Conflict or Consent?
Oil palm has become one of the world’s most controversial crops. Lucrative for some, its social and environmental impacts are often severe. To avert criticism, some of the more progressive companies have promised to only finance, produce, trade and buy palm oil that is ‘sustainably’ produced. Since 2005, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has required that member companies respect communities’ legal and customary rights and only develop oil palm on their lands with their free, prior and informed consent. Are the companies keeping their promises? Have they changed the way they develop and manage lands since this new standard was adopted? This volume of 16 detailed case studies from six countries seeks to answer these questions. ( FPP, Sawit Watch and TUK Indonesia, 2013)
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