuable tropical forests or damage the interests of people in the regions where the palms are grown,” he said.

The RSPO said the new trademark would encourage more companies to commit to using only certified sustainable palm oil.

“With the supply of certified oil steadily growing, many companies have already pledged to make the switch over the course of the next five years,” it said.

The RSPO, which is a multi-stakeholder organization with close to 400 members, sets production standards and oversees certification systems that guard the entire supply chain of sustainable palm products.

Since August 2008, more than three million tonnes of certified sustainable palm oil had been produced by certified growers, and the supply is growing rapidly.

The uptake by the market has grown as well, with more than 60% of certified sustainable palm oil produced in the first 10 months of this year was purchased as such.