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RSPO certification in Latin America and Asia: contextual dynamics, convergences, and challenges

Bianca Diniz da Rocha, Brenda Diniz da Rocha, Gisele de Aguiar Lima, José Ambrósio Ferreira Neto

Resumo

Palm oil has become one of the world’s leading tropical crops, driven by high productivity and international demand for food, cosmetics and biofuels. Although originally from West Africa, its expansion has occurred mainly in Southeast Asia and Latin America. However, the environmental and social impacts of this expansion have led to the creation of voluntary certification schemes, such as the RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil), established in 2004. This study aims to comparatively analyze RSPO certification processes in Brazil, selected countries in Latin America and Southeast Asia, focusing on regional specificities, implementation challenges and compliance standards, based on RSPO audit reports. The analysis reveals striking differences: Latin American units presented more non-conformities, especially in labor rights and occupational safety, while in Asia the main problems were concentrated in environmental management and documentation. Latin America stood out for its use, mainly of the “Identity Preserved” model in traceability, greater presence of social projects and greater depth in stakeholder consultations. The inclusion of small producers is more structured in Latin America, while in Asia, barriers such as land insecurity and high certification costs persist as barriers for small producers. Despite formal compliance with RSPO criteria, the effectiveness of certification varies according to the local institutional and socioeconomic context. Finally, the study concludes that, in addition to international standards, it is essential to consider the territorial and political arrangements that shape the implementation of sustainability in the palm oil sector.


Palavras-chave

Environmental Governance; Global value chains; Market mechanisms; RSPO certification


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Referências


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18542/ncn.v29i1.19582

Direitos autorais 2026 Bianca Diniz da Rocha, Brenda Diniz da Rocha, Gisele de Aguiar Lima, José Ambrósio Ferreira Neto

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