Self-commitment and additional criteria
Since its inception (2015), FONAP members have 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 mitigating negative impacts of palm oil management on biodiversity (establishing biodiversity corridors within plantations, connecting habitats in palm oil-dominated landscapes, or increasing agrobiodiversity within plantations) as well as actively supporting smallholder farmers (through projects, direct purchase of smallholder harvests, purchase of smallholder certificates, or through producers’ own support programs).
Until the end of 2026, the self-commitment of FONAP members consisted of three pillars:
- Conversion to certified palm oil, palm kernel oil, and fractions and derivatives
- Supplier dialogues on traceability and achievement of additional criteria
- Detailed reporting on goal achievement
Today’s engagement in FONAP is primarily dedicated to new regulatory requirements and legislation (such as EUDR/Anti-Deforestation Regulation, LkSG/Supply Chain Due Diligence Act) as well as testing solution approaches—for example through pilot projects—in countries of origin. FONAP members have various participation formats available, e.g. exchange within expert events, participation in working groups, or voluntary support of a FONAP smallholder project.
Due to new legislation, we are currently discussing the revision of our self-commitment and additional criteria in the forum.
FONAP currently recognizes the following certification systems: RSPO, ISCC PLUS.
Members such as non-governmental organizations, associations, or consulting firms that do not process palm (kernel) oil commit to always act in the interest of achieving goals as soon as possible.
Until now, a graduated self-commitment applied to supporters in FONAP. They committed to
- promote sustainable oil palm products
- support members in fulfilling their self-commitment—including the additional criteria
- verifiably and ambitiously increase the share of certified goods annually, or expand their range of certified goods accordingly
- participate in a project to implement or promote social or environmental aspects related to more ecologically and socially sustainable oil palm cultivation
Due to new legislation, we are currently discussing the revision of our self-commitment and additional criteria in the forum.
Each year, members and supporters report on their goal achievement. The results can be found in the annual progress report. Here you will find the current progress report:
Additional criteria
The certification systems currently still in place and recognized by the forum in its self-commitment define minimum requirements for more ecologically and socially sustainable palm oil production. Beyond the self-commitment, the forum has therefore advocated for the improvement of certification systems from the outset. Since the certification systems recognized 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.
Due to new legislation, we are currently discussing the revision of our additional criteria in the forum.
Additional criteria since 2022
1. Mitigating negative impacts of palm oil management on biodiversity, including ecosystems
Members are committed to mitigating negative impacts of palm oil management on biodiversity. Different means can be employed for this purpose:
- Establishing biodiversity corridors within plantations or
- Connecting habitats in palm oil-dominated landscapes or
- Increasing agrobiodiversity within plantations
2. Supporting and integrating smallholder farmers into global supply chains
Worldwide, at least 5 million smallholder farmers are active in palm oil production. FONAP is committed to integrating small-scale producers into global supply chains. By gaining access to higher-priced markets, they can increase their income and thereby improve their living conditions.
Members have several options available to fulfill this criterion:
- Active support of smallholder farmers, for example through projects
- Direct purchase of smallholder harvests by certified companies in the supply chain
- Purchase of smallholder certificates by certified companies in the supply chain
- Producers’ own support programs
3. Exercising human rights due diligence
Members commit to exercising human rights due diligence beyond certification. They develop a policy on compliance with human rights and conduct a risk analysis of their own supply chain using an appropriate approach.
This coordination process ran parallel to discussions within the framework of the LkSG (Supply Chain Due Diligence Act).
Additional criteria since 2017
1. Stopping cultivation on peatlands and other areas with high carbon content
Das FONAP fordert ein klares und vollständiges Verbot von Palmöl-Anpflanzungen auf Torfböden jeglicher Tiefe und anderen Böden mit hohem Kohlenstoffgehalt, um die enorme Freisetzung von Treibhausgas einzudämmen und den ökologischen Nutzen von Torfböden zu erhalten.
However, since this demand is not yet covered by all existing standards, FONAP members are committed to ensuring that the palm oil sourced in their supply chain does not come from new plantings on peatlands or other areas with high carbon content. For palm oil sourced from plantations already existing on peatlands, it must be ensured that renaturalization measures are undertaken or at least considered when replanting the plantations after 25 years.
2. Stopping the use of highly hazardous pesticides
Due to the risks to health and the environment associated with pesticides, FONAP advocates for banning the use of highly hazardous pesticides in palm oil production. This refers in particular to the herbicide paraquat, pesticides listed in the annexes of the Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, and those classified by the WHO as “extremely hazardous” (WHO Class 1A) or “highly hazardous” (WHO Class 1B).
3. Applying strict greenhouse gas reduction targets
Since 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 produced during palm oil production in palm oil mills. This can be captured and rendered harmless through applied technologies such as biogas plants. FONAP members already demand the continuous reduction of greenhouse gases from their palm oil-producing suppliers and conduct intensive discussions with them on this matter.
4. Exclusive use of oil palm fruits (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 fruits, so-called Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB). To counteract illegal cultivation of FFBs, FONAP has included as a criterion ensuring 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 should be ensured at the plantation level.