RSPO Appoints Digital Transformation Consortium to Develop A New Traceability System for Enhanced Trade and Regulatory Compliance

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 16 October 2023 – The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has today announced that a tripartite consortium (Consortium) of global Agri-Tech firms comprising of Agridence, CIED, and NGIS, has won the tender to deliver a unified and optimised system that integrates the Certification, Trade and Traceability components into a seamless end-to-end system for RSPO stakeholders.

This groundbreaking collaboration of leading technology companies to spearhead the organisation’s digital transformation is being led by Singapore-based Agridence. Agridence already has deep expertise in providing an integrated physical trading platform with traceability and sustainability data solutions for the natural rubber industry. The consortium is bolstered by Netherlands-based CIED who is well established in supply chain ESG-focused traceability, certification, and licensing management, and Australia-based NGIS, experts in geospatial technology, remote-sensing and risk matrix.

Chief Strategy and Digital Transformation Officer for RSPO, Ms Nikki Gee shared, “The decision to appoint the Consortium to manage and maintain RSPO’s systems is driven by a combination of best-in-class solutions that will be able to meet current demands and anticipate the future needs of a sector that is fast-evolving in line with tightening global regulations. We are confident that the Consortium will deliver a seamless experience for RSPO and our Members.”

Unified system enabling traceability and due diligence

RSPO’s objective is to develop a unified, bespoke Certification, Trade, and Traceability System (CTTS) that replaces the existing IT platform, PalmTrace. The digital transformation is designed to cater for current requirements and future needs. The system is intended to empower members by seamlessly integrating data collected at the upstream level through certification, audits and risk assessments into a secure trading platform.

This ultimately streamlines and enhances the user experience for RSPO Members, while also developing a system that will guide and transition users towards regulatory compliance. The new platform will support RSPO Members (operators and traders) in providing information which is necessary for the due diligence statement required by the European Commission in line with the  European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) by 29 December 2024.

Gerald Tan, CEO of Agridence, expressed excitement about the project, saying, “We are thrilled to have been selected for this vital digital transformation process in support of RSPO and its members. Our consortium brings together the best minds in technology and sustainability to ensure that the palm oil sector leverages the latest advancements in technology to meet the evolving standards for environmental disclosures and regulations. We are confident that the combination of the project team’s capabilities, resources, and our collaborative efforts will pave the way for a more sustainable and transparent palm oil supply chain.”

The digital transformation project is expected to have far-reaching impact, not only in the palm oil sector but also in setting a precedent for other industries seeking to enhance sustainability and meet regulatory requirements.

The tech consortium will be present at the RSPO Annual Roundtable Conference (RT2023) in Jakarta from 20 to 22 November, where they will participate in the panel – The Future of Certification, Trade and Traceability in the Next 20 – which will address the rollout of CTTS and its implications for the sustainable palm oil industry in the future.

About RSPO:

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is a global partnership to make palm oil sustainable. Formed in 2004, the RSPO is a multi-stakeholder non-profit organisation that unites members from across the palm oil value chain, including oil palm producers, palm oil processors and traders, consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, banks and investors, environmental or nature conservation non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and social or developmental NGOs.
As  a partnership for progress and positive impact, the RSPO facilitates global change to make the production and consumption of palm oil sustainable. To inspire change, we communicate the environmental and social benefits. To make progress, we catalyse collaboration. To provide assurance, we set the standards of certification.
The RSPO is registered as an international association in Zurich, Switzerland, with main offices in Malaysia and Indonesia, and offices in China, Colombia, Netherlands, United Kingdom and the United States.
For further information, kindly contact: [email protected]

About Agridence Pte Ltd

Founded and based in Singapore, Agridence brings you the future of commodities trading. We are at the forefront of digitalising the agri-commodities supply chain across the globe to create a data-enriched and technology-powered ecosystem. This digital transformation enables deeper analysis of the supply chain to uncover environmental, social and financial risks allowing targeted interventions.
At Agridence, we use technology to enable data transparency and strengthen trust. We provide industry intelligence and insights to empower our customers to make smarter decisions. We strive to identify issues and deliver solutions that will redefine how commodities are produced and traded. 

For more information, please visit www.rubber.agridence.com

Media Contact: [email protected] 

ARPL Governance Details: www.rubber.agridence.com/governance/

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/agridence/

About CIED BV

CIED is a group of multinational software companies focusing on building web, mobile, AI and blockchain-based applications in Agri-Food supply chains. Headquartered in the Netherlands & initially funded by Brightlands, Limburg Business Development Fund & Rabobank, the company is now trusted by the likes of Unilever, Solidaridad, IDH, Fairfood, Easy-Cert Group, INDOCERT and several other international consumer goods brands, certification bodies and NGOs.
Since 2013, CIED has been building technology solutions in the sustainability sector for multinational brands, NGOs and certification bodies. CIED’s flagship product, RightOrigins, is a Supply Chain traceability and ESG Intelligence suite, designed to aggregate, trace, and analyse multi-tier ESG data, offering a fully customisable, blockchain-enabled solution. It is tailored to assist sustainability leaders in planning and implementing supply chain-focused ESG strategies.
CIED brings a decade of experience working with all possible actors in the ecosystem, building practical technology solutions which will be instrumental in delivering the unified and optimised ‘CTTS’ system for RSPO and its stakeholders.

For more information, please visit https://cied.eu/ and https://cied.eu/product-traceability

Media Contact: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ciedbv/

About NGIS

Since commencing operations òver 30 years ago NGIS has grown to become a global leading provider of innovative sustainability solutions.  NGIS is a dedicated Geospatial company providing centres of technical excellence in Earth Observations, Software Engineering, Cloud Engineering and Enterprise GIS. NGIS is an impact focused business both in delivering high impact solutions for clients and supporting significant global initiatives.
NGIS is a Google Premier Partner and was awarded the Google Sustainability Partner of the year in 2021. NGIS has extensive experience with implementing next generation sustainable sourcing solution including developing the TraceMark solution that will be the key technology used by RSPO to provide first mile monitoring, risk assessment and geospatial analysis.

For more information, please visit www.ngis.com.au and www.tracemark.com

Media Contact: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ngis