On November 15, I-SPOC hosted the session ‘Driving the Pathway towards Sustainable Palm Oil Production in India: Checks and Balances’ at ISS 2024. This engaging panel discussion brought together experts to explore strategies for balancing India’s growing demand for palm oil with sustainability imperatives.
Key highlights included insights on:

• Need for Transformation: Highlighted the urgency of adopting sustainable palm oil practices in India.
• Stakeholder Roles: Explored responsibilities of agriculture, industry, policymakers, and others in driving sustainability.
• Strategies and Best Practices: Discussed innovative approaches to building transparent, sustainable supply chains
• Actionable Steps: Discussed on recommendations to accelerate the transition to sustainable production.

In collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Government of Arunachal Pradesh, I-SPOC and WWF-India successfully organized two Capacity Building Workshops on Sustainable Palm Oil Production. The workshops were held in Roing on August 30th and in Itanagar on September 3rd, 2024, aimed at raising awareness and building capacity among farmers, FPOs, industry representatives, and state agriculture officials on integrating sustainability into oil palm production.
Key attendees in Roing included Shri Bidol Tayeng, Commissioner and Secretary, State Agriculture Department, and Idar Noyar, Assistant Nodal Officer, Palm Oil, with 95 participants. In Itanagar, the workshop was graced by Shri Gabriel Denwang Wangsu, Hon'ble Minister of Agriculture and Allied Sectors, alongside senior officials Shri Dani Yubbe and Shri T D Neckhom, with 126 stakeholders in attendance.
Both workshops focused on the environmental, economic, and social aspects of sustainability, with discussions on Good Agricultural Practices and human-animal conflict. The events garnered media coverage in Northeast Today, Eastern Sentinel, Echo of Arunachal, and The Arunachal Times, amplifying I-SPOC's advocacy for sustainable palm oil production. To read the summary report, please click here.

The 11th Members Meeting of the Sustainable Palm Oil Coalition for India (I-SPOC) took place on July 23, 2024, with 24 participants from 17 member organizations joining both virtually and in person. A key highlight of the meeting was the official launch of the Policy Input Note (PIN): Respecting and Promoting Workers' Rights in Palm Oil Production Landscapes in India. The meeting also featured engaging insights from Members and Observers session, with participants offering valuable suggestions for I-SPOC’s future work. Neha Kumar, Head of the South Asia Programme at Climate Bonds Initiative, provided strategic insights during the Expert Speak session. Additionally, discussions were held on the I-SPOC Action Plan for July 2024 to June 2025. To read the summary report, please click here.

The ‘Exploring EUDR: Building Awareness’ event, hosted by The Sustainable Palm Oil Coalition for India (I-SPOC), gathered a dynamic crowd of over 100 participants eager to delve into the world of sustainability on April 30, 2024. From insightful presentations to engaging panel discussions, During the workshop the discussion delved into the European Union Deforestation-Free Regulation EUDR and its significant role in driving the EU’s climate-neutral goals while safeguarding vital commodities, gaining insights into implementation and implications. To read the summary report, please click here.

The 10th Members Meeting of the Sustainable Palm Oil Coalition for India (I-SPOC) convened on January 19, 2024, with a comprehensive agenda aimed at advancing sustainability in the palm oil industry. Key highlights included the launch of the Policy Input Note on ‘Towards a Policy Framework for Financing Sustainable Palm Oil in India’ and briefing paper on ‘Aligning Sustainability Principles into Oil Palm Production Policy in India’. The roundtable discussions delved into crucial topics such as the trade of sustainable palm oil and domestic production challenges, featuring insights from the participants. With active participation from diverse stakeholders, the 10th Members Meeting set a robust trajectory for I-SPOC's ongoing efforts towards promoting sustainable palm oil practices in India. To read the summary report, please click here.

I-SPOC hosted the Stakeholder Conclave on Sustainable Palm Oil on the 24th of May 2023 at The Claridges in New Delhi. The keynote address at the event was given by Dr. Ashok Dalwai, IAS, CEO of the National Rainfed Area Authority, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India. The event witnessed an active participation of over 50 attendees. The primary objective of the event was to facilitate discussions and garner valuable insights from key stakeholders, including government representatives, businesses, and policy makers, on the integration of sustainability practices in the domestic production of palm oil in India. The discussions focussed on looking at the global scenario of vegetable oil, the linkages between National Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct (NGRBC) and National Mission on Edible Oils- Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) and the integration of sustainability practices into the domestic production of palm oil in India. The discussions also put light on the role of policy makers, businesses, smallholders, consumers and others in making the transition to sustainable palm oil.
To read the summary report click here: Stakeholder Conclave on Sustainable Palm Oil

I-SPOC conducted its 9th Members Meeting in Mumbai. More than 20 organizations attended the meeting.Other than giving an overview of the activities of I-SPOC and collecting insights from members and observers regarding achievements, issues, challenges and support needed, there was a launch of two knowledge products namely; Policy Input Note on Climate Change and Biodiversity Conservation - Production of Sustainable Palm Oil in India and Practitioner’s Guide on Mitigating Risks in Financial Agro-Commodities at the meeting.The Sustainable Palm Oil Coalition for India (I-SPOC)

The ninth edition of CRB's sustainable business Conference (India and Sustainability Standards 2022 or ISS2022) was held in a Hybrid format from 2nd to 4th November, 2022 in Delhi. The objective of this flagship event, with the theme, ‘Prioritising Nature and People in Business to Create Measurable Impacts’, was to bring together multiple stakeholders in the sustainability ecosystem to help further the opportunities and overcome the challenges of promoting sustainable business through dialogue and consensus-building.To read the summary report, please click -  View Now

Nearly 30 participants representing 19 plus companies and organizations came together in Mumbai event on 26th August 2022 for the (hybrid) 8th meeting of the  The Sustainable Palm Oil Coalition for India (I-SPOC)

The Sustainable Palm Oil Coalition for India (I-SPOC) conducted its 7th Members Meeting on 10 March 2022. The meeting was conducted virtually, and had in attendance the Steering Committee Members, I-SPOC Members and Observers. The discussion at the meeting included updates from the Secretariat, the three Working Groups and deliberation on actions that the Coalition should take in order to increase membership in 2022.

The Sustainable Palm Oil Coalition for India (I-SPOC) conducted its 6th Member Meeting on 7 December 2021. The discussion at the meeting focused on updates from the Secretariat and the Working Groups on the activities they have undertaken since June 2021 and action plan for the first quarter of 2022. The actions of the new Working Group on Financial Institution and Domestic Production (part of Government Policy Working Group) were also discussed

In order to take the engagement forward with other coalitions on sustainable palm oil across the globe, I-SPOC invited Ms. Wenjie Zeng from WWF-China. She gave a brief overview of the China Sustainable Palm Oil Association (CSPOA) and the work they do on uptake of sustainable palm oil in China.

Capacity Building workshop.The first members only Capacity Building workshop of I-SPOC was organized on 17th of November 2021.Some of the important points discussed were on Responsible Sourcing of palm oil in India, Transition towards sustainable palm oil highlighting the existing frameworks, good practices and the steps to move towards uptake of sustainable palm oil.

The workshop also discussed some relevant businesses cases, the challenges the members are facing in the uptake of sustainable palm oil and the support needed to move towards sustainable procurement.

Mr. Kamal Prakash Seth, Deputy Director - Market Transformation (Global) and Country Head-India, Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and Mr. Rijit Sengupta, CEO, Centre for Responsible Business (CRB) represented I-SPOC at a meeting of the China Sustainable Palm Oil Alliance (CSPOA) on 18 October 2021. The meeting was jointly organized by the China Chamber of Commerce of Foodstuffs and Native Produce (CFNA), the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and the World Wide Fund for Nature, Beijing Office (WWF China).

Mr. Seth and Mr. Sengupta, spoke about I-SPOC (the governance structure, its members and the work it has been doing in India on sustainable palm oil). Their presentation also highlighted the palm oil consumption in India over the last 40 years , the challenges that are there in promoting uptake of sustainable palm oil and lastly the implications of the approval of the National Edible Oil Mission-Oil Palm (NME-OP) by the Central government of India.

As a Founding member of I-SPOC, Ms. Madhuri Nanda (PhD), Director, South Asia, Rainforest Alliance represented I-SPOC at the stakeholder discussion on Betting Big on Palm Oil: A dialogue on risks and opportunities of NMEO-OP’. The workshop was co-hosted by the International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology (iFOREST) and Bharat Krishak Samaj (BKS) on October 11,2021

• The dialogue was organized in the backdrop of India’s increased ambitions for palm oil production under the recently launched National Mission for Edible Oils - Oil Palm (NMEO-OP).
• The objective of the dialogue was to bring together diverse opinions from government, industry, producers, environmentalists, nutritionists, forestry experts, agriculturists, sociologists, biologists, and economists, to get a holistic perspective on the issue of palm oil expansion in India, and to inform future scientific discourse, policy actions and reactions
• Ms. Nanda was part of the session on ‘Understanding the environmental cost of palm oil expansion’, which focussed on the environmental and social concerns relating to scaling up of palm oil cultivation in India.

The Sustainable Palm Oil Coalition for India (I-SPOC) organized it’s second OPEN DAY session on the 21st of September 2021 from 3-5 PM (IST). The session that was facilitated by the Centre for Responsible Business, the I-SPOC Secretariat, and was attended by I-SPOC members and observers

The roundtable discussion focussed on looking at issues and challenges businesses might face as an organization on the uptake of #sustainable palm oil along with identifying support the coalition can provide to organizations on their journey towards sustainability and sustainable palm oil. The discussion also alluded to the recent approval of the National Mission on #EdibleOils and Oil Palm its implications in India, the scale of domestic production, frameworks and timelines.

I-SPOC will be organizing an open day on the 23rd of June 2021 for its members. The open day is a one – day virtual session to be facilitated by I-SPOC Secretariat. It will include 4 experts answering the questions of I-SPOC members related to sustainable palm oil. The open day will be divided into 2 hours before lunch and 2 hours after lunch (IST), each will have 2 experts on board responding to questions. Some of the topics the first open day will cover includes;

• Building a business case - how to develop a business case for sustainable palm oil,
• Marketing - communication and branding
• Research - availability and access to information on sustainable palm oil, awareness creation and capacity building and
• Sustainability initiatives - Relevant sustainability initiatives on Sustainable Palm Oil by various stakeholders

The objective of this meeting was to formally introduce the members to their Working Group and their Group Chairs and finalize the Action Plan for 2020-21, and to officially launch the I-SPOC biennial report (2018-20)

The youth is ready to take up the ‘shared responsibility’ and engage constructively with the key stakeholders involved, namely, businesses, governments, consumers and the civil society in general. The youth session of ISS2020 provided a platform to a number of youth leaders to showcase their passion & work in the field of sustainability.

The ISS2020 session on Sustainable Palm Oil Dialogue was aimed to build broader awareness about the subject of sustainable palm oil and the role brands and consumers can play and will further identify specific policy pointers to engage with the government.

The Sustainable Palm Oil Coalition for India (I-SPOC) organized its third meeting of Members virtually onApril 24, 2020. The objective of this meeting was to formally introduce the members to their Working Group and their Group Chairs and finalize the Action Plan for 2020-21.

Sustainable Palm Oil Dialogue: Market Transformation towards Sustainable Palm Oil in India- the session brought important players and consumers of sustainable palm oil sector to take stalk of the Indian markets. Are Indian markets conducive to shifting towards certified sustainable palm oil, what can be done to speed up the uptake, the challenges and the potential solutions, were tabled by the speakers. Keeping it interactive, important aspects were added by the audience to this very engaging session.

The India- Sustainable Palm Oil Coalition (I-SPOC) concluded its second partners meeting on 21 November 2019 at the Annual CRB Conference on Promoting Business Sustainability. The meeting included participation from existing, new and potential members of the I-SPOC. The meeting was preceded by a high-level plenary with CXOs on market transformation, which provided points for deliberation and action for the I-SPOC session.