Sistema de Certificacion RSPO

8/9/2019 Sistema de Certificacion RSPO

1/71

for the Production of Sustainable Palm Oil

2013Endorsed by the RSPO Executive Board and Accepted at the Extraordinary

General Assembly by RSPO Members on April 25th 2013

Principles and Criteria


2/71

Principles and Criteria for the Production of Sustainable Palm Oil (2013) 2

Sustainable palm oil production is comprised of legal, economically viable, environmentally

appropriate and socially beneficial management and operations. This is delivered through the

application of the following set of Principles and Criteria, and the accompanying Indicators

and Guidance.

The first set of Principles & Criteria, Indicators and Guidance (P&C 2007) have been applied

since November 2007. These had been subject to trial implementation from November

2005 to November 2007 and in a number of countries to a subsequent process of National

Interpretation. After five years of application by RSPO members, P&C 2007 were reviewed in

2012-2013 by the RSPO Principles and Criteria Review Taskforce.

The objective of the review was to improve the relevance and effectiveness of the Principles

and Criteria for its members and in achieving the vision and mission of the RSPO. The review

process followed ISEAL best practices, including two public consultations and four physical

Taskforce meetings and resulted in the production of the revised RSPO Principles and Criteria

for Sustainable Palm Oil Production (RSPO P&C 2013).

In line with ISEAL best practices, this document (RSPO P&C 2013) will be completely reviewed

again after five years following ratification by the General Assembly of the RSPO. Within that

period, any changes to the standards must be approved by the General Assembly of the RSPO

and only after recommendations made by a duly appointed RSPO working group or taskforce.

One of the main issues addressed in the review was the recommendations of the RSPO

greenhouse gas (GHG) working group. Acknowledging both the importance of the issue and

the current challenges of determining emissions, the RSPO has revised an existing Criterion

on monitoring and reporting GHG emissions from existing operations and developed a new

Criterion on minimising net GHG emissions from new planting developments. However, it is

recognised that these significant emissions cannot be monitored completely or measured

accurately with current knowledge and methodologies. Therefore, growers and millers

commit to an implementation period for promoting best practices in reporting to the RSPO,


Preamble


3/71


and after December 31st 2016 to public reporting against both of these Criteria. During

the implementation period the RSPO will further develop and improve the RSPO carbon

assessment and reporting tools. Growers and millers make this commitment with the

support of all other stakeholder groups of the RSPO. These revisions demonstrate the RSPO’s

commitment to developing credible requirements relating to GHG emissions.

Looking to the future, the RSPO Principles and Criteria Review Taskforce urges the Executive

Board to engage with all grower country governments with the objective of addressing the

problem of stateless persons (especially children and women) in the industry.

Also looking forward, the growers and millers within the RSPO commit to a process whereby

they aim to source third party Fresh Fruit Bunches from identified, legal and responsible

sources. The RSPO Principles and Criteria Review Taskforce strongly encourages the RSPO

Executive Board to resource and support a process for developing tools and methodologies

that can help them achieve these aims.

This document (RSPO P&C 2013) defines Indicators and Guidance for each Criterion.

Indicators are specific pieces of objective evidence that shall (must) be in place to

demonstrate or verify that the Criterion is being met. Guidance consists of useful information

to help the grower/miller and auditor understand what the Criterion and/or Indicators

mean in practice, to indicate good practice, and practices that should be followed. Specific

Guidance has also been included for certain Indicators for clarity, as well as specific points to

be addressed in National Interpretations. In most cases guidance for smallholder production

has been removed to other documents that specify standards for that sector [‘Guidance for

Independent Smallholders under Group Certification’, June 2010, and ‘Guidance on Scheme

Smallholders’, July 2009].

This document (RSPO P&C 2013) is effective after ratification by the RSPO General Assembly

(May 2013). As stated under the RSPO Certification System, National Interpretations (NIs)



4/71


must be revised to be fully consistent with the RSPO P&C 2013 within 12 months after the

date of ratification (April 2014). Certificate holders must be fully compliant with the new

version of an NI within one year of it being completed (April 2015).

In countries without NIs and/or in cases where members have conducted a Local

Interpretation applicable to their own operations, P&C 2013 is effective immediately after

ratification (May 2013) and shall be used for any new certification activities after the

ratification date. In cases where there is no NI the RSPO secretariat as requested by the P&C

Review Taskforce has developed generic guidance in this document on issues identified as

needing clarification in P&C 2013.

Already certified entities can continue to be certified after the date of ratification (May 2013)

and before the completion of any relevant NI by conducting Annual Surveillance Assessments

(ASA) against P&C 2007, but shall demonstrate compliance to the new RSPO P&C 2013 at the

following ASA.

Necessary revision shall be made to other RSPO normative documents and guidance to ensure

consistency with the wordings of RSPO P&C 2013.

Key international laws and conventions applicable to the production of palm oil are set out in

Annex 1. Annex 2 provides the additional generic guidance and definitions on selected Criteria

for countries where no National Interpretation exists.

The RSPO and its members recognize, support and commit to follow the United Nations

Universal Declaration of Human Rights [http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr] and the

International Labour Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and R ights at Work

[http://www.ilo.org/declaration/lang--en/index.htm].



5/71


Including Indicators and Guidance

t

RSPO Principles and Criteria

for Sustainable Palm Oil Production

April 2013


6/71


Commitmentto transparency

Compliance with

applicable laws

and regulations

Use of appropriate

best practices

by growers and millers

1

2

4

3 Responsible developmentof new plantings

Commitment to continuous

improvement in key areas

of activity

Environmental responsibilityand conservation of

natural resources

and biodiversity

Responsible consideration

of employees, and of individuals

and communities affectedby growers and mills

5

6

7

8

8 PRINCIPLES FOR GROWERS TO BE RSPO CERTIFIED



7/71


Growers and millers provide adequate

informaon to relevant stakeholders on

environmental, social and legal issues

relevant to RSPO Criteria, in appropriate

languages and forms to allow for eecve

parcipaon in decision making.

Indicators:

1.1.1 There shall be evidence that growers and millers provide adequate informaon on

(environmental, social and/or legal) issues relevant to RSPO Criteria to relevant stakeholders for

eecve parcipaon in decision making.

1.1.2 Records of requests for informaon and responses shall be maintained.

Specifc Guidance:

For 1.1.1: Evidence should be provided that informaon is received in appropriate form(s) and

language(s) by relevant stakeholders. Informaon will include informaon on the RSPO mechanisms for

stakeholder involvement, including informaon on their rights and responsibilies.

Guidance:Growers and millers should have a Standard Operang Procedure (SOP) to respond construcvely to

stakeholders, including a specic meframe to respond to requests for informaon. Growers and millers

should respond construcvely and promptly to requests for informaon from stakeholders.

Growers and millers should ensure that sucient objecve evidence exists to demonstrate that the

response is mely and appropriate.

See Criterion 1.2 for requirements relang to publicly available documentaon.

See Criterion 6.2 on consultaon.

See Criterion 4.1 on SOPs.

NO. PRINCIPLES AND CRITERIA INDICATORS/GUIDANCE

1.1

PRINCIPLE 1: COMMITMENT TO TRANSPARENCY


8/71



Management documents are publicly

available, except where this is prevented

by commercial condenality or where

disclosure of informaon would result in

negave environmental or social outcomes.

Indicators:

1.2.1 Publicly available documents shall include, but are not necessarily limited to:

• Land tles/user rights (Criterion 2.2);

• Occupaonal health and safety plans (Criterion 4.7);

• Plans and impact assessments relang to environmental and social impacts

(Criteria 5.1, 6.1, 7.1 and 7.8);

• HCV documentaon (Criteria 5.2 and 7.3);

• Polluon prevenon and reducon plans (Criterion 5.6);

• Details of complaints and grievances (Criterion 6.3);

• Negoaon procedures (Criterion 6.4);

• Connual improvement plans (Criterion 8.1);

• Public summary of cercaon assessment report; • Human Rights Policy (Criterion 6.13).

Guidance:

This concerns management documents relang to environmental, social and legal issues that are relevant

to compliance with RSPO Criteria.

Management documents will include monitoring reports.

The auditors will comment on the adequacy of each of the documents listed in the public summary of

the assessment report.

Examples of commercially condenal informaon include nancial data such as costs and income,and details relang to customers and/or suppliers. Data that aects personal privacy should also be

condenal.

Ongoing disputes (within or outside of a legal mechanism) can be considered as condenal informaon

where disclosure could result in potenal negave outcomes for all pares involved. However, aected

stakeholders and those seeking resoluon to conict should have access to relevant informaon.

Examples of informaon where disclosure could result in potenal negave environmental or social

1.2



9/71




outcomes include informaon on sites of rare species where disclosure could increase the risk of hunng

or capture for trade, or sacred sites which a community wishes to maintain as private.

Growers and millers should ensure that sucient objecve evidence exists to demonstrate that the

level of measuring and monitoring of the management plan, and informaon, is appropriate and made

available.

For Naonal Interpretaon:

Specic approaches to personal privacy safeguards, including any legal requirements, will be considered.

Indicators:

1.3.1 There shall be a wrien policy comming to a code of ethical conduct and integrity in all operaons

and transacons, which shall be documented and communicated to all levels of the workforce and

operaons.

Guidance:

All levels of the operaons will include contracted third pares (e.g those involved in security).

The policy should include as a minimum:

• A respect for fair conduct of business;

• A prohibion of all forms of corrupon, bribery and fraudulent use of funds and resources;

• A proper disclosure of informaon in accordance with applicable regulaons and acceptedindustry pracces.

The policy should be set within the framework of the UN Convenon Against Corrupon, in parcular

Arcle 12.

Growers and millers commit to ethical

conduct in all business operaons and

transacons.

1.3


10/71


PRINCIPLE 2: COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS AND REGULATIONS


There is compliance with all applicable

local, naonal and raed internaonal

laws and regulaons.

Indicators:

2.1.1 Evidence of compliance with relevant legal requirements shall be available.

2.1.2 A documented system, which includes wrien informaon on legal requirements, shall be

maintained.

2.1.3 A mechanism for ensuring compliance shall be implemented.

2.1.4 A system for tracking any changes in the law shall be implemented.

Specifc Guidance:

For 2.1.4: The systems used for tracking any changes in laws and regulaons should be appropriate to the

scale of the organisaon.

Guidance:

Implemenng all legal requirements is an essenal baseline requirement for all growers whatever their

locaon or size. Relevant legislaon includes, but is not limited to: regulaons governing land tenure

and land-use rights, labour, agricultural pracces (e.g. chemical use), environment (e.g. wildlife laws,

polluon, environmental management and forestry laws), storage, transportaon and processing

pracces. It also includes laws made pursuant to a country’s obligaons under internaonal laws or

convenons (e.g. the Convenon on Biological Diversity (CBD), ILO core Convenons, UN Guiding

Principles on Business and Human Rights). Furthermore, where countries have provisions to respect

customary law, these will be taken into account.

Key internaonal laws and convenons are set out in Annex 1

Contradicons and inconsistencies should be idened and soluons suggested.


All relevant legislaon will be idened, and any parcularly important requirements idened.

2.1


11/71




The right to use the land is demonstrated,

and is not legimately contested by local

people who can demonstrate that they

have legal, customary or user rights.

2.2 Indicators:

2.2.1 Documents showing legal ownership or lease, history of land tenure and the actual legal use of

the land shall be available.

2.2.2 Legal boundaries shall be clearly demarcated and visibly maintained.

2.2.3 Where there are or have been disputes, addional proof of legal acquision of tle and

evidence that fair compensaon has been made to previous owners and occupants shall

be available, and that these have been accepted with free, prior and informed consent (FPIC).

2.2.4 There shall be an absence of signicant land conict, unless requirements for acceptable

conict resoluon processes (see Criteria 6.3 and 6.4) are implemented and accepted by the

pares involved.

2.2.5 For any conict or dispute over the land, the extent of the disputed area shall be mapped out

in a parcipatory way with involvement of aected pares (including neighbouringcommunies where applicable).

2.2.6 To avoid escalaon of conict, there shall be no evidence that palm oil operaons have

insgated violence in maintaining peace and order in their current and planned operaons.

Specifc Guidance:

For 2.2.2: Plantaon operaons should cease on land planted beyond the legally determined area and

there should be specic plans in place to address such issues for associated smallholders.

For 2.2.6: Company policy should prohibit the use of mercenaries and para-militaries in their operaons.

Company policy should prohibit extra-judicial inmidaon and harassment by contracted

security forces (see Criterion 6.13).


12/71




Guidance

Where there is a conict on the condion of land use as per land tle, growers should show evidence

that necessary acon has been taken to resolve the conict with relevant pares.

A mechanism should be in place to resolve any conict (Criteria 6.3 and 6.4).

Where operaons overlap with other rights holders, companies should resolve the issue with the

appropriate authories, consistent with Criteria 6.3 and 6.4.


Any legal, customary or user rights to land, or disputes, which are likely to be relevant, will be idened.

Indicators:

2.3.1 Maps of an appropriate scale showing the extent of recognised legal, customary or user rights(Criteria 2.2, 7.5 and 7.6) shall be developed through parcipatory mapping involving aectedpares (including neighbouring communies where applicable, and relevant authories).

2.3.2 Copies of negoated agreements detailing the process of free, prior and informed consent(FPIC) (Criteria 2.2, 7.5 and 7.6) shall be available and shall include:

a) Evidence that a plan has been developed through consultaon and discussion withall aected groups in the communies, and that informaon has been provided to all aectedgroups, including informaon on the steps that shall be taken to involve them in decisionmaking;

b) Evidence that the company has respected communies’ decisions to give or withhold theirconsent to the operaon at the me that this decision was taken;

c) Evidence that the legal, economic, environmental and social implicaons for permingoperaons on their land have been understood and accepted by aected communies,including the implicaons for the legal status of their land at the expiry of the company’stle, concession or lease on the land.

2.3.3 All relevant informaon shall be available in appropriate forms and languages, includingassessments of impacts, proposed benet sharing, and legal arrangements.

2.3.4 Evidence shall be available to show that communies are represented through instuons orrepresentaves of their own choosing, including legal counsel.

Use of the land for oil palm does notdiminish the legal, customary or user rights

of other users without their free, prior and

informed consent.

2.3


13/71


Specifc Guidance:

For 2.3.4: Evidence should be available from the companies, communies or other relevant stakeholders.

Guidance:

All indicators will apply to current operaons, but there are excepons for long-established plantaonswhich may not have records dang back to the me of the decision making, in parcular for compliance withIndicators 2.3.1 and 2.3.2.

Where there are legal or customary rights over land, the grower should demonstrate that these rights areunderstood and are not being threatened or reduced. This Criterion should be considered in conjunconwith Criteria 6.4, 7.5 and 7.6. Where customary rights areas are unclear these should be established throughparcipatory mapping exercises involving aected pares (including neighbouring communies and local

authories).

This Criterion allows for sales and negoated agreements to compensate other users for lost benets and/or relinquished rights. Negoated agreements should be non-coercive and entered into voluntarily, carriedout prior to new investments or operaons, and based on an open sharing of all relevant informaon. Therepresentaon of communies should be transparent and in open communicaon with other communitymembers. Adequate me should be given for customary decision making and iterave negoaons allowedfor, where requested. Negoated agreements should be binding on all pares and enforceable in the courts.Establishing certainty in land negoaons is of long-term benet for all pares.

Companies should be especially careful where they are oered lands acquired from the State by its invokingthe naonal interest (also known as ‘eminent domain’).

Growers and millers should refer to the RSPO approved FPIC guidance (‘FPIC and the RSPO: A Guide forCompanies’, October 2008)


Any commonly encountered situaons should be idened.




14/71


PRINCIPLE 3: COMMITMENT TO LONG-TERM ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL VIABILITY


There is an implemented management plan

that aims to achieve long-term economic

and nancial viability.

3.1 Indicators:3.1.1 A business or management plan (minimum three years) shall be documented that includes,

where appropriate, a business case for scheme smallholders.3.1.2 An annual replanng programme projected for a minimum of ve years (but longer where

necessary to reect the management of fragile soils, see Criterion 4.3), with yearly review,shall be available.

Specifc Guidance:For 3.1.1: The business or management plan should contain: • Aenon to quality of planng materials; • Crop projecon = Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB) yield trends; • Mill extracon rates = Oil Extracon Rate (OER) trends; • Cost of Producon = cost per tonne of Crude Palm Oil (CPO) trends; • Forecast prices; • Financial indicators.

Suggested calculaon: trends in 3-year running mean over the last decade (FFB trends may need to allowfor low yield during major replanng programmes).

Guidance:Whilst it is recognised that long-term protability is also aected by factors outside their direct control,top management should be able to demonstrate aenon to economic and nancial viability throughlong-term management planning. There should be longer term planning for plantaons on peat,parcularly in regards to subsidence and ooding issues (see Indicator 4.3.5).

Consideraon of smallholders should be inherent in all management planning where applicable (see alsoCriteria 6.10 and 6.11). For scheme smallholders the content will vary from that suggested (refer to RSPOGuidance On Scheme Smallholders, July 2009).

Growers should have a system to improve pracces in line with new informaon and techniques. Forsmallholder schemes, the scheme management should be expected to provide their members withinformaon on signicant improvements.

This Criterion is not applicable to independent smallholders (refer to RSPO Guidance for IndependentSmallholders under Group Cercaon, June 2010


15/71


PRINCIPLE 4: USE OF APPROPRIATE BEST PRACTICES BY GROWERS AND MILLERS


Operang procedures are appropriatelydocumented, consistently implemented

and monitored.

Pracces maintain soil ferlity at, or where

possible improve soil ferlity to, a level that

ensures opmal and sustained yield.

4.1

4.2

Indicators:

4.1.1 Standard Operang Procedures (SOPs) for estates and mills shall be documented.

4.1.2 A mechanism to check consistent implementaon of procedures shall be in place.

4.1.3 Records of monitoring and any acons taken shall be maintained and available, as appropriate.

4.1.4 The mill shall record the origins of all third-party sourced Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB).

Specifc Guidance:

For 4.1.1 and 4.1.4: SOP and documentaon for mills should include relevant supply chain requirements

(see RSPO Supply Chain Cercaon Standard, Nov 2011).

Guidance:

Mechanisms to check implementaons could include documentaon management systems and internalcontrol procedures.


Naonal codes of pracce or Best Management Pracces (BMPs) will be referenced.

Indicators:

4.2.1 There shall be evidence that good agriculture pracces, as contained in Standard Operang

Procedures (SOPs), are followed to manage soil ferlity to a level that ensures opmal and

sustained yield, where possible.

4.2.2 Records of ferliser inputs shall be maintained.

4.2.3 There shall be evidence of periodic ssue and soil sampling to monitor changes in nutrient status.

4.2.4 A nutrient recycling strategy shall be in place, and may include use of Empty Fruit Bunches

(EFB), Palm Oil Mill Euent (POME), and palm residues aer replanng.


16/71




Guidance:

Long-term ferlity depends on maintaining the structure, organic maer content, nutrient status and

microbiological health of the soil. Nutrient eciency should take account of the age of plantaons and soil

condions. The nutrient recycling strategy should include any use of biomass for by-products or energy

producon.


The range of appropriate techniques will be idened.

Pracces minimise and control erosion and

degradaon of soils.

4.3 Indicators:

4.3.1 Maps of any fragile soils shall be available.

4.3.2 A management strategy shall be in place for planngs on slopes above a certain limit (this

needs to be soil and climate specic).

4.3.3 A road maintenance programme shall be in place.

4.3.4 Subsidence of peat soils shall be minimised and monitored. A documented water and ground

cover management programme shall be in place.

4.3.5 Drainability assessments shall be required prior to replanng on peat to determine the long-

term viability of the necessary drainage for oil palm growing.

4.3.6 A management strategy shall be in place for other fragile and problem soils (e.g. sandy, low

organic maer, acid sulphate soils).

Specifc Guidance:

For 4.3.4: For exisng planngs on peat, the water table should be maintained at an average of 50cm

(between 40 - 60cm) below ground surface measured with groundwater piezometer readings, or an

average of 60cm (between 50 - 70cm) below ground surface as measured in water collecon drains,

through a network of appropriate water control structures e.g. weirs, sandbags, etc. in elds, and

watergates at the discharge points of main drains (Criteria 4.4 and 7.4).


17/71




For 4.3.5: Where drainability assessments have idened areas unsuitable for oil palm replanng, plansshould be in place for appropriate rehabilitaon or alternave use of such areas. If the assessment

indicates high risk of serious ooding and/or salt water intrusion within two crop cycles, growers and

planters should consider ceasing replanng and implemenng rehabilitaon.

Guidance:

Plantaons on peat should be managed at least to the standard set out in the ‘RSPO Manual on Best

Management Pracces (BMPs) for exisng oil palm culvaon on peat’, June 2012 (especially water

management, re avoidance, ferliser use, subsidence and vegetaon cover).

Techniques that minimise soil erosion are well known and should be adopted, where appropriate. These

should include pracces such as ground cover management, biomass recycling, terracing, and naturalregeneraon or restoraon instead of replanng.


Naonal Interpretaon (or an RSPO recognised parallel means) will refer to naonal guidance, and

idenfy the best management pracces and appropriate techniques for maintaining soil quality in

local condions, including guidance on soil types, and any appropriate performance thresholds such as

maximum acceptable slope gradient for planng.


18/71




Pracces maintain the quality and

availability of surface and ground water.

4.4 Indicators:4.4.1 An implemented water management plan shall be in place.4.4.2 Protecon of water courses and wetlands, including maintaining and restoring appropriate

riparian and other buer zones (refer to naonal best pracce and naonal guidelines) shall bedemonstrated.

4.4.3 Appropriate treatment of mill euent to required levels and regular monitoring of dischargequality, especially Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), shall be in compliance with naonalregulaons (Criteria 2.1 and 5.6).

4.4.4 Mill water use per tonne of Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB) (see Criterion 5.6) shall be monitored.

Specifc Guidance:

For 4.4.1: The water management plan will:

• Take account of the eciency of use and renewability of sources; • Ensure that the use and management of water by the operaon does not result in adverse

impacts on other users within the catchment area, including local communies andcustomary water users;

• Aim to ensure local communies, workers and their families have access to adequate, cleanwater for drinking, cooking, bathing and cleaning purposes;

• Avoid contaminaon of surface and ground water through run-o of soil, nutrients orchemicals, or as a result of inadequate disposal of waste including Palm Oil Mill Euent(POME).

For 4.4.2: Refer to the ‘RSPO Manual On Best Management Pracces (BMP) for management andrehabilitaon of natural vegetaon associated with oil palm culvaon on peat’ , July 2012.

Guidance:

Growers and millers should address the eects of their use of water and the eects of their acvies onlocal water resources.


Naonal Interpretaon will refer to naonal guidelines or best pracce and where appropriate includeperformance thresholds for requirements such as the size and locaon and methods of restoraon ofriparian strips or acceptable maximum run-o levels.


19/71




Pests, diseases, weeds and invasiveintroduced species are eecvely

managed using appropriate Integrated Pest

Management techniques.

Pescides are used in ways that do not

endanger health or the environment

4.5

4.6

Indicators:

4.5.1 Implementaon of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plans shall be monitored.

4.5.2 Training of those involved in IPM implementaon shall be demonstrated.

Guidance:

Growers should apply recognised IPM techniques, incorporang cultural, biological, mechanical and

physical methods to minimise the use of chemicals.

Nave species should be used in biological control where possible.


Naonal Interpretaon will provide further guidance on what pracces are most appropriate for aparcular country, and where needed, on pracces which are appropriate to smallholders.

Indicators:

4.6.1 Juscaon of all pescides used shall be demonstrated. The use of selecve products that

are specic to the target pest, weed or disease and which have minimal eect on non-target

species shall be used where available.

4.6.2 Records of pescides use (including acve ingredients used and their LD50, area treated,

amount of acve ingredients applied per ha and number of applicaons) shall be provided.

4.6.3 Any use of pescides shall be minimised as part of a plan, and in accordance with Integrated

Pest Management (IPM) plans. There shall be no prophylacc use of pescides, except inspecic situaons idened in naonal Best Pracce guidelines.

4.6.4 Pescides that are categorised as World Health Organisaon Class 1A or 1B, or that are listed

by the Stockholm or Roerdam Convenons, and paraquat, are not used, except in specic

situaons idened in naonal Best Pracce guidelines. The use of such pescides shall

be minimised and eliminated as part of a plan, and shall only be used in exceponal

circumstances.


20/71




4.6.5 Pescides shall only be handled, used or applied by persons who have completed thenecessary training and shall always be applied in accordance with the product label.

Appropriate safety and applicaon equipment shall be provided and used. All precauons

aached to the products shall be properly observed, applied, and understood by workers (see

Criterion 4.7).

4.6.6 Storage of all pescides shall be according to recognised best pracces. All pescide

containers shall be properly disposed of and not used for other purposes (see Criterion 5.3).

4.6.7 Applicaon of pescides shall be by proven methods that minimise risk and impacts.

4.6.8 Pescides shall be applied aerially only where there is documented juscaon. Communies

shall be informed of impending aerial pescide applicaons with all relevant informaon

within reasonable me prior to applicaon.

4.6.9 Maintenance of employee and associated smallholder knowledge and skills on pescidehandling shall be demonstrated, including provision of appropriate informaon materials (see

Criterion 4.8).

4.6.10 Proper disposal of waste material, according to procedures that are fully understood by

workers and managers shall be demonstrated (see Criterion 5.3).

4.6.11 Specic annual medical surveillance for pescide operators, and documented acon to treat

related health condions, shall be demonstrated.

4.6.12 No work with pescides shall be undertaken by pregnant or breast-feeding women.

Specifc Guidance:

For 4.6.1: Measures to avoid the development of resistance (such as pescide rotaons) should be

applied. The juscaon should consider less harmful alternaves and IPM.

Specic guidance for 4.6.3: Juscaon of the use of such pescides will be included in the public

summary report.


21/71




Specic guidance for 4.6.6: Recognised best pracce includes: Storage of all pescides as prescribed inthe FAO Internaonal Code of Conduct on the distribuon and use of pescides and its guidelines, and

supplemented by relevant industry guidelines in support of the Internaonal Code (see Annex 1).

Guidance:

The RSPO has idened some examples of alternaves to pescide use, which include those listed in the

‘Research project on Integrated Weed Management Strategies for Oil Palm; CABI, April 2011’.

Due to problems in the accuracy of measurement, monitoring of pescide toxicity is not applicable to

independent smallholders (refer to ‘Guidance for Independent Smallholders under Group Cercaon’,

June 2010).

For Naonal Interpretaon:Naonal Interpretaon will consider: statutory requirements concerning pescide use, lists of legally

prohibited pescides, pescide residues that should be tested for and the appropriate levels of residues,

and best management pracces for pescide use or sources of informaon on these.

Naonal Interpretaon will develop best pracce guidelines on the exceponal circumstances that would

allow the use of pescides categorised as World Health Organisaon Class 1A or 1B, or those listed by the

Stockholm or Roerdam Convenons, and paraquat as well as how they will be used in ways that do not

endanger health or the environment.

An occupaonal health and safety plan is

documented, eecvely communicated

and implemented.

4.7 Indicators:

The health and safety plan shall cover the following:

4.7.1 A health and safety policy shall be in place. A health and safety plan covering all acvies shall

be documented and implemented, and its eecveness monitored.

4.7.2 All operaons where health and safety is an issue shall be risk assessed, and procedures and

acons shall be documented and implemented to address the idened issues. All precauons

aached to products shall be properly observed and applied to the workers.

4.7.3 All workers involved in the operaon shall be adequately trained in safe working pracces

(see Criterion 4.8). Adequate and appropriate protecve equipment shall be available to all

workers at the place of work to cover all potenally hazardous operaons, such as pescide

applicaon, machine operaons, and land preparaon, harvesng and, if it is used, burning.


22/71




4.7.4 The responsible person/persons shall be idened. There shall be records of regularmeengs between the responsible person/s and workers. Concerns of all

pares about health, safety and welfare shall be discussed at these

meengs, and any issues raised shall be recorded.

4.7.5 Accident and emergency procedures shall exist and instrucons shall be clearly understood

by all workers. Accident procedures shall be available in the appropriate language of the

workforce. Assigned operaves trained in First Aid should be present in both eld and other

operaons, and rst aid equipment shall be available at worksites. Records of all accidents

shall be kept and periodically reviewed.

4.7.6 All workers shall be provided with medical care, and covered by accident insurance.

4.7.7 Occupaonal injuries shall be recorded using Lost Time Accident (LTA) metrics

Specic Guidance for 4.7.7: The Naonal Interpretaon will dene the metrics for LTA. For countries

where there are no naonal interpretaons, the growers will determine their own metrics.

Guidance:

Growers and millers should ensure that the workplace, machinery, equipment, transport and processes

under their control are safe and without undue risk to health. Growers and millers should ensure that

the chemical, physical and biological substances and agents under their control are without undue risk to

health when appropriate measures are taken. All indicators apply to all workers regardless of status.

The health and safety plan should also reect guidance in ILO Convenon 184 (see Annex 1).

For Naonal Interpretaon:Naonal Interpretaon will dene the metrics for LTA. All legal requirements together with any local

or naonal guidance on safe working pracce in agriculture will be idened and used. It will also be

important to idenfy what constutes a ‘hazardous’ operaon in the local context.


23/71




All sta, workers, smallholders and contractworkers are appropriately trained.

4.8 Indicators:

4.8.1 A formal training programme shall be in place that covers all aspects of the RSPO Principles

and Criteria, and that includes regular assessments of training needs and documentaon of

the programme.

4.8.2 Records of training for each employee shall be maintained.

Guidance:

Workers should be adequately trained on: the health and environmental risks of pescide exposure;

recognion of acute and long-term exposure symptoms including the most vulnerable groups (e.g. young

workers, pregnant women); ways to minimise exposure to workers and their families; and internaonal

and naonal instruments or regulaons that protect workers’ health.

The training programme should include producvity and best management pracce, and be appropriate

to the scale of the organisaon.

Training should be given to all sta and workers by growers and millers to enable them to full their

jobs and responsibilies in accordance with documented procedures, and in compliance with the

requirements of these Principles, Criteria, Indicators and Guidance.

Contract workers should be selected for their ability to full their jobs and responsibilies in accordance

with documented procedures, and in compliance with the requirements of the RSPO Principles, Criteria,

Indicators and Guidance.

Growers and millers should demonstrate training acvies for schemes smallholders who provide Fresh

Fruit Bunches (FFB) on a contracted basis.


24/71




Workers on smallholder plots also need adequate training and skills, and this can be achieved throughextension acvies of growers or millers that purchase fruit from them, by smallholders’ organisaons,

or through collaboraon with other instuons and organisaons (refer to ‘Guidance for Independent

Smallholders under Group Cercaon’, June 2010, and ‘Guidance on Scheme Smallholders’, July 2009)

For individual smallholder operaons, training records should not be required for their workers,

but anyone working on the farm should be adequately trained for the job they are doing (refer to

‘Guidance for Independent Smallholders under Group Cercaon’, June 2010, and ‘Guidance on Scheme

Smallholders’, July 2009)


Appropriate occupaonal training qualicaons will be idened.


25/71


Aspects of plantaon and millmanagement, including replanng, that

have environmental impacts are idened,

and plans to migate the negave impacts

and promote the posive ones are

made, implemented and monitored, to

demonstrate connual improvement.

Indicator:

5.1.1 An environmental impact assessment (EIA) shall be documented.

5.1.2 Where the idencaon of impacts requires changes in current pracces, in order to migate

negave eects, a metable for change shall be developed and implemented within a

comprehensive management plan. The management plan shall idenfy the responsible

person/persons.

5.1.3 This plan shall incorporate a monitoring protocol, adapve to operaonal changes, which shall

be implemented to monitor the eecveness of the migaon measures. The plan shall be

reviewed as a minimum every two years to reect the results of monitoring and where there are

operaonal changes that may have posive and negave environmental impacts.

Guidance:The EIA should cover the following acvies, where they are undertaken:

• Building new roads, processing mills or other infrastructure;

• Pung in drainage or irrigaon systems;

• Replanng and/or expansion of planng areas;

• Management of mill euents (Criterion 4.4);

• Clearing of remaining natural vegetaon;

• Management of pests and diseased palms by controlled burning (Criteria 5.5 and 7.7).


5.1

PRINCIPLE 5: ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY AND CONSERVATION

OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND BIODIVERSITY


26/71


Impact assessment can be a non-restricve format e.g. ISO 14001 EMS and/or EIA report incorporangelements spelt out in this Criterion and raised through stakeholder consultaon.

Environmental impacts should be idened on soil and water resources (Criteria 4.3 and 4.4), air quality,

greenhouse gases (Criterion 5.6), biodiversity and ecosystems, and people’s amenity (Criterion 6.1), both

on and o-site.

Stakeholder consultaon has a key role in idenfying environmental impacts. The inclusion of

consultaon should result in improved processes to idenfy impacts and to develop any required

migaon measures.

For smallholder schemes, the scheme management has the responsibility to undertake impact

assessment and to plan and operate in accordance with the results (refer to ‘Guidance for IndependentSmallholders under Group Cercaon’, June 2010, and ‘Guidance on Scheme Smallholders’, July 2009).


Naonal Interpretaon will consider any naonal legal requirements together with any other issues

that are not required by law but are nevertheless important, e.g. independent social and environmental

impact assessment (SEIA) for replanng may be desirable under specic situaons.





27/71


The status of rare, threatened orendangered species and other High

Conservaon Value habitats, if any, that

exist in the plantaon or that could be

aected by plantaon or mill management,

shall be idened and operaons managed

to best ensure that they are maintained

and/or enhanced.

Indicator:

5.2.1 Informaon shall be collated in a High Conservaon Value (HCV) assessment that includes both the

planted area itself and relevant wider landscape-level consideraons (such as wildlife corridors).

5.2.2 Where rare, threatened or endangered (RTE) species, or HCVs, are present or are aected by

plantaon or mill operaons, appropriate measures that are expected to maintain and/or

enhance them shall be implemented through a management plan.

5.2.3 There shall be a programme to regularly educate the workforce about the status of these RTE

species, and appropriate disciplinary measures shall be insgated in accordance with company

rules and naonal law if any individual working for the company is found to capture, harm,

collect or kill these species.

5.2.4 Where a management plan has been created there shall be ongoing monitoring:

• The status of HCV and RTE species that are aected by plantaon or mill operaons shall be documented and reported;

• Outcomes of monitoring shall be fed back into the management plan.

5.2.5 Where HCV set-asides with exisng rights of local communies have been idened, there shall

be evidence of a negoated agreement that opmally safeguards both the HCVs and

these rights.

Specifc Guidance:

For 5.2.1: This informaon will cover:

• Presence of protected areas that could be signicantly aected by the grower or miller;

• Conservaon status (e.g. IUCN status), legal protecon, populaon status and habitat requirements

of rare, threatened, or endangered (RTE) species that could be signicantly aected by thegrower or miller;

• Idencaon of HCV habitats, such as rare and threatened ecosystems, that could be signicantly

aected by the grower or miller;

For 5.2.2: These measures will include:

• Ensuring that any legal requirements relang to the protecon of the species or habitat are met;

• Avoiding damage to and deterioraon of HCV habitats such as by ensuring that HCV areas are

connected, corridors are conserved, and buer zones around HCV areas are created;

5.2





28/71



• Controlling any illegal or inappropriate hunng, shing or collecng acvies, and developingresponsible measures to resolve human-wildlife conicts (e.g. incursions by elephants).

For 5.2.5: If a negoated agreement cannot be reached, there should be evidence of sustained eorts to

achieve such an agreement. These could include third party arbitraon (see Criteria 2.3, 6.3 and 6.4).

Guidance:

This informaon gathering should include checking available biological records and consultaon with

relevant government departments, research instutes and interested NGOs if appropriate. Depending

on the biodiversity values that are present, and the level of available informaon, some addional eld

survey work may be required.

Wherever HCV benets can be realised outside of the management unit, collaboraon and cooperaon

between other growers, governments and organisaons should be considered.


Appropriate sources of informaon can include government or internaonal lists of threatened species

(‘red data lists’), naonal wildlife protecon legislaon, authories responsible for protected areas and

species, or relevant NGOs.

Note:

Operators need to consider a variety of land management and tenure opons to secure HCV

management areas in ways that also secure local peoples’ rights and livelihoods. Some areas are bestallocated to community management and secured through customary or legal tenures, in other cases co-

management opons can be considered. Where communies are asked to relinquish rights so that HCVs

can be maintained or enhanced by the companies or State agencies, then great care needs to be taken

to ensure that communies retain access to adequate land and resources to secure their basic needs; all

such relinquishment of rights must be subjected to their free, prior, and informed consent

(see Criteria 2.2 and 2.3).




29/71


Waste is reduced, recycled, re-used anddisposed of in an environmentally and

socially responsible manner.

Indicators:

5.3.1 All waste products and sources of polluon shall be idened and documented.

5.3.2 All chemicals and their containers shall be disposed of responsibly.

5.3.3 A waste management and disposal plan to avoid or reduce polluon shall be documented and

implemented.

Guidance:

The waste management and disposal plan should include measures for:

• Idenfying and monitoring sources of waste and polluon.

• Improving the eciency of resource ulisaon and recycling potenal wastes as nutrients or

converng them into value-added products (e.g. through animal feeding programmes).

• Appropriate management and disposal of hazardous chemicals and their containers. Surpluschemical containers should be reused, recycled or disposed of in an environmentally and socially

responsible way using best available pracces (e.g. returned to the vendor or cleaned using a triple

rinse method), such that there is no risk of contaminaon of water sources or risk to human

health. The disposal instrucons on the manufacturers’ labels should be adhered to.

Use of open re for waste disposal should be avoided.


Naonal Interpretaon (or an RSPO recognised parallel means) should include, as appropriate: details

of relevant naonal laws or policies, a list of waste types (hazardous, non-hazardous, domesc, etc.)

which must be considered, any types of disposal which are not acceptable (e.g. untreated waste water

may not be discharged directly into streams or rivers (see Criterion 4.4), exisng best pracce guidelineson recycling and re-use of nutrients, managing euent ponds, increasing mill extracon eciency and

appropriate disposal of wastes.

5.3




P i i l d C it i f th P d ti f S t i bl P l Oil (2013) 30


30/71


Eciency of fossil fuel use and the use ofrenewable energy is opmised.

Indicators:

5.4.1 A plan for improving eciency of the use of fossil fuels and to opmise renewable energy shall

be in place and monitored.

Guidance:

Renewable energy use per tonne of Crude Palm Oil (CPO) or palm product in the mill should be

monitored.

Direct fossil fuel use per tonne of CPO or Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB) should be monitored.

Energy eciency should be taken into account in the construcon or upgrading of all operaons.

Growers and millers should assess the direct energy use of their operaons, including fuel and electricity,

and energy eciency of their operaons. This should include esmaon of fuel use by on-site contract

workers, including all transport and machinery operaons.

The feasibility of collecng and using biogas should be studied if poss ible.

5.4




Principles and Criteria for the Prod ction of S stainable Palm Oil (2013) 31


31/71


Use of re for preparing land or replanngis avoided, except in specic situaons as

idened in the ASEAN guidelines or other

regional best pracce.

Indicators:5.5.1 There shall be no land preparaon by burning, other than in specic situaons as idened

in the ‘Guidelines for the Implementaon of the ASEAN Policy on Zero Burning’ 2003, or

comparable guidelines in other regions.

5.5.2 Where re has been used for preparing land for replanng, there shall be evidence of prior

approval of the controlled burning as specied in ‘Guidelines for the Implementaon of the

ASEAN Policy on Zero Burning’ 2003, or comparable guidelines in other regions.

Guidance:

Fire should be used only where an assessment has demonstrated that it is the most eecve and

least environmentally damaging opon for minimising the risk of severe pest and disease outbreaks,

and exceponal levels of cauon should be required for use of re on peat. This should be subject toregulatory provisions under respecve naonal environmental legislaon.

Extension/training programmes for associated smallholders may be necessary.


Naonal Interpretaon will idenfy any specic situaons where such use of re may be acceptable, for

example through reference to ‘Guidelines for the Implementaon of the ASEAN Policy on Zero Burning’

2003, or comparable guidelines in other regions.

5.5






32/71


Preamble

Plans to reduce polluon and emissions,

including greenhouse gases, are developed,

implemented and monitored.

Growers and millers commit to reporng on operaonal greenhouse gas emissions. However, it isrecognised that these signicant emissions cannot be monitored completely or measured accurately with

current knowledge and methodology. It is also recognised that it is not always feasible or praccal to

reduce or minimise these emissions.

Growers and millers commit to an implementaon period unl the end of December 2016 for promong

best pracces in reporng to the RSPO, and thereaer to public reporng. Growers and millers make this

commitment with the support of all other stakeholder groups of the RSPO.

Indicators:

5.6.1 An assessment of all pollung acvies shall be conducted, including gaseous emissions,

parculate/soot emissions and euent (see Criterion 4.4).5.6.2 Signicant pollutants and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions shall be idened, and plans to

reduce or minimise them implemented.

5.6.3 A monitoring system shall be in place, with regular reporng on progress for these signicant

pollutants and emissions from estate and mill operaons, using appropriate tools.

Specifc Guidance:

For 5.6.2: Plans will include objecves, targets and melines. These should be responsive to context and

any changes should be jused.

For 5.6.2 and 5.6.3: The treatment methodology for POME will be recorded.

For 5.6.3 (GHG): For the implementaon period unl December 31st 2016, an RSPO-endorsed modied

version of PalmGHG which only includes emissions from operaons (including land use pracces) can beused as a monitoring tool.

5.6

5.6






33/71



For 5.6.3: In addion, during the implementaon period, growers will start to assess, monitor and reportemissions arising from changes in carbon stocks within their operaons, using the land use in November

2005 as the baseline. The implementaon period for Indicator 5.6.3 is the same implementaon period

for Criterion 7.8.

During the implementaon period, reporng on GHG will be to a relevant RSPO working group

(composed of all membership categories) which will use the informaon reported to review and ne

tune the tools, emission factors and methodologies, and provide addional guidance for the process.

Public reporng is desirable, but remains voluntary unl the end of the implementaon period.

During the implementaon period the RSPO working group will seek to connually improve PalmGHG,

recognising the challenges associated with measuring GHG and carbon stock.

PalmGHG or RSPO-endorsed equivalent will be used to assess, monitor and report GHG emissions.

Pares seeking to use an alternave to PalmGHG will have to demonstrate its equivalence to the RSPO

for endorsement.

Guidance:

Where praccally feasible, operaons should follow best management pracces to measure and reduce

emissions. Advice on this is available from the RSPO.





34/71


Aspects of plantaon and mill managementthat have social impacts, including

replanng, are idened in a parcipatory

way, and plans to migate the negave

impacts and promote the posive ones

are made, implemented and monitored, to

demonstrate connual improvement.

Indicators6.1.1 A social impact assessment (SIA) including records of meengs shall be documented.

6.1.2 There shall be evidence that the assessment has been done with the parcipaon of

aected pares.

6.1.3 Plans for avoidance or migaon of negave impacts and promoon of the posive ones,

and monitoring of impacts idened, shall be developed in consultaon with the aected

pares, documented and metabled, including responsibilies for implementaon.

6.1.4 The plans shall be reviewed as a minimum once every two years and updated as necessary, in

those cases where the review has concluded that changes should be made to current pracces.

There shall be evidence that the review includes the parcipaon of aected pares.

6.1.5 Parcular aenon shall be paid to the impacts of smallholder schemes (where the plantaon

includes such a scheme).

Guidance:

Idencaon of social impacts should be carried out by the grower with the parcipaon of aected

pares, including women and migrant workers as appropriate to the situaon. The involvement of

independent experts should be sought where this is considered necessary to ensure that all impacts

(both posive and negave) are idened.

Parcipaon in this context means that aected pares are able to express their views through their

own representave instuons, or freely chosen spokespersons, during the idencaon of impacts,

reviewing ndings and plans for migaon, and monitoring the success of implemented plans.

Potenal social impacts may result from acvies such as: building new roads, processing mills or

other infrastructure; replanng with dierent crops or expansion of planng area; disposal of mill

euents; clearing of remaining natural vegetaon; changes in employee numbers or employment terms;

smallholder schemes.

6.1


PRINCIPLE 6: RESPONSIBLE CONSIDERATION OF EMPLOYEES AND OF INDIVIDUALS

AND COMMUNITIES AFFECTED BY GROWERS AND MILLERS



35/71



Plantaon and mill management may have social impacts (posive or negave) on factors such as: • Access and use rights;

• Economic livelihoods (e.g. paid employment) and working condions;

• Subsistence acvies;

• Cultural and religious values;

• Health and educaon facilies;

• Other community values, resulng from changes such as improved transport /communicaon or

arrival of substanal migrant labour force.

The review can be done (once every two years) internally or externally.

For Naonal Interpretaon:As social impacts are parcularly dependent on local social condions, Naonal Interpretaon will

idenfy the important issues, and methodologies for collecng data and using the results. This

should include adequate consideraon of the impacts on the customary or tradional rights of local

communies and indigenous people, where these exist (Criteria 2.3 and 6.4).





36/71

p ( )

There are open and transparent methodsfor communicaon and consultaon

between growers and/or millers, local

communies and other aected or

interested pares.

Indicators:6.2.1 Consultaon and communicaon procedures shall be documented.

6.2.2 A management ocial responsible for these issues shall be nominated.

6.2.3 A list of stakeholders, records of all communicaon, including conrmaon of receipt and that

eorts are made to ensure understanding by aected pares, and records of acons taken in

response to input from stakeholders, shall be maintained.

Guidance:

Decisions that the growers or mills are planning to make should be made clear, so that local communies

and other interested pares understand the purpose of the communicaon and/or consultaon.

Communicaon and consultaon mechanisms should be designed in collaboraon with local

communies and other aected or interested pares. These should consider the use of appropriateexisng local mechanisms and languages. Consideraon should be given to the existence/formaon of

a mul-stakeholder forum. Communicaons should take into account dierenal access to informaon

by women as compared to men, village leaders as compared to day labourers, new versus established

community groups, and dierent ethnic groups.

Consideraon should be given to involving third pares, such as disinterested community groups, NGOs,

or government (or a combinaon of these), to facilitate smallholder schemes and communies, and

others as appropriate, in these communicaons.


Naonal Interpretaon will consider issues such as appropriate levels of consultaon and the types of

organisaon or individuals that should be included.

6.2






37/71

There is a mutually agreed anddocumented system for dealing with

complaints and grievances, which is

implemented and accepted by all

aected pares.

Indicators:6.3.1 The system, open to all aected pares, shall resolve disputes in an eecve, mely and

appropriate manner, ensuring anonymity of complainants and whistleblowers, where requested.

6.3.2 Documentaon of both the process by which a dispute was resolved and the outcome shall

be available.

Specic Guidance:

For 6.3.1: The system should aim to reduce the risks of reprisal.

Guidance:

See also to Criterion 1.2.

Dispute resoluon mechanisms should be established through open and consensual agreements withrelevant aected pares.

Complaints should be dealt with by mechanisms such as Joint Consultave Commiees (JCC), with

gender representaon as necessary. Grievances may be internal (employees) or external.

For scheme and independent smallholders, refer to ‘Guidance for Independent Smallholders under Group

Cercaon’, June 2010, and ‘Guidance on Scheme Smallholders’ , July 2009.

Where a resoluon is not found mutually, complaints can be brought to the aenon of the RSPO

Complaints System.

Refer to helpful texts for guidance, such as the Human Rights Commission (HRC) endorsed ‘Guiding

Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implemenng the UN “Protect, Respect and Remedy”

Framework’ , 2011.

6.3






38/71

Any negoaons concerning compensaonfor loss of legal, customary or user rights

are dealt with through a documented

system that enables indigenous peoples,

local communies and other stakeholders

to express their views through their own

representave instuons.

Indicators:6.4.1 A procedure for idenfying legal, customary or user rights, and a procedure for idenfying

people entled to compensaon, shall be in place.

6.4.2 A procedure for calculang and distribung fair compensaon (monetary or otherwise) shall be

established and implemented, monitored and evaluated in a parcipatory way, and correcve

acons taken as a result of this evaluaon. This procedure shall take into account: gender

dierences in the power to claim rights, ownership and access to land; dierences of

transmigrants and long-established communies; and dierences in ethnic groups’ proof of legal

versus communal ownership of land.

6.4.3 The process and outcome of any negoated agreements and compensaon claims shall be

documented, with evidence of the parcipaon of aected pares, and made publicly available.

Specifc Guidance:

For 6.4.2: Companies should make best eorts to ensure that equal opportunies have been provided to

both female and male heads of households to hold land tles in smallholder schemes.

Guidance:

This criterion should be considered in conjuncon with Criteria 2.2 and 2.3, and the associated Guidance.

6.4






39/71

Pay and condions for employees and forcontract workers always meet at least legal

or industry minimum standards and are

sucient to provide decent living wages.

Indicators:6.5.1 Documentaon of pay and condions shall be available.

6.5.2 Labour laws, union agreements or direct contracts of employment detailing payments and

condions of employment (e.g. working hours, deducons, overme, sickness, holiday

entlement, maternity leave, reasons for dismissal, period of noce, etc.) shall be available in

the languages understood by the workers or explained carefully to them by

a management ocial.

6.5.3 Growers and millers shall provide adequate housing, water supplies, medical, educaonal

and welfare amenies to naonal standards or above, where no such public facilies are

available or accessible.

6.5.4 Growers and millers shall make demonstrable eorts to monitor and improve workers’ access

to adequate, sucient and aordable food.


Naonal Interpretaon will dene a Decent Living Wage. Where there is no Naonal Interpretaon, the

legal minimum wage will be used.

6.5






40/71

The employer respects the rights of allpersonnel to form and join trade unions

of their choice and to bargain collecvely.

Where the right to freedom of associaon

and collecve bargaining are restricted

under law, the employer facilitates parallel

means of independent and free associaon

and bargaining for all such personnel.

Indicators:6.6.1 A published statement in local languages recognising freedom of associaon shall be available.

6.6.2 Minutes of meengs with main trade unions or workers representaves shall be documented.

Guidance:

The right of employees, including migrant and transmigrant workers and contract workers, to form

associaons and bargain collecvely with their employer should be respected, in accordance with

Convenons 87 and 98 of the Internaonal Labour Organisaon (ILO).

Labour laws and union agreements, or in their absence direct contracts of employment detailing

payments and other condions, should be available in the languages understood by the workers or

explained carefully to them by a management ocial.


Naonal Interpretaon will dene migrant and transmigrant workers. ILO denions and other

internaonal protocols, instruments and explanaons should be used throughout.

6.6


Children are not employed or exploited. Indicators:

6.7.1 There shall be documentary evidence that minimum age requirements are met.

Guidance:

Growers and millers should clearly dene the minimum working age, together with working hours. Only

workers above the minimum school leaving age in the country or who are at least 15 years old may be

employed. The minimum age of workers will not be less than stated under naonal regulaons. Any

hazardous work should not be done by those under 18, as per Internaonal Labour Organisaon (ILO)

Convenon 138.

Please refer to ‘Guidance for Independent Smallholders under Group Cercaon’, June 2010, and

‘Guidance on Scheme Smallholders’, July 2009for addional guidance on family farms.

6.7





41/71

Any form of discriminaon based on race,caste, naonal origin, religion, disability,

gender, sexual orientaon, union

membership, polical aliaon, or age, is

prohibited.

Indicators:6.8.1 A publicly available equal opportunies policy including idencaon of relevant/aected groups

in the local environment shall be documented.

6.8.2 Evidence shall be provided that employees and groups including local communies, women, and

migrant workers have not been discriminated against.

6.8.3 It shall be demonstrated that recruitment selecon, hiring and promoon are based on skills,

capabilies, qualies, and medical tness necessary for the jobs available.

Guidance:

Examples of compliance can be appropriate documentaon (e.g. job adversements, job descripons,

appraisals, etc.), and/or informaon obtained via interviews with relevant stakeholders such as aected

groups which may include women, local communies, foreign workers, and migrant workers, etc.

Notwithstanding naonal legislaon and regulaon, medical condions should not be used in a

discriminatory way.

The grievance procedures detailed in Criterion 6.3 apply. Posive discriminaon to provide employment

and benets to specic communies is acceptable as part of negoated agreements.

6.8






42/71

There is no harassment or abuse in thework place, and reproducve rights are

protected.

Indicators:6.9.1 A policy to prevent sexual and all other forms of harassment and violence shall be implemented

and communicated to all levels of the workforce.

6.9.2 A policy to protect the reproducve rights of all, especially of women, shall be implemented and

communicated to all levels of the workforce.

6.9.3 A specic grievance mechanism which respects anonymity and protects complainants where

requested shall be established, implemented, and communicated to all levels of the workforce.

Specifc Guidance:

For 6.9.1 and 6.9.2: These policies should include educaon for women and awareness of the workforce.

There should be programmes provided for parcular issues faced by women, such as violence and sexual

harassment in the workplace. A gender commiee specically to address areas of concern to womenwill be used to comply with this Criterion. This commiee, which should include representaves from all

areas of work, will consider maers such as: training on women’s rights; counselling for women aected

by violence; child care facilies to be provided by the growers and millers; women to be allowed to

breaseed up to nine months before resuming chemical spraying or usage tasks; and women to be given

specic break mes to enable eecve breaseeding.

For 6.9.2: see Indicator 4.6.12.

Guidance:

There should be a clear policy developed in consultaon with employees, contract workers and other

relevant stakeholders, and the policy should be publicly available. Progress in implemenng the policy

should be regularly monitored, and the results of monitoring acvies should be recorded.

Notwithstanding naonal legislaon and regulaon, reproducve rights are respected.

6.9






43/71

Growers and millers deal fairly andtransparently with smallholders and other

local businesses.

Indicators:6.10.1 Current and past prices paid for Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB) shall be publicly available.

6.10.2 Evidence shall be available that growers/millers have explained FFB pricing, and pricing

mechanisms for FFB and inputs/services shall be documented (where these are under the control

of the mill or plantaon).

6.10.3 Evidence shall be available that all pares understand the contractual agreements they enter

into, and that contracts are fair, legal and transparent.

6.10.4 Agreed payments shall be made in a mely manner.

Guidance:

Transacons with smallholders should consider issues such as the role of middle men, transport and

storage of FFB, quality and grading. The need to recycle the nutrients in FFB (see Criterion 4.2) shouldalso be considered; where it is not praccable to recycle wastes to smallholders, compensaon for the

value of the nutrients exported can be made through the FFB price.

Smallholders should have access to the grievance procedure under Criterion 6.3 if they consider that they

are not receiving a fair price for FFB, whether or not middle men are involved.

The need for a fair and transparent pricing mechanism is parcularly important for outgrowers who are

contractually obliged to sell all FFB to a parcular mill.

If mills require smallholders to change pracces to meet the RSPO Principles and Criteria, consideraon

should be given to the costs of such changes, and the possibility of advance payments for FFB can be

considered.

6.10






44/71

Growers and millers contribute to localsustainable development where

appropriate.

Indicators:6.11.1 Contribuons to local development that are based on the results of consultaon with local

communies shall be demonstrated.

6.11.2 Where there are scheme smallholders, there shall be evidence that eorts and/or resources have

been allocated to improve smallholder producvity.

Guidance:

Contribuons to local development should be based on the results of consultaon with local

communies. See also Criterion 6.2. Such consultaon should be based on the principles of transparency,

openness and parcipaon, and should encourage communies to idenfy their own priories and

needs, including the dierent needs of men and women.

Where candidates for employment are of equal merit, preference should always be given to members of

local communies. Posive discriminaon should not be recognised as conicng with Criterion 6.8.

Eorts should be made to idenfy independent smallholders in the supply base.

Where sourcing of fruit is from idened independent smallholders, eorts should be made to

contribute to the improvement of their farming pracces.


Naonal Interpretaon will consider specic parameters or thresholds such as use of local and naonal

goods and services where possible, whether a certain percentage of the plantaon’s prot/turnover

should be used for social development projects, and minimum quotas for local employment.

6.11






45/71

No forms of forced or tracked labourare used.

Indicators:6.12.1 There shall be evidence that no forms of forced or tracked labour are used.6.12.2 Where applicable, it shall be demonstrated that no contract substuon has occurred.6.12.3 Where temporary or migrant workers are employed, a special labour policy and procedures shall be established and implemented.

Specifc Guidance:

For 6.12.1: Workers should enter into employment voluntarily and freely, without the threat of a penalty,and should have the freedom to terminate employment without penalty given reasonable noce or asper agreement.

For 6.12.3: The special labour policy should include:• Statement of the non-discriminatory pracces;• No contract substuon;• Post-arrival orientaon programme to focus especially on language, safety, labour laws, cultural

pracces etc.;• Decent living condions to be provided.

Guidance

Migrant workers should be legalised, and a separate employment agreement should be drawn up tomeet immigraon requirements for foreign workers and internaonal standards. Any deducons madeshould not jeopardise a decent living wage.

Passports should only be voluntarily surrendered.

There should be evidence of due diligence in applying this to all sub-contract workers and suppliers.Naonal guidance should be used on contract substuon.


Naonal Interpretaon will dene the following: temporary workers; migrant workers; special labourpolicy; contract substuon; and decent living wage. Internaonal Labour Organisaon (ILO) denions(ILO Convenon 29 and 105) and other internaonal protocols, instruments and explanaons should beused throughout. See Criterion 6.5 for further guidance.

6.12





46/71



47/71

A comprehensive and parcipatoryindependent social and environmental

impact assessment is undertaken prior to

establishing new planngs or operaons,

or expanding exisng ones, and the results

incorporated into planning, management

and operaons.

Indicators:7.1.1 An independent social and environmental impact assessment (SEIA), undertaken through a

parcipatory methodology including the relevant aected stakeholders, shall be documented.7.1.2 Appropriate management planning and operaonal procedures shall be developed and

implemented to avoid or migate idened potenal negave impacts.

7.1.3 Where the development includes an outgrower scheme, the impacts of the scheme and the

implicaons of the way it is managed shall be given parcular aenon.

Guidance:

See also Criteria 5.1 and 6.1.

The terms of reference should be dened and impact assessment should be carried out by accredited

independent experts, in order to ensure an objecve process. Both should not be done by the same

body. A parcipatory methodology including external stakeholder groups is essenal to the idencaonof impacts, parcularly social impacts. Stakeholders such as local communies, government departments

and NGOs should be involved through the use of interviews and meengs, and by reviewing ndings and

plans for migaon.

It is recognised that oil palm development can cause both posive and negave impacts. These

developments can lead to some indirect/secondary impacts which are not under the control of individu

Sistema de Certificacion RSPO

Documents

Transcript of Sistema de Certificacion RSPO