EU sustainability curbs risk diverting palm oil exports: Expert

compliance. Rival, who participated in the early discussions leading to the formation of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), cautioned that overly stringent rules and escalating compliance costs may push producers towards countries that continue to accept palm oil without complex conditions. “If regulations are too strict and the cost is too high, the industry will shift to other markets such as China or India, which still accept palm oil without complicated requirements,” he said. While certification delivers clear environmental benefits and improves field efficiency, Rival said authorities must ensure the requirements remain within the financial capacity of smaller producers. “As audit costs, geolocation tracking, and documentation requirements increase, some will inevitably exit the certification scheme,” he said. Rival warned of the emerging risk of a dual global trading system, certified palm oil for premium markets and uncertified palm oil for countries that do ...