PALMOILMAGAZINE, JAKARTA — The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has officially endorsed a new sustainability framework for independent smallholder palm oil farmers, marking a major step toward greater inclusivity in global sustainable palm oil certification systems. The RSPO Independent Smallholder (ISH) Standard 2024, adopted in November 2025, was developed to offer a simpler, more affordable, and more accessible certification model tailored to the realities of smallholders across producing countries.
RSPO highlighted that the updated standard is designed to be easier to implement, featuring more direct requirements and stronger emphasis on the role of group managers. Despite the streamlined approach, the structure remains anchored in RSPO’s three core impact pillars—People, Planet, Prosperity—and follows the RSPO Theory of Change framework. Through this approach, RSPO aims to enhance farmer capacity, strengthen market access, and promote environmentally responsible cultivation practices.
“The ISH 2024 Standard forms part of our broader support ecosystem for smallholders, including the Smallholder Trainer Academy (STA), the Smallholder Support Fund (RSSF), and the Smallholder Engagement Platform (RSEP). Together, these tools offer technical training, financial support, and opportunities for farmers to strengthen peer networks,” RSPO noted, as cited by Palmoilmagazine.com on Wednesday (26/11/2025).
A Long Road to Simplification
RSPO’s effort to strengthen the role of smallholders is not new. Since 2017, the RSPO Board of Governors has mandated the simplification of certification systems to make them more relevant and beneficial for independent smallholders. The principle was clear: certification must not be overly burdensome and must deliver real value to farmers.
Two years later, the first ISH Standard was approved at the 16th RSPO Annual Roundtable in Bangkok in 2019, replacing the RSPO Principles and Criteria, which had been considered too complex for smallholders. Yet as the industry and farmer needs evolved, further revisions were required.
In February 2022, RSPO initiated a comprehensive review of the standard to ensure alignment with international benchmarks, including ISEAL norms. This effort culminated in the ISH Standard 2024 (IS_V2-0), which was formally adopted in November 2024.
National Application and Local Adaptation
While the ISH 2024 Standard operates globally, RSPO allows member countries to undertake a National InteIDRretation (NI) process. This mechanism enables local adaptation of the standard without compromising its core requirements.
Countries may propose NI initiatives with written approval from the RSPO Secretariat. The process can begin within 24 months after the global standard’s adoption and must be completed within 36 months.
Through NI, countries may strengthen indicators, refine guidelines, or set performance thresholds that reflect national conditions—provided they do not weaken global benchmarks. Additional indicators may also be introduced so long as they do not conflict with ISH 2024’s fundamental principles.
Raising Smallholder Competitiveness
RSPO emphasizes that the new standard is not merely about compliance but also creating tangible added value for smallholders. Better group management, structured training access, improved yields through enhanced agronomic practices, and expanded market opportunities are among the expected benefits.
With the rollout of the ISH Standard 2024, RSPO hopes to boost the participation of independent smallholders in global supply chains while strengthening the industry’s commitment to environmental stewardship and rural community welfare. (P2)
