The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) said demand for certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) has not dropped amid the Covid-19 pandemic, with sustainability still high on the agenda for its members. Its interim chief executive officer Bakhtiar Talhah said when the world started to enter into lockdowns to combat Covid-19, he was worried that its members would produce and consume less CSPO, leading to the sustainable palm oil being pushed to the backburner. However, demand for CSPO has not dived, Bakhtiar told The Edge, calling it a "pleasant surprise". Bakhtiar added that sustainability is still very high on the agenda. The pandemic, he said, possibly presents a period of reflection, with many of its members in North America and Europe speaking more on the issue of sustainability when it comes to palm oil. Bakhtiar noted that CSPO volumes are similar to last year, despite obstacles in production, such as trading and logistics issues, combined with the worker shortage in Malaysia. He said some sectors such as the food and beverage sector hampered by reduced occupancy and seating capacity have been affected by the pandemic, resulting in overall palm oil consumption being impacted. As such, it is still a bit early for the RSPO to see the impact on CSPO.

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