Self-commitment and additional criteria
FONAP members have, since the beginning (2015), made a public self-commitment: they use exclusively certified palm oil, palm kernel oil and their derivatives and fractions in their products.
In addition, they pursue ambitious additional criteria, such as reducing the negative impacts of palm oil cultivation on biodiversity (establishment of biodiversity corridors also within plantations, or connecting habitats in the palm-oil-dominated landscape, or increasing agrobiodiversity within plantations) as well as the active promotion of smallholders (through projects, the direct purchase of smallholder harvest volumes, the purchase of smallholder certificates, or through the producers’ own support programmes).
Until the end of 2026, the self-commitment of FONAP members consisted of three pillars:
- Conversion to certified palm oil, palm kernel oil as well as fractions and derivatives
- Supplier dialogues on the topics of traceability and achievement of the additional criteria
- Detailed reporting on target achievement
Engagement in FONAP today is devoted primarily to the new regulatory requirements and legislation (such as the EUDR/EU Deforestation Regulation and the LkSG/German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act) as well as the testing of solution approaches – for example through pilot projects – in the countries of origin. Various formats of participation are open to FONAP members, e.g. exchange in the context of specialist events, involvement in working groups, or voluntary support for a FONAP smallholder project.
In the Forum we are currently discussing, due to the new legislation, the revision of our self-commitment and additional criteria.
FONAP currently recognises the following certification systems: RSPO, ISCC PLUS.
Members such as non-governmental organisations, associations or consultancies that do not process palm (kernel) oil undertake always to act in the interest of achieving the goals as soon as possible.
For supporters in FONAP, a graduated self-commitment applied until now. They committed
- to promote sustainable oil palm products
- to support members in fulfilling the self-commitment – including the additional criteria
- to increase the share of certified goods each year in a verifiable and ambitious manner, or to expand their offer of certified goods accordingly
- to participate in a project for the implementation or promotion of social or environmental aspects in relation to more environmentally and socially responsible oil palm cultivation
In the Forum we are currently discussing, due to the new legislation, the revision of our self-commitment and additional criteria.
Each year, members and supporters report on their target achievement. The results can be found in the annual progress report. Here you will find the current progress report:
Additional criteria
The certification systems that currently still exist and are recognised by the Forum in its self-commitment define minimum requirements for more environmentally and socially responsible palm oil production. Beyond the self-commitment, the Forum has therefore from the outset advocated the improvement of certification systems. Because the certification systems recognised by FONAP had not yet taken all demands for improvement into account, its members voluntarily imposed additional criteria on themselves in 2017, which were updated again in 2022.
In the Forum we are currently discussing, due to the new legislation, the revision of our additional criteria.
Additional criteria since 2022
1. Reducing negative impacts of palm oil cultivation on biodiversity, including ecosystems
Members work to mitigate the negative impacts of palm oil cultivation on biodiversity. Various means may be used for this purpose:
- Establishment of biodiversity corridors also within plantations, or
- Connecting habitats in the palm-oil-dominated landscape, or
- Increasing agrobiodiversity within plantations
2. Support and integration of smallholders into global supply chains
Worldwide, at least 5 million smallholders are engaged in palm oil production. FONAP works to integrate smallholders into global supply chains. Through access to higher-priced markets, they can increase their income and thereby improve their living conditions.
Members have several options for meeting this criterion:
- Active promotion of smallholders, for example through projects
- Direct purchase of smallholder harvest volumes by certified companies in the supply chain
- Purchase of smallholder certificates by certified companies in the supply chain
- Producers’ own support programmes
3. Fulfil human rights due diligence
Members commit to fulfilling human rights due diligence beyond certification. They develop a policy on respect for human rights and, using an appropriate approach, carry out a risk analysis of their own supply chain.
This coordination process ran in parallel with the discussions in the context of the LkSG (German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act).
Additional criteria since 2017
1. Stop to cultivation on peat soils and other areas with high carbon stock
FONAP calls for a clear and complete ban on oil palm plantings on peat soils of any depth and other soils with high carbon stock, in order to curb the enormous release of greenhouse gas and to preserve the ecological benefits of peat soils.
However, because this demand is not yet covered by all existing standards, FONAP members work to ensure that the palm oil sourced in their supply chain does not come from new plantings on peat soils or other areas with high carbon stock. For palm oil sourced from plantations that already exist on peat soils, it must be ensured that, in the course of replanting the plantations after 25 years, restoration measures are carried out or at least considered.
2. Stop to the use of highly hazardous pesticides
Due to the risks to health and the environment associated with pesticides, FONAP advocates a ban on the use of highly hazardous pesticides in palm oil production. This relates in particular to the herbicide paraquat, the pesticides listed in the annexes to the Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, and those classified by the WHO as “extremely hazardous” (WHO Class 1A) or “highly hazardous” (WHO Class 1B).
3. Application of strict greenhouse gas reduction targets
Because the reduction of greenhouse gases has not yet been established as a goal of all certification systems, the palm-oil-using market plays an important role in demanding emission reductions. In addition, large quantities of the climate-damaging greenhouse gas methane are generated during palm oil production in palm oil mills. This can be captured and rendered harmless using applied technologies such as biogas plants. FONAP members already demand the ongoing reduction of greenhouse gases from their palm-oil-producing suppliers and hold intensive discussions with them on this.
4. Exclusive use of oil palm fruit (Fresh Fruit Bunches) from legal cultivation
Most mills that still produce according to mass balance have so far sourced both certified and conventionally produced oil palm fruit, so-called Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB). To counteract the illegal cultivation of FFBs, FONAP has included as a criterion the requirement that certified palm oil mills also source non-certified Fresh Fruit Bunches exclusively from legal cultivation. With the help of a control or verification mechanism, the legality of the goods is to be ensured already at plantation level.