Palm oil
Level: Core
Large-scale production of palm oil can entail serious risks for both people and the environment. The requirement creates the conditions for increased production of more sustainably produced palm oil.
Details
- Type:
- Technical specification
- ID:
- 11292:1
- Group:
- Cosmetic products
- Swedish:
Criterion text
For products containing palm oil, palm kernel oil, palm oil derivatives and/or palm kernel oil derivatives, the production of this raw material shall comply with one of the following two alternatives:
1. Is produced in such a way that, at a minimum, it covers the following:
- Implemented routines that ensure that the conversion to agricultural land does not result in deforestation or damage to areas of high conservation value1. The evaluation of what is regarded as high conservation value can be undertaken in agreement with the High Conservation Value Approach2, or a similar evaluation method relevant for the geographical area.
- The planting of oil palms on peatlands is prohibited as of November 2018. This applies to both existing and new plantations.
- The use of plant protection products shall be in accordance with the principles for Integrated Pest Management (IPM3). This involves preventing plant protection problems, monitoring the risk of damage in cultivations, need-based measures, as well as following up and evaluating the effectiveness of pest control measures.
2. Is produced in compliance with Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council on organic production and labelling of organic products.
It is sufficient that the documentation of the traceability of the palm oil can be shown through a segregated supply chain (Identity Preserved or Segregated principle), or through the principle of Mass Balance.
Exceptions
Raw materials where the content of palm oil, palm kernel oil, palm oil derivatives and/or palm kernel oil derivatives is less than one percent.
1High Conservation Value
Species diversity
Concentrations of biological diversity including endemic species, and rare, threatened, or c endangered species, that are significant at global, regional, or national levels.
Landscape-level ecosystems, ecosystem mosaics and IFL
Large landscape-level ecosystems, ecosystem mosaics and Intact Forest Landscapes (IFL) that are significant at global, regional, or national levels and that contain viable populations of the great majority of the naturally occurring species in natural patterns of distribution and abundance.
Ecosystems and Habitats
Rare, threatened, or endangered ecosystems, habitats or refugia.
Ecosystem services
Basic ecosystem services in critical situations, including protection of water catchments and control of erosion of vulnerable soils and slopes.
2HCV value approach
The method is used to identify and protect areas with high conservation value (HCV). https://hcvnetwork.org
3IPM (Integrated Pest Management)
Integrated Pest Management, IPM, concerns a sustainable use of plant protection products. By combining different types of measures, weeds, fungal diseases, and pests in the cultivation can be prevented or suppressed. Everyone using plant protection products shall apply integrated pest management.
Cultivating in accordance with these principles is effective regardless of the type of cultivation. Plant protection measures in your cultivation - Jordbruksverket.se (in Swedish)
Verification
The supplier shall, upon request, be able to present any of for example the following:
- Valid license for any of for example the following labels:
Good Environmental Choice for Cosmetic products
Nordic Swan Ecolabel for Cosmetics
EU Ecolabel for cosmetic products, (EU) 2021/1870
- Certificate showing that the raw material of palm oil, palm kernel oil, palm oil derivates and/or palm kernel oil derivates is certified according to the Roundtable on Sustainable Pal Oil (RSPO). The levels Mass Balance, Segregated and Identity Preserved meet the requirement.
- Certificate showing that the raw material of palm oil, palm kernel oil, palm oil derivates and/or palm kernel oil derivates is certified EU organic.
Proposed follow-up
Labelling
If the requirement is verified with a label, check that there is a valid licence for the product in question. This can be checked here: Good Environmental Choice, Nordic Swan Ecolabel, EU Ecolabel.
Certified palm oil
Check the certificate from the supplier to ensure that any palm oil used is certified in compliance with RSPO or certified as organic in compliance with the requirements. Keep in mind that palm oil can be included in the product and listed as, for example, vegetable oil in the list of contents. Ask the supplier if palm oil is included in the vegetable oil.
If the palm oil is certified in compliance with RSPO, ensure that the certification level is in accordance with the requirement. The levels Mass Balance, Segregated and Identity Preserved comply with the requirement. An RSPO-certified company can be followed-up on RSPO's website.
Versions history
The version date indicates when the sustainability criterion was created or last updated. Last reviewed dated tells when we last checked that the sustainability criterion still is relevant.
- Current ID
- 11292:1
- Version date
- 2023-06-27
- Review date
- 2025-09-25