Posted on September, 17 2021

Demand for Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) in Asia has to date been limited, inhibited by complex challenges such as low consumer awareness and a lack of clear labelling of palm oil products. While a number of tactics could help shift business behaviour, a persistent lack of transparency on the palm oil footprint of companies in the region makes it difficult to design effective strategies to increase the uptake of RSPO CSPO uptake. 

Sustainable palm oil in Asia: Where do we go from here? provides in-depth market data on palm oil consumption patterns in China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. Through this study, WWF aims to provide credible market intelligence on palm oil consumption and sustainable palm oil uptake across five key Asian markets, which together account for close to half of global palm product consumption. The report also puts forth practical, data-driven recommendations to scale up RSPO CSPO demand in the region by one million tonnes per year. 

The opportunity for Asian markets to drive meaningful, positive change in the palm oil value chain is unequivocal: Asia consumes approximately 60% of the world’s palm oil, and Indonesia, India and China are among the world’s top consuming countries. Indonesia and Malaysia account for 86% of global palm oil production, and palm oil is a primary source of income for an estimated 4.35 million people in these two countries alone. 

WWF’s study puts forth estimates covering both conventional palm oil and Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil CSPO volumes for 2019, in addition to highlighting key players and application sectors that are well-positioned to drive tangible progress in closing the certification gap in five Asian countries.