RSPO certification scheme: a governance tool for smallholders in the Indonesian palm oil industry?

Unachukwu, Victoria Tochukwu (2024) RSPO certification scheme: a governance tool for smallholders in the Indonesian palm oil industry? Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

In recent years, environmental governance has been characterized by voluntary initiatives. The RSPO, established in 2004 is an example of a market-based solution to achieve sustainable palm oil production. This thesis seeks to understand how the RSPO knowledge operates as a form of power and its implication for smallholders in Indonesia. The thesis argues that the RSPO knowledge power is implemented through certification. This certification scheme valorizes the administrative and technical model of palm oil production thereby often excluding smallholders who possess alternative skills. Susan Strange structural power theory is adopted as the heuristic tool for understanding the RSPO knowledge-power dynamic. The thesis also employed a qualitative research methodology. The thesis reveals that the RSPO certification knowledge brings about complexities for smallholders, in turn, limiting their access to the global market. This arises from legal requirements, organizational demands for group certification, reliance on external stakeholders, and the cost implications associated with RSPO certification knowledge. The thesis recommends that the RSPO knowledge framework should recognize and integrate traditional practices that align with the diverse backgrounds of smallholders to foster equity and inclusion in the palm oil industry.

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