FSC and RSPO
WRM has been exposing the false promises of certification schemes for over two decades. This includes the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), as well as carbon offset certification schemes like Verra (with the label, VCS—Voluntary Carbon Standard). These schemes help greenwash corporate destruction, and they facilitate the ongoing expansion of corporate profit. Meanwhile consumers are deceived, forests are destroyed and local communities’ rights are violated.
The industrial production of natural rubber has always been synonymous with destruction and exploitation. About 70% is used to manufacture tires. As the use of cars, trucks and airplanes increases, the use of rubber will also increase. And this does not come without controversy.
Certification schemes for tree plantations initially generated many expectations, promising a true transformation. Yet after all these years, we can definitely conclude that what the RSPO and FSC also have in common is that they will not meet those expectations.
**This article is based on a conversation between Winnie Overbeek, the international coordinator of the World Rainforest Movement, and GRAIN on September 2014, which was published by GRAIN at “Planet palm oil”. The information has been updated for this article.
