FAQs

I am a smallholder who has not achieved RSPO Certification yet. Can I still get support?

Yes! As a smallholder, you can get support through: 

• Trainings under our Smallholders Training Academy (STA)
• Submit the projects you need help with through the RSPO Smallholder Engagement Platform (RSEP)
• As an independent smallholder, you can also apply for our RSPO Smallholder Support Fund (RSSF) to gain financial assistance

How do I know if I am an independent smallholder or a scheme smallholder?

You are an independent smallholder if you meet this criteria:

• The total size of your palm oil production area is less than or equal to 50 hectares (ha) if no threshold is defined in a National Interpretation (NI) or less than or equal to the maximum size defined in a NI (e.g. for Indonesia the maximum size is 25 ha or below and for Ecuador it is 75 ha or below).
• you have the enforceable decision-making power of the operation of the land and production practices.
• You have the freedom to choose how you use the land, type of crops to plant, as well as how to organise, manage and finance the land
• Meet any further criteria relative to the applicability of this standard as provided in the NI of their country.

You are a scheme smallholder if you meet this criteria:

• The enforceable decision-making power on the operation of the land and production practices; and/or
• The freedom to choose how they utilise their land, types of crops to plant, and how they manage them (how they organise, manage and finance the land) (source : RSPO P&C 2018);
• Smallholders that may be structurally bound by contract, credit agreement or by planning to a particular mill, but the association is not necessarily limited to such linkages. Other terms commonly used for schema smallholders include associated and/or plasma smallholders (source : RSPO Certification System for P&C 2017).

Quick links to Smallholder Resources

Standards

• 2019 RSPO Independent Smallholder (ISH) Standard (for independent smallholders)
• 2018 RSPO Principles and Criteria (P&C) (for scheme smallholders)

​​Training materials on the 2019 RSPO Independent Smallholder (ISH) Standard

• RSPO ISH Standard Incident Form Template
• Video guide on filling out the Disclosure Template
• Book & Claim in RSPO PalmTrace for independent smallholders
• RSPO Status Code of Conduct Membership Rules

Challenges of smallholder certification and lessons learned

• Presentations of Smallholders Experience on Certification – Challenges and Lessons Learned
• Lessons Learned from Gapoktan Tanjung Sehati for getting RSPO Certification
• Diagnostic Study on Indonesian Oil Palm Smallholders – by International Finance Corporation

Additional Key Documents for Smallholders

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