Taking advantage of any worker of their vulnerabilities for the purposes of exploitation or gain. Abuse of a position of vulnerability refers to any situation in which the worker involved believes he or she has no real and acceptable alternative except to submit to the abuse.

Chemical substances that provide the pesticidal actions.

To modify or adjust the previously developed management & monitoring plan in response to changing conditions, outcomes, or new information, ensuring the continuous protection and enhancement of key elements (such as HCVs and HCS forests). This process includes streamlining documentation and findings from other processes, such as accident logs and grievance mechanisms.

Application of pesticides from an aircraft (plane or helicopter)

All communities that are likely to be affected directly and significantly by the proposed development, i.e., those with land holdings and usage rights within the affected area who must be included in the assessment and FPIC process. Other communities that are likely to be affected only indirectly, e.g., by possible longer-term changes to the ecosystem services provisions due to the water usage of the operation, also need to be taken into account.

An arrangement or decision by two or more parties to do or not to do something. This can be formal or informal, and depending on the common intention of the parties may be enforceable by law.

Allocation of smallholder plot(s) as conservation or restoration areas with the main objective to improve and maintain peatland ecosystem integrity.

Annual systematic repetition of conformity assessment activities as a basis for maintaining the validity of RSPO certification.

Developments including establishing mills, kernel crushers, nurseries, housing/camps and offices, roads/tracks, drainage, effluent treatment plants, fruit collection centres, terracing, earthworks, scheme smallholdings/outgrower plots, and any other development relevant to the operations of a new oil palm development, whether carried out by the grower or any other party.

Biochemical Oxygen Demand is the amount of dissolved oxygen (DO) needed (i.e., demanded) by aerobic biological organisms to break down organic material present in a given water sample at a certain temperature over a specific time period.

Refers to the use of natural or modified organisms, genes, or gene products to reduce the effects of undesirable organisms and to favour desirable organisms such as crops, beneficial insects, and microorganisms

The offering, promising, giving, accepting, or soliciting of an advantage as an inducement for an action which is illegal, unethical, or a breach of trust. Inducements can take the form of money, gifts, loans, fees, rewards, or other advantages (taxes, services, donations, favours etc.).

Child labour is work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential, and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development. The term applies to:

• All children under 18 involved in the “worst forms of child labour”, per the IILO Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182);
• All children aged under 12 taking part in economic activity;
• All 12 to 14-year-olds engaged in more than light work.

The ILO defines 'light work' as work that is not likely to be harmful to children’s health or development and not likely to be detrimental to their attendance at school or vocational training.

Those under 18 years old should not engage in hazardous work that might jeopardise their physical, mental, or moral well-being, either because of its nature or the conditions under which it is carried out.

For young workers above the legal minimum age but below 18, there should be restrictions on hours of work and overtime; working at dangerous heights; with dangerous machinery, equipment and tools; transport of heavy loads; exposure to hazardous substances or processes; and difficult conditions such as night work at night."

Child labour remediation refers to the process of removing a child from a child labour situation to ensure safe and adequate alternatives for them, such as reintegrating them into the education system or, if they are above the minimum age for work, creating an opportunity for them to work in a non-hazardous job.

The term child applies to all persons under the age of 18.

Communities refer to indigenous peoples, tribal peoples, local communities (including women, children, and people with disabilities), displaced persons, migrants, and other land users.

Examples of commercially confidential information include financial data such as costs and income, and details relating to customers and/or suppliers. Data that affects personal privacy should also be confidential.

Ongoing disputes (within or outside of a legal mechanism) can be considered as confidential information where disclosure could result in potential negative outcomes for all parties involved. However, affected stakeholders and those seeking resolution to conflict should have access to relevant information.

Examples of information where disclosure could result in potential negative environmental or social outcomes include information on sites of rare species where disclosure could increase the risk of hunting or capture for trade, or sacred sites which a community wishes to maintain as private.

A Conflict resolution process is any process that can either prevent, diffuse, or address conflict effectively, whether such conflict occurs between the Unit of Certification and Communities, or between Affected Communities themselves.

An agreement between two or more parties that, by its terms, is legally binding and enforceable in a court of law.

The practice of substituting or changing the terms of employment to which the worker originally agreed, either in writing or verbally, which results in worse conditions or less benefits. Changes to the employment agreement or contract are prohibited unless these changes are made to meet local law and provide equal or better terms.

A person, firm, organisation, or company that undertakes a contract with the Unit of Certification to provide materials or services (including labour)

Family or smallholder household members who do not receive a wage/salary or profit in return for the work performed on the smallholder plot. They may benefit in-kind or receive irregular payments in cash as a result of the outputs of their work.

Please refer to other related definitions:
'smallholder household' and 'family members'.

The primary area or activity that a company was founded to do or focuses on in its business operations. Core work pertains to work that is essential and desirable to the growth of the company.

All agricultural and milling activities are considered core work, e.g. planting, harvesting, fertilising, maintenance, FFB sorting and grading, machine-technical maintenance; and machine operation.

Debt bondage is work exchanged for a debt. It is also known as bonded labour or debt slavery, which occurs when individuals are compelled to work in exchange for repayment of a debt. Workers are often coerced into labour under the pretext of settling their own debts or those of family members.

Deception pertains to the act of providing false representations and failing to fulfill promises made to workers, whether communicated verbally or in writing. Deceptive recruitment practices can include false promises regarding working conditions and wages, but also regarding the type of work, housing and living conditions, acquisition of regular migration status, job location, or the identity of the employer.

The conversion of forests - including primary, regenerated (second-growth), and managed natural forests, as well as areas identified through High Conservation Value (HCV) and High Carbon Stock (HCS) assessments required by the RSPO - into non-forest land use. This process involves the removal of trees and the alteration of ecosystems, resulting in the loss of species composition, ecological structure, and function.
Forests at risk of deforestation include:

• Primary forests, which have developed naturally without significant human intervention.
• Regenerated forests, which have recovered from past impacts but now function similarly to natural ecosystems.
• Managed natural forests, where human activities like timber harvesting or low-intensity agriculture occur without severely impacting the forest’s ecological integrity.
• Partially degraded forests, where degradation has not resulted in a complete transformation of land use or a sustained reduction in ecological function.

HCV and HCS assessments help identify these forests as critical for biodiversity, ecosystem services, and carbon storage. Deforestation of such areas compromises both environmental sustainability and efforts to combat climate change, emphasising the need for strong safeguards and responsible land management practices.

Development refers to alteration of landscape in any number of ways: from natural or semi-natural state of the land, to land for the purposes of palm oil production. This includes the carrying out of building (construction, installation or expansion of a building or other structure), engineering, creation of impervious surfaces; or other operations in, on, over. or under land; or making of any material change in the use of any building or other land.

Any distinction, exclusion, or preference made on the basis of race, colour, sex, religion, political opinion, national extraction, or social origin, which has the effect of nullifying or impairing equality of opportunity or treatment in employment or occupation; Such other distinction, exclusion, or preference which has the effect of nullifying or impairing equality of opportunity or treatment in employment or occupation as may be determined after consultation with representative employers' and workers' organisations, where such exist, and with other appropriate bodies.

A methodology for determining how the projected future subsidence would affect the relative level of the fields and the respective drainage outlet from the plantation and the ability of water to drain by gravity in the future. In implementing the DAP, the Unit of Certification shall:

• Describe the characteristics of the plantation and the proposed replanting area;
• Determine drainage zone(s) and identify the final water outlets;
• Determine the average ground elevation and calculate elevation of peatland replanting area;
• Determine the annual water level at the final water outlets;
• Measure the peat thickness and calculate average peat thickness of peatland replanting area;
• Calculate average Natural Drainage Limit (NDL) of each peatland replanting area;
• Calculate the depth to NDL of each peatland replanting area;
• Use the default subsidence rate or calculate the average subsidence rate of each peatland replanting area;
• Project the future drainability of peatland replanting area.

A risk management process implemented by a company to identify, prevent, mitigate, and account for how it addresses environmental and social risks and impacts in its operations, supply chains, and investments.

The act of participating, becoming involved, entering into, or maintaining an agreement or contract.

Hiring workers lawfully and in a fair and transparent manner that respects and protects their rights

Land planted with oil palm and associated development owned and/or directly managed by an RSPO member prior to its RSPO membership. This includes newly acquired oil palm plantations by an RSPO member.

The act by authorities (governments and/or any other institution exercising governmental functions) to acquire private property or divesting interest in land without obtaining agreement and consent, and which may or may not be with the payment of compensation.

Any individual, contiguous replanted area on steep terrain (>25 degrees) greater than 25 hectares within the replanting area.

A farm operated and mostly owned by a family, for the growing of oil palm, sometimes along with subsistence production of other crops, and where the family provides the majority of the labour used. Such farms provide the principal source of income, and the planted area of oil palm is below 50 hectares in size.

Family members refer specifically to individuals within the nuclear family structure. This includes parents, siblings, and children who are directly related by blood, marriage, or adopted. Excluded from this definition are extended family members such as aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins. The focus is on the immediate family unit, emphasising the core relationships that typically reside within the same household.

Please refer to other related definitions:
'smallholder household' and 'contributing family members'.

All work or service which is exacted from any person under the menace of any penalty, and for which said person has not offered him or herself voluntarily.

Natural ecosystem characterised by a significant tree cover, with species composition, structure, and ecological functions that support biodiversity, carbon storage, and other ecosystem services as identified through High Conservation Value (HCV) and High Carbon Stock (HCS) assessments required by the RSPO.
This includes:

1. Primary forests, untouched by significant human activities and developed through natural processes.
2. Regenerated forests, which have recovered after past disturbances and now resemble natural ecosystems in terms of structure and function.
3. Managed natural forests, where human activities like timber extraction or small-scale agriculture occur, but the forest retains its overall ecological integrity.
4. Partially degraded forests, which have been impacted by natural or anthropogenic factors but still maintain enough tree cover and ecological functions to be classified as forests.

A soil that is susceptible to degradation (i.e., reduction in fertility) when disturbed. A soil is particularly fragile if the degradation rapidly leads to an unacceptably low level of fertility or if it is irreversible using economically feasible management inputs.

Please also refer to other related definitions:
'marginal soil'.

To understand and give consideration to socio-cultural norms and discriminations in order to acknowledge the different rights, roles, and responsibilities of women, and men, in the community and the relationships between them. Policies and programmes that take into account the particularities pertaining to the lives of both women, and men, while aiming to eliminate inequalities or imbalance between women, and men, and promote gender equality, including an equal distribution of resources.

Geographical location of a plot of land described by means of latitude and longitude coordinates corresponding to at least one latitude and one longitude point, and using at least six decimal digits; for plots of land of more than four hectares used for the production of the relevant commodities other than cattle, this shall be provided using polygons with sufficient latitude and longitude points to describe the perimeter of each plot of land.

The principle of good faith implies that the parties make every effort to reach an agreement, conduct genuine and constructive negotiations, avoid unjustified delays in negotiations, respect agreements concluded, and give sufficient time to discuss and settle collective disputes. In the case of multinational enterprises, such companies should not threaten to transfer the whole or part of an operating unit from the country concerned in order to unfairly influence negotiations.

Gaseous constituents of the atmosphere, both natural and anthropogenic, that absorb and emit radiation at specific wavelengths within the spectrum of infrared radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface, the atmosphere, and clouds.

A person, a group of people or an organisation responsible for running the internal control system and managing the independent smallholdr group. This can be a mill, an organisation, or an individual.

Growers are beneficial owners, land owners, or businesses with more than 500 hectares (accumulative) of cultivated and harvested oil palms. Please also refer to other related definitions: 'medium grower', 'smallholder'.

Hazardous waste is a waste with properties that make it dangerous or capable of having a harmful effect on human health or the environment.

Hazardous work for children is defined as “any work which is likely to jeopardise children’s physical, mental or moral health, safety or morals” and which “should not be done by anyone under the age of 18.” (https://www.ilo.org/ipec/facts/ ILOconventionsonchildlabour/lang --en/index.htm). This includes:

• work which exposes children to physical, psychological or sexual abuse;
• work underground, under water, at dangerous heights or in confined spaces;
• work with dangerous machinery, equipment and tools, or which involves the manual handling or transport of heavy loads;
• work in an unhealthy environment which may, for example, expose children to hazardous substances, agents or processes, or to temperatures, noise levels, or vibrations damaging to their health;
• work under particularly difficult conditions such as work for long hours or during the night or work where the child is unreasonably confined to the premises of the employer.

A Health and Safety Committee is a representative group composed of both management and worker representatives, tasked with the development of safety and health rules, and safe systems of work. It is responsible for identifying hazards, assessing risks, developing and implementing measures to prevent accidents and injuries, and ensuring compliance with relevant health and safety regulations and standards. It reviews the effectiveness of safety and health programmes, conducts investigations on trends of accidents that occur at the place of work, reviews the health and safety policies, and makes recommendations.

High Carbon Stock forests are defined as forests with above and below ground carbon stores, where the sequestered carbon losses as a result of land use change are greater than the potential gains in carbon stock within the new development area (including set aside and non-planted areas) over the period of one planting cycle.

The areas necessary to maintain or enhance one or more High Conservation Values (HCVs):

• HCV 1 – Species diversity. Concentrations of biological diversity including endemic species, and rare, threatened or endangered (RTE) species, that are significant at global, regional, or national levels.
• HCV 2 – Landscape-level ecosystems, ecosystem mosaics, and Intact Forest Landscapes (IFL). Large landscape-level ecosystems, ecosystem mosaics, and 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.
• HCV 3 – Ecosystems and habitats. RTE ecosystems, habitats, or refugia.
• HCV 4 – Ecosystem services. Basic ecosystem services in critical situations, including protection of water catchments and control of erosion of vulnerable soils and slopes.
• HCV 5 – Community needs. Sites and resources fundamental for satisfying the basic necessities of local communities or indigenous peoples (for livelihoods, health, nutrition, water, etc.), identified through engagement with these communities or indigenous peoples.
• HCV 6 – Cultural values. Sites, resources, habitats, and landscapes of global or national cultural, archaeological, or historical significance, and/or of critical cultural, ecological, economic, or religious/sacred importance for the traditional cultures of local communities or indigenous peoples, identified through engagement with these local communities or indigenous peoples.

Countries assessed as having >60% forest cover (based on recent, trusted REDD+ and/or national data); <1% oil palm cover; a deforestation trajectory that is historically low but is increasing or constant; and a known frontier area for oil palm or where major areas have been allocated for development.

Landscapes having >80% forest cover. Landscape defined as the size of a landscape may be determined by

1. Identifying the watershed or the geographical land unit containing a cluster of interacting ecosystems;
2. Selecting a unit size that encompasses the plantation concession and a buffer of the surrounding area (e.g. 50,000 ha or 100,000 ha);
3. Using a radius of 5 km from the area of interest (for instance, the planned concession).

Pesticides that are acknowledged to present particularly high levels of acute or chronic hazards to health or the environment according to internationally accepted classification systems such as the World Health Organization (WHO), or the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), or their listing in relevant binding international agreements or conventions. In addition, pesticides that appear to cause severe or irreversible harm to health or the environment under conditions of use in a country may be considered to be, and treated as, highly hazardous.

People who, individually or with others, act to promote and protect human rights in a peaceful way.

Human rights due diligence is a way for businesses to proactively manage potential and actual adverse human rights impacts with which they are involved. It involves requiring businesses to identify, prevent, mitigate, and account for how they address actual and potential impacts on human rights.

A mill is deemed to be Identity Preserved (IP) if the FFB processed by the mill is only sourced from plantations/estates that are certified against the RSPO Principles and Criteria, or against the RSPO Group Certification scheme. Certification for mills is necessary to verify the volumes and sources of certified FFB entering the mill, the implementation of any processing controls (e.g., if physical separation is used), and volume sales of RSPO certified palm oil and oil palm products. If a mill processes certified and uncertified FFB without physically separating them, then only the Mass Balance supply chain module is applicable.

An oil palm grower who has the following characteristics: - Enforceable decision-making power on the operation of the land and production practices; - Ability and freedom to choose how the land and type of planted crops is organised, managed, and financed; - Meet any further criteria or definition relative to the applicability of the RSPO P&C and ISH standards, provided in the relevant National Interpretation for a specific country; - The total size of their oil palm production area is smaller than or equal to 50 hectares (ha) if no threshold is defined in a National Interpretation; OR smaller than or equal to the maximum size defined in a National Interpretation (e.g., for Indonesia this implies the threshold size is 20 ha or below; for Ecuador 75 ha or below); and - Not a scheme smallholder Please refer to other related definitions: 'smallholder' and 'scheme smallholder'.

Indigenous peoples refer to those who: - Self-identify as indigenous peoples at the individual level and accepted by the community as their member - Have historical continuity with pre-colonial and/or pre-settler societies that developed on their territories - Strong link to territories and surrounding natural resources - Consider themselves as having distinct social, economic or political systems from other sector of the societies in the area where they live - Distinct language, culture, and beliefs - Form non-dominant groups of society - Resolve to maintain, develop, and reproduce their ancestral environments and systems to future generations as distinctive peoples and communities. When considering the factors above, no single one shall be determinative. Indigenous peoples are defined as such regardless of the local, national, and regional terms that may be applied to them, such as ‘tribal people,’ ‘first peoples,’ ‘secluded tribes,’ ‘hill people,’ or others.

The beginning stage of the certification cycle where the decision of certification and issuance of certificate is done.

A careful consideration of all available plant protection methods and subsequent integration of appropriate measures that discourage the development of populations of harmful organisms and keep the use of plant protection products and other forms of intervention to levels that are economically and ecologically justified, and reduce or minimise risks to human health and the environment. 'Integrated pest management' emphasises the growth of a healthy crop with the least possible disruption to agro-ecosystems and encourages natural pest control mechanisms.

A set of rules, policies, and procedures which an organisation implements to provide direction, increase efficiency, and strengthen adherence to policies to manage a group.

A predefined science-based procedure which is either published by an international scientific network or union, or referenced frequently in the international scientific literature.

Refers to a range of unacceptable behaviour that results in physical, psychological, sexual, or economic harm. Examples include:

Communities

1. Any threats of dispossession of land, forced removal, or relocation
2. Any threat to deny access to resources on land e.g. water, agriculture, sacred grounds etc.
3. Any threats against community members during receipt of grievances
4. Any threats and abuse of power by military, paramilitaries, or security personnel (contracted by the Unit of Certification) against community members (includes sexual favours)
5. Any threats and coercion against community members in signing agreements related to relinquishing of land rights or resources
6. Persistent verbal abuse

Workers

1. Loss of income and/or restricted access to the workplace, housing, and/or land
2. Threats of dismissal from employment or against workers who wish to resign
3. Threats against workers during receipt of grievances regarding working and living conditions via internal (labour dispute mechanisms) and/or external (eg. embassy, NGO, etc.) grievance channels Threats to terminate employment of family members
4. Withdrawal of rights such as the rights to leave the workplace Verbal abuse
5. It may also include undermining of workers, i.e., psychological coercion, designed to increase the sense of vulnerability.

Human Rights Defenders

1. Loss of income due to/resulting in organisational restrictions
2. Any threats of dismissal from employment, restrictions on travel, and restrictions to the environment in which the HRDs operate
3. Any deliberate obstruction to holding of meetings between HRDs
4. Any hostility within the community the HRDs lives as claims may be seen to jeopardise the community’s honour and culture (this may especially be the case with women HRDs).
5. Any character assassination of HRDs in the form of discrediting or defamation campaigns
6. Any arbitrary use of security forces surveillance
7. Any SLAPP suits (Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation) due to his or her work and/or in the course of his/her activities,
8. Any threats of physical violence and death threats. Special attention is needed to avoid gender-specific violence such as rape or threats of sexual violence used to silence women.

Includes all labour recruiters (both public and private employment services/agencies) and all other intermediaries or sub-agents that offer labour recruitment and placement services. This includes labour recruiters in countries of origin that assist, or are sub-contracted to, the labour recruiter that is directly engaged by the Unit of Certification, and any recruiters engaged by the sub-contractor.

The term ‘legal due diligence’ is commonly defined as an investigation, review performed, and/or research conducted on a company or business asset or a business, to confirm the facts of a matter under consideration before entering into an agreement with the another party. Once the facts are collected and analysed, an informed decision can be made.

Official license and/or permission from the relevant government authorities for an entity to operate as an enterprise, with rights to buy and sell products and/or services commercially. The licence or permissions can apply to an individual, a privately-owned enterprise. or a publicly-owned corporate entity.

A person’s or a group’s way of making a living, from their environment or in the economy, including how they provision their basic needs, and assure themselves and following generations secure access to food, clean water, health, education, housing, and the materials needed for their life and comfort either through their own direct use of natural resources or through exchange, barter, trade,or engagement in the market.

A livelihood includes not just access to resources but the knowledge and institutions that make this possible such as time for community participation and integration, personal, local, or traditional ecological knowledge, skills, endowments, and practices, the assets that are intrinsic to that way of making a living (e.g. farms, fields, pastures, crops, stock, natural resources, tools, machinery, and intangible cultural properties) and their position in the legal, political, and social fabric of society.

The risk of livelihood failure determines the level of vulnerability of a person or a group to income, food, health, and nutritional insecurity. Therefore, livelihoods are secure when they have secure ownership of, or access to, resources and income earning activities, including reserves and assets, to offset risks, ease shocks, and meet contingencies.

The remuneration received for a standard workweek by a worker in a particular place sufficient to afford a decent standard of living for the worker and her or his family. Elements of a decent standard of living include food, water, housing, education, health care, transportation, clothing, and other essential needs including provision for unexpected events.

Refer to a community in a particular place where local people share common concern around local facilities, services and environment, and which may at times depart from traditional or state definitions. Generally, local communities attach particular meaning to land and natural resources as sources of culture, customs, history, and identity, and depend on them to sustain their livelihoods, social organisation, culture and traditions, beliefs, environment, and ecology.

The land containing oil palm and associated land uses such as infrastructure (e.g., roads, buildings), riparian zones, and set-aside conservation areas.

Management documents are documented information and evidence to interact with the RSPO P&C standard. It shall be in the form of manual, working procedures, reports, and records that subject to be audited and reviewed periodically.

Management Reviews are an opportunity to evaluate the systems and controls that are in place, to review feedback, make improvements and track corrective action, to assure that changes are monitored, reported and evaluated, and to determine the overall effectiveness of the quality programme (QMS).

"A soil that is unlikely to produce acceptable economic returns for the proposed crop at reasonable projections of crop value and costs of amelioration. Degraded soils are not marginal soils if their amelioration, and resulting productivity, is cost effective. Please also refer to other related definitions: 'fragile soil'."

A mill is deemed to be Mass Balance (MB) if the mill processes FFB from both RSPO certified and uncertified plantations/estates. A mill may take delivery of FFB from uncertified growers, in addition to those from its own and 3rd party certified supply base(s). In that scenario, the mill can only claim the volume of palm oil and oil palm products produced from processing of the certified FFB as Mass Balance.

Maternal health refers to the health of women during pregnancy, childbirth and the post-natal period.

Medium Growers are beneficial owners, land owners, or businesses with more than 50 hectares (ha) and up to 500 ha (accumulative) of cultivated and harvested oil palms.

Please also refer to other related definitions:
'grower', 'smallholder'.

A person who migrates or who has migrated whether within a country (internal migrant) or from one country to another (international migrant) to work.

Workers who have registered to be regularised under national labour recalibration/regularisation programs.

A binding rule or body of rules prescribed by the government of a sovereign state that holds force throughout the regions and territories within the government's dominion. In the context of international law, a State party to an international treaty must ensure that its own domestic law and practice are consistent with what is required by the treaty. National laws includes subsidiary legislations, regulations, by-laws, rules, and orders issued by the government.

Negative action against affected stakeholders is any act of retaliation; intimidation, harassment and threats; violence (physical, sexual and gender-based) and torture; instigating violence or use of any form of harassment, including the use of mercenaries and paramilitaries in their operations; exploitation; discrimination; and detention, disappearance or killing.

The planned or proposed establishment of oil palm plantations and associated developments on lands not previously cultivated with oil palm, owned and/or directly managed by an RSPO member.

Non-judicial process refers to mechanisms that do not involve formal national court proceedings or the direct involvement of the judiciary. These processes are often carried out by administrative or executive bodies such as mediations or arbitrations.

This may also include dialogue-based or other culturally appropriate compatible processes. It can be used by individuals, workers, communities, and/or civil society organisations e.g., labour tribunals, national human rights institutions, ombudsperson offices, community tribunals, etc

Proportion of crude palm oil extracted from Fresh Fruit Bunches, using either the dry or wet extraction method.

All activities planned and/or undertaken by the Unit of Certification, which includes its contractors, within the boundaries of its palm oil mill and its estates/plantations.

Areas (in addition to HCVs, HCS forests, and peatland conservation areas) that are required to be conserved by the RSPO P&C standard e.g., riparian areas, steep slopes, other areas allocated by the Unit of Certification.

Farmer(s), where the sale of their FFB is exclusively contracted to the Unit of Certification. Outgrowers may be smallholders.

Productive land use on rewetted peatland with crops that are adapted to the high water levels in peatlands. Paludiculture is classified as a peatland rehabilitation strategy. Plant species can be cultivated as part of the paludiculture are swam jelutong (dyera polyphylla), alternative pulp species, tengkawang (shorea spp.), sago (metroxylon spp.), rattan, and medicinal plants.

Participatory mapping, also known as 'community mapping', is based on the premise that communities have knowledge of their customary tenure and surrounding environments, which can be expressed in simple maps. It allows communities to bring their local knowledge and perspectives to the attention of authorities and the UoC.This is done jointly by the Unit of Certification and the Communities.

A soil with cumulative organic layer(s) comprising more than half of the upper 80 cm or 100 cm of the soil surface, containing 35% or more of organic matter (35% or more Loss on Ignition) or 18% or more organic carbon. Note for management of existing plantations in Malaysia and Indonesia, a narrower definition has been used, based on national regulations, namely: soil with an organic layer of more than 50% in the top 100 cm, containing more than 65% organic matter.

Substances or a mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest, or regulating plant growth. Pesticides are categorised into four main substituent chemicals: herbicides; fungicides; insecticides; and bactericides.

A time-bound and detailed scheme, programme, or method for achieving objective(s) and desired outcome(s). Plans shall have clear targets with timelines for delivery, actions to be taken, and a process for monitoring progress to adapt plans to changing circumstances and reporting. Plans shall also include the identification of named individuals or positions responsible for the delivery of the plan. There shall be evidence that sufficient resources are available to carry out the plan and the plan is implemented in full.

The land on which oil palm is grown.

An approach requiring that when the available information indicates that management activities pose a threat of severe or irreversible damage to the environment or a threat to human welfare, The organisation will take explicit and effective measures to prevent the damage and avoid the risks to welfare, even when the scientific information is incomplete or inconclusive, and when the vulnerability and sensitivity of environmental values are uncertain

A precautionary approach applies explicit and effective measures when there is a threat of severe or irreversible damage to the environment or a threat to human welfare, to prevent the damage and reduce the risks. These measures are applied even when the scientific information is incomplete or inconclusive, and when the vulnerability and sensitivity of values are uncertain.

The remuneration earned by a worker during normal working hours. It includes basic wage (cash), certain types of in-kind benefits, allowances, and bonuses.

Forest that has never been logged and has developed following natural disturbances and under natural processes, regardless of its age. Also included as primary are forests that are used inconsequentially by indigenous and local communities living traditional lifestyles relevant for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. The present cover is normally relatively close to the natural composition and has arisen (predominantly) through natural regeneration.

Applicability:
The RSPO standards have evolved in addressing deforestation, shifting from terms like “primary forest” in earlier iterations to more recent concepts such as “High Conservation Values (HCVs)” and “High Carbon Stock Forests (HCS)” in 2018. These updated terms are used within the RSPO system to ensure compliance with the standards relevant at the time of deforestation risk assessment, conducted during membership application. For new members (since November 2005) and existing members planning new planting (since January 2010), the definition of “primary forest” is applied to determine if deforestation occurred within a specified time frame.

Any natural or legal person, independent of the public authorities, which provides one or more of the following labour market services:

1. Services for matching offers of and applications for employment, without the private employment agency becoming a party to the employment relationships which may arise therefrom


2. Services consisting of employing workers with a view to making them available to a third party, who may be a natural or legal person (referred to below as a ""user enterprise"") which assigns their tasks and supervises the execution of these tasks


3. Other services relating to jobseeking, determined by the competent authority after consulting the most representative employers and workers organizations, such as the provision of information, that do not set out to match specific offers of and applications for employment.

A treatment or course of action applied as a preventive measure.

Refers to information or documents are accessible free of charge to anyone in the general public, without the need for special qualifications, permissions, or privileges.

1. Rare species: Species that are uncommon or scarce, but not classified as threatened. These species are located in geographically restricted areas or specific habitats, or are scantily scattered on a large scale. They are approximately equivalent to the IUCN (2001) category of Near Threatened (NT), including species that are close to qualifying for, or are likely to qualify for, a threatened category in the near future. They are also approximately equivalent to imperiled species.


2. Threatened species: Species that meet the IUCN (2001) criteria for Vulnerable (VU), Endangered (EN) or Critically Endangered (CR), and are facing a high, very high, or extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. These categories may be reinterpreted according to official national classifications (which have legal significance) and to local conditions and population densities (which should affect decisions about appropriate conservation measures).


3. Endangered species: A taxon is Endangered when the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria A to E for Endangered (see Section V), and it is therefore considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.

The terms ‘recruitment fees’ or ‘related costs’ refer to any fees or costs incurred in the recruitment process in order for workers to secure employment or placement, regardless of the manner, timing, or location of their imposition or collection.

Remediation refers to both the process and the outcome of addressing adverse human rights impacts. Remedies available should be adequate and appropriate, proportional to the gravity of the violation, and adapted to the circumstances of the case. Assistance provided to each aggrieved party will depend on the individual needs of the aggrieved party.

Below are some examples of remediation that may be considered by the Unit of Certification:

1. Shelter and accommodation
2. Medical and health-care services and counselling, including mental health and psychosocial support
3. Compensation/repayment
4. Financial assistance
5. Legal assistance
6. Return assistance
7. Reintegration assistance
8. Satisfaction (acknowledgement fault/apology)
9. Restitution (restoration of situation)
10. Guarantee of non-repetition

Replanting oil palm with a subsequent oil palm crop.

The process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem, and its associated conservation values, that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed.

Rights are legal, social or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement, in accordance with the International Bill of Rights and other relevant international human rights instruments, including the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.

• Customary rights: Patterns of long-standing community land and resource usage in accordance with indigenous peoples’ customary laws, values, customs, and traditions, including seasonal or cyclical use rather than formal legal title to land and resources issued by the State.
• Legal rights: Rights given to individual(s), entities, and others through applicable local, national, or ratified international laws and regulations.
• User rights: Rights for the use of land and resources that can be defined by local custom, mutual agreements, or prescribed by other entities holding access rights.
• Demonstrable rights: Indigenous peoples, local communities, and users may have informal or customary rights in land that are not registered or recognised by the government or national laws. Demonstrable rights are distinguished from spurious claims by direct engagement with local communities, so they have adequate opportunities to justify their claims, and are best ascertained through participatory mapping with the involvement of neighbouring communities

Riparian is used to refer to land located next to natural lakes, as well as streams and rivers, although the latter are more commonly found within oil palm concessions.

A systematic process of identifying and evaluating the potential risks that may be involved in a projected activity or undertaking.
It enables a weighing up of whether enough precautions are in place or whether more should be done to prevent harm to those at risk, including workers and members of the public.

Safe drinking water, also known as 'potable water' or 'improved drinking water', is water that is of sufficient quality to be used for drinking (as well as for cooking and personal/domestic hygiene) without causing risk to health.

All smallholder farmers who are not Independent Smallholders, under a formal and legal contractual FFB sourcing agreement with a Unit of Certification.

Please also refer to other related definitions:
'smallholder' and 'independent smallholder'.

The Segregated (SG) supply chain model assures that RSPO certified palm oil and oil palm products delivered to the end user is only from RSPO certified sources (a mixture of Identity Preserved/IP products).

Please also refer to other related definitions:
'Identity Preserved'

Sexual harassment is any unwelcome sexual advance, request for sexual favour, verbal or physical conduct or gesture of a sexual nature, or any other behaviour of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation to another, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment, or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment. While typically involving a pattern of behaviour, it can take the form of a single incident. Sexual harassment may occur between persons of the opposite or same sex. Both males and females can be either the victims or the offenders.

Includes rape, threats of sexual violence, and/or abuse. Sexual violence also includes forcing (directly or indirectly) workers/community members to engage in sexual activities.

Significant air pollutants are chemical or biological substances that substantially degrade air quality. These may include pollutants from sources such as palm oil mill effluent (POME), sewage, wastewater, sediment, fertilisers, pesticides, fuels, and other palm oil operations, which exceeds the threshold in accordance with national regulations and international standards.

An oil palm grower with a total accumulative planted area of oil palm that is smaller than or equal to 50 hectares (ha). The definition of a smallholder farmer and threshold of planted area of oil palm may vary by country, to be determined by the relevant National Interpretation of the RSPO P&C and ISH standards. In the absence of an NI developed for a specific country that has been formally endorsed by the RSPO Board of Governors, the definition of a smallholder farmer in the generic RSPO P&C shall prevail.

Please refer to other related definitions:
'independent smallholder' and 'scheme smallholder'.

A smallholder household refers to persons or groups that may be related or unrelated that live together and make common provision for food and other essentials for living.

Please refer to other related definitions:
'family members' and 'contributing family members'.

Land where smallholders have Rights, and is planted with oil palm or allocated for new planting with oil palm or replanting.

An analysis and planning process to be carried out prior to new plantings or operations. This process incorporates relevant environmental and social data, as well as stakeholder consultations, in order to identify the baseline condition and potential impacts (both direct and indirect) to the site; and to determine whether these impacts can be satisfactorily addressed, in which case the proponent also defines specific actions to minimise and mitigate potential negative impacts in a resulting social and environmental management & monitoring plan.

A process of sharing knowledge and/or skills through providing information to, and interacting with, stakeholders.

An individual or group with a legitimate and/or demonstrable interest in, or who may or may not be directly affected by, the activities of an organisation and the consequences of those activities. Stakeholders include suppliers, internal staff members, workers, family members living on-site, communities, smallholders, customers, regulators, purchasers, clients, owners, trade unions, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

SOP is a set of step-by-step instructions compiled by an organisation to help workers carry out routine operations. SOPs aim to achieve efficiency, quality output, and uniformity of performance, while reducing miscommunication and failure to comply.

Areas with a slope greater than 25 degrees, or otherwise defined through a National Interpretation (NI) process.

Person(s) or organisation(s) that supply Fresh Fruit Bunches to the Unit of Certification.

The series of processes/steps through which agricultural raw materials pass from the primary producer through to the end-product manufacturer (i.e. oil palm cultivation, harvesting, milling, storage, transport, refining, distribution, processing, manufacturing, retailing, etc.)

Person(s), business(es), or organisation(s) that buy and sell Fresh Fruit Bunches

The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs;

Persons, or groups of persons, that can be identified or characterised as follows:

• People who self-identify as tribal people and are accepted as such by their community
• Social, cultural, and economic conditions distinguish them from other sections of the national community
• Status is regulated wholly or partially by their own customs or traditions, or by special laws or regulations

The Unit of Certification is the collective area proposed for certification under the RSPO P&C standard, including:

1. The mill(s) and its supply base(s), which shall include both directly managed land (and estates) and scheme smallholders, where estates have been legally established with proportions of lands allocated to each;


2. Oil palm production areas managed by growers, medium growers, and/or smallholders;


3. Set-aside conservation areas within the concession area under the management control of the UoC.

Unlawful wage deductions refer to wage deductions that are not stipulated in the national laws or collective bargaining agreement. In circumstances where the national law or collective barganing agreement is silent on deductions, the Unit of Certification shall obtain approval from the relevant authorities for the said deductions.

Violence may take many forms. It consists of acts that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, or psychological harm or suffering. This includes threats of such acts, coercion, or withdrawal of rights, occuring within the Unit of Certification, as well as the use of violence as a displinary measure and/or as a result of gender-based discrimination. Violence humiliates, degrades or damages a person’s well-being, value, or dignity. Violence can be perpetrated either directly or indirectly. It includes:

A) Physical violence
B) Sexual violence
C) Psychological violence

• Physical Violence
  The use of physical force against another person or group that results in physical, sexual, or psychological harm.


• Sexual Violence
  Any form or attempt of non-consensual sexual activity or coercion perpetrated against an individual. This includes rape, forced or coerced penetration of the vulva, anus, or any other body orifice with a penis, body part, or object. Sexual violence extends beyond physical acts to include psychological coercion, verbal harassment, and any behavior aimed at exploiting or violating an individual's sexual autonomy and dignity


• Psychological Violence
  Any intentional conduct that seriously impairs another person’s psychological integrity through coercion or threats. Psychological violence can take the form of coercion, defamation, verbal abuse, threats, or harassment. It may also include threat of physical force, against another person or group that result in harm to mental, spiritual, moral, or social development, as well as bullying/mobbing.

Additional notes and information

• Gender-based violence
  Gender-based violence is violence directed against a person because of that person's gender or violence that affects persons of a particular gender disproportionately. It is rooted in gender inequality, the abuse of power and harmful norms. The term is primarily used to underscore the fact that structural, gender-based power differentials place women and girls at risk of multiple forms of violence. The United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women defines violence against women as ""any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life."" While women and girls suffer disproportionately from GBV, men and boys can also be targeted.


• Violence against Communities
  • Use of physical violence against community members in signing agreements related to relinquishing of land rights or resources
  • Forced dispossession of land, removal, or relocation through the use of violence
  • Excessive use of force by military or security personnel (contracted by the Unit of Certification) against community members

Indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation are indigenous peoples or segments of indigenous peoples who do not maintain sustained contacts with the majority non-indigenous population, and who generally reject any type of contact with persons not part of their own people. They may also be peoples or segments of peoples previously contacted and who, after intermittent contact with the non-indigenous societies, have returned to a situation of isolation and broke the relations of contact that they may have had with those societies. In line with the principles of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), RSPO prohibits oil palm expansion in these peoples’ territories.

Any group or sector of society that is at higher risk or being subjected to social exclusion, discriminatory practices, violence, natural or environmental disaster, or economic hardship than other groups, such as indigenous peoples, ethnic minorities, migrants, disabled people, the homeless, isolated elderly people, women, and children.

Any substance or object which the holder discards or intends or is required to discard

The collection, transport, recovery, and disposal of waste, including the supervision of such operations and the after-care of disposal sites, and including actions taken as a dealer or broker.

The capacity of a population to safeguard sustainable access to adequate quantities of acceptable quality water for sustaining livelihoods, human well-being, and socio-economic development, for ensuring protection against water-borne pollution and water-related disasters, and for preserving ecosystems in a climate of peace and political stability

A watercourse is a natural or artificial channel through which water flows and/or a stream of water (such as a river, a brook, or an underground stream).

Individuals who are employees or former employees who report on illegal, irregular, dangerous, or unethical practices or actions by employers which contravene the RSPO Code of Conduct and related RSPO key documents, and who may potentially be at risk of reprisal. This includes individuals who are outside the traditional employee-employer relationship, such as contract workers, temporary workers, consultants, contractors, trainees/interns, volunteers, student workers, and former employees.

An achievable output of work to be delivered by a worker within standard working hours in order to receive a full daily/monthly wage. It can also be referred to as ‘quota’.

Any organisation or group formed by workers to advocate their rights and interests in the workplace. These organisations may include trade unions, labor unions, workers' associations, or similar entities dedicated to promoting workers' rights, improving working conditions, and fostering engagement between the Unit of Certification and workers.

Individual(s) that perform work for pay. This includes:

• Permanent workers: Workers with an ongoing employment relationship with the Unit of Certification and do not have a predetermined end date for their employment.
  
  
• Fixed-term workers: Workers with an ongoing employment relationship with the Unit of Certification and who have an agreed minimum number of hours of work for a period of 3 months or more.
  
  
• Short-term workers: Workers with an ongoing employment relationship with the Unit of Certification and who have an agreed minimum number of hours of work for a period of less than 3 months. (Seasonal workers with guaranteed work or number of working hours for a period of less than 3 months can be considered a short-term worker.)
  
  
• Casual workers: Workers with an ongoing employment relationship with the Unit of Certification and who have no guarantee of employment for a certain number of hours during a specified period but may have arrangements of an ongoing or recurring nature. (Day workers can be considered as a casual worker if they have no guarantee of work or a minimum number of hours during a specified period.)
  
  
• Third-party contracted workers: Workers employed by private employment agencies and deployed to a Unit of Certification which assigns and supervises the execution of their tasks.
  
  
Seasonal, contract, day, and temporary workers would fall into one of the above categories depending on the terms of the employment contract (permanency/duration, minimum number of working hours, pay structure, etc.)

In the context of smallholders, family members who receive a wage/salary in return for the work performed may fall under one of the above categories of workers depending on the employment permanency/duration, nature of work, and minimum number of working hours.


Source

RSPO P&C 2024

The total number of workers employed by the Unit of Certification either directly or indirectly. This includes contract workers and consultants.

The worst forms of child labour comprises:

1. All forms of slavery, or practices similar to slavery, such as the sale and trafficking of children, debt bondage and serfdom, and forced or compulsory labour (including forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict);


2. The use, procuring, or offering of a child for prostitution, for the production of pornography, or for pornographic performances;


3. The use, procuring, or offering of a child for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs as defined in the relevant international treaties;


4. Work which, by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to harm the health, safety, or morals of children.

Fresh Fruit Bunch (FFB) production in metric tonnes (MT) per hectare of production area.

Young workers are those who are from the age of 15 (or above the national minimum age, if higher) but under the age of 18.