The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is an international multi-stakeholder organization dedicated to bringing sustainable palm oil to the marketplace, as both a source of good for those in producing regions as well as for those consuming the end product. RSPO’s objective is to advance the production, procurement and use of sustainable palm oil through:

• development, implementation and verification of credible global standards and,
• engagement of stakeholders along the supply chain

The 5th Roundtable Meeting (RT5) on Sustainable Palm Oil is the 5th annual RSPO meeting that brings together RSPO Members, stakeholders and partners to discuss the latest developments on meeting the RSPO objectives as well as seeks inputs, concerns, ideas while building constructive dialogue.

RT5 will see the final unveiling of the RSPO Certification System after over 1½ year's development through the Verification Working Group (VWG). Participants at RT5 can expect to see the latest developments as RSPO is on the cusp of delivering on its promises at RT3 in 2005 - putting sustainable palm oil in the market.

Increasingly RSPO is pressured to meet increased and complex demands from stakeholders as the World strives to meet sustainability benchmarks and expectations. RSPO takes a direct approach to engage the issues through sessions planned to stimulate dialogue and an action-based, solutions approach. The highlights of RT5 are:

• Presentation and discussion of the RSPO Certification System
• Presentation and discussion on the review of the RSPO Principles & Criteria (P&C) for Sustainable Palm Oil Production
• Development of national guidelines for the RSPO P&C
• Results and experiences from the trial implementation of RSPO P&C
• RSPO certified claims, brand and labeling
• Progress of various RSPO projects (biodiversity, communications plan, capacity building etc)

The event is expected to attract attendance by stakeholders and representatives along the palm oil supply chain, including oil palm growers, palm oil processors and/or traders, consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, banks and investors, environmental NGOs and social/developmental NGOs, research and development organizations, government agencies and international organizations. Based on experience from past RT meetings, RT5 is expected to attract about 500 participants from about 30 countries.