How we're connected

How We're Connected: Forests, Palm Oil, and You

How We're Connected: Forests, Palm Oil, and You

As detailed in Part One, growth of large-scale oil palm plantations starting in the 1990’s showed immediate and obvious negative effects. Outcry from NGOs, environmental groups, and consumers over deforestation and human rights abuses led to the formation of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). Starting in 2008, the RSPO developed a set of criteria which producers could voluntarily apply in order to gain an RSPO sustainable palm oil certification.