Study by Morgans et al (2018) published in Environmental Research Letters

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Abstract
Industrial oil palm plantations in South East Asia have caused significant biodiversity losses and
perverse social outcomes. To address concerns over plantation practices and in an attempt to improve
sustainability through market mechanisms, civil society organisations and industry representatives
developed the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) in 2004. The effectiveness of RSPO in
improving the sustainability of the palm oil industry is frequently debated and to date, few
quantitative analyses have been undertaken to assess how successful RSPO has been in delivering the
social, economic and environmental sustainability outcomes it aims to address. With the palm oil
industry continuing to expand in South East Asia and significant estates being planted in Africa and
South America, this paper evaluates the effectiveness of RSPO plantations compared to non-certified
plantations by assessing the relative performance of several key sustainability metrics compared to
business as usual practices. Using Indonesian Borneo (Kalimantan) as a case study, a novel dataset of
RSPO concessions was developed and causal analysis methodologies employed to evaluate the
environmental, social and economic sustainability of the industry. No significant difference was
found between certified and non-certified plantations for any of the sustainability metrics
investigated, however positive economic trends including greater fresh fruit bunch yields were
revealed. To achieve intended outcomes, RSPO principles and criteria are in need of substantial
improvement and rigorous enforcement.