RSPO CEO Joseph D’Cruz made an impassioned call for certified RSPO Members to raise their voices to demonstrate the data, facts, and evidence of clear actions on fire prevention and management, which are underpinned by the RSPO system.
PALMOILMAGAZINE, Jakarta – The Annual Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RT2026) brought together global stakeholders to mobilise action for a more sustainable palm oil industry, ensuring that RSPO’s foundational mandate continues to deliver real environmental and social progress amid shifting geopolitical and market conditions.
Centred around the theme, “Strong Foundations – Impact in Action”, RT2026 advocated moving beyond standards and traceability toward tangible outcomes across the sustainable palm oil value chain. Accountability, transparency, and shared responsibility were championed in cross-cutting areas including halting deforestation, safeguarding biodiversity, climate action, smallholder inclusion, and community rights.
Also Read: Zero Tolerance For Fires: RSPO Reinforces Strict Zero-Burning Standards
Indonesia’s wildfires: Data shows RSPO Certified concessions impacted by fires at a far lower rate than industry average
RSPO’s yearly flagship conference took place at a challenging period for Indonesia. Amidst one of the strongest El Niño events on record, land and forest fires have burned more than 1.9 million hectares across the archipelago between January and September 2026, according to satellite analysis by Nusantara Atlas.
During his keynote address, RSPO CEO Joseph D’Cruz addressed the ongoing public criticism on the sector, while recognising the efforts of workers on estates in Sumatra and Kalimantan acting on the frontlines to fight the fires.
Also Read: RSPO Says Most Indonesia Land Fires in 2026 Occurred Outside Palm Oil Concessions
“We are not an industry hiding from scrutiny. We are a partnership that monitors ourselves more closely than anyone else monitors us, D’Cruz said at an event attended by PalmOilMagazine on Tuesday (Nov. 3) in Jakarta.”
D’Cruz underscored the hard data showing that RSPO Certified concessions have been impacted by fires at a far lower rate than the industry average. Satellite monitoring data from Nusantara
Atlas and the TreeMap from January to September 2026 indicated that out of the 1.9 million hectares burned in 2026, roughly 14,500 hectares (0.8%) were confirmed to be associated with RSPO Certified concessions.
Also Read: Eight Indonesian Palm Oil Companies Face Singapore Scrutiny Over Alleged Links to Haze-Causing Fires
“If specific concessions show unusual burning, we will identify them and investigate. One of those concessions is already the subject of a complaint in our Grievance system, and we will be looking carefully at the other. Furthermore, analysis shows that there has been no land burned in RSPO Certified independent smallholder plots, even though some of those smallholder groups live and farm in the heart of the fire zones. Notably, there is no data or evidence so far that any RSPO Certified unit deliberately lit fires”, said D’Cruz.
D’Cruz concluded with a firm and impassioned call for RSPO Members to break their silence and raise their voices to defend the record by demonstrating the data, facts, and evidence of clear actions on fire prevention and management. “We must all show the willingness — each of us, and all of us — to stand on what we have built, and to say so plainly when it is questioned. Because when we stay silent, we let the worst actors define our industry and undermine two decades of hard work. We let a system that millions of livelihoods depend on be devalued by people who never understood it.”
Also Read: Indonesia Cuts November 2026 CPO Reference Price 6.07% to US$978.90/MT, Sets Export Duty at US$124
Connecting Independent Smallholders with Buyers
Nowhere are rural livelihoods more visible than among the smallholders who make up the backbone of the sector. Smallholders produce nearly half of Indonesia’s palm oil. The country is home to 77% of the world’s RSPO Certified smallholders, making them vital to transforming the sector. RT2026 recognised 45 new independent smallholder groups from Colombia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Peru, and Thailand who have completed their initial RSPO Certification.
RT2026 saw a new milestone from India, as Patanjali Foods Limited, a leading consumer brand and retail chain, made its first purchase of Independent Smallholder (IS)-CSPO Credits, becoming the first Indian brand to support smallholders through the RSPO Credits system.
Additionally, the second RSPO Independent Smallholder Business Matching event connected farmers with key industry leaders who have invested in long-term independent smallholder initiatives and certification through the purchase of RSPO Credits. The networking opportunity aimed to unlock meaningful commercial opportunities by linking potential Credits buyers with independent smallholders from around the world.
RSPO recognised outstanding members for their smallholder support to drive more inclusive supply chains through RSPO Credit purchases made from November 2025 to September 2026: Kao Corporation, Nestlé S.A., and Unilever PLC – the top three buyers of Independent Smallholder Credits, alongside leading first-time buyer Lakeland Dairies Co-operative Society Limited and Pitak Palm Oil Company Limited as the top buyer of Certified Fresh Fruit Bunches. (P3)
