For the first time ever, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and its members can assess risks related to deforestation in concession areas of their choice in Kalimantan, Indonesia using a public, free, easy-to-use online application.

Indonesia is the world's biggest palm oil exporter, supplying more than 20 million tons of palm oil every year, bringing in about US$20 billion in annual revenues. However, the rapid expansion of oil palm plantations has led to deforestation as producers clear forests. Many large buyers and governments are concerned about these negative environmental consequences and have pledged to reduce deforestation in their supply chains. Standards for certified sustainable palm oil, such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), seek to address these concerns by including provisions regarding the clearing of primary forest and high conservation value areas. Companies wishing to meet the requirements for these standards must be able to demonstrate that production has not been linked to deforestation.

 

In response for this demand, WRI has developed two tools, the Forest Cover Analyzer and the Suitability Mapper, to support industry and government leaders in Indonesia who are working to break the link between palm-oil production and deforestation

 

The Forest Cover Analyzer allows users to easily assess forest cover change and risks related to sustainable palm oil production. Developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) in partnership with Rainforest Alliance, SarVision, University of Maryland, Sekala, and Puter Foundation, designed with Blue Raster and powered by ESRI, the Forest Cover Analyzer allows users to answer questions about an area of their choice in Kalimantan, Indonesia, such as: Where and when has forest cover change occurred in the past? What is the current extent of forest and peat land? How is the area legally classified according to the Ministry of Forestry? The answers to these basic questions can be used to assess risks for producers, buyers, or investors of sustainable palm oil. For example, areas with high forest cover change since 2005 or large extents of forest and peat land would pose high risks to a developer hoping to fulfill the RSPO’s certification requirements.

 

 

WRI has been working in partnership with the RSPO and launched the Forest Cover Analyzer and Suitability Mapper during the RSPO’s RT10 Conference on October 30th, 2012 in Singapore. “Development of technology and tools such as WRI’s Suitability Mapper and the Forest Cover Analyzer enables RSPO members to practice sustainable oil palm production in a more credible way by identifying the land areas with the least impact to the environment,” said Darrel Webber, Secretary General of the RSPO. Following the launch, the RSPO made a link to the web applications available on their homepage and WRI has trained certification body auditors on using the web applications as part of the RSPO certification process.

 

Widespread adoption of the Forest Cover Analyzer—including by RSPO auditors, buyers, and investors—can strengthen efforts to demonstrate achievement of reduced or avoided deforestation goals and to develop financial incentives for sustainable palm oil production across Indonesia. WRI also plans to broaden the geographic scale of the application to expand its uses and impact. In 2012, RSPO has certified over 7 million mt of certified sustainable palm oil grown in more than 1.6 million hectares and represents 14% of the global market. By being adopted by the RSPO, the Forest Cover Analyzer has the potential to directly impact all stakeholders in the RSPO certification process.

 

Visit http://www.wri.org/applications/maps/forest-cover-analyzer to access the Forest Cover Analyzer and find out more.