ABSTRACT
Worldwide demand for palm oil has risen sharply over the past decade, resulting in an increase in global palm oil production. In 1990, palm oil was produced on a small scale, with global palm oil production of around 11 million metric tonnes. This chapter presents one of the external governance initiatives implemented in the industry, namely the Sustainability Policy Transparency Toolkit (SPOTT). This toolkit helps in promoting the development of a sustainable palm oil industry by tracking transparency and creating awareness among stakeholders about the problems of biodiversity loss and extinction risks caused by the industry. The chapter begins with a discussion on the environmental impacts of the industry and the weaknesses in the current governance that justifies the need for other initiatives.
