RSPO Certified Palm Oil: Sourcing & Supply Models

Palm is the highest-yielding oil crop and the feedstock behind a large share of the world’s oleochemicals — fatty acids, fatty alcohols, glycerine and many surfactants. For buyers, the sustainability question is no longer optional, and the practical answer runs through one scheme and one set of rules: RSPO certification and its four supply chain models.

What is RSPO certified palm oil?

RSPO certified palm oil is palm oil produced and handled under the standards of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), the leading certification scheme for sustainable palm. RSPO was formed in 2004 as a global multi-stakeholder organisation and sets two linked things: the environmental and social criteria growers must meet to produce Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO), and the chain-of-custody rules that every organisation handling that material must follow to keep the certified claim valid.

The grower standard is only half the story. A drop of certified oil at the plantation is worthless as a claim if it cannot be tracked — or at least accounted for — through milling, refining, derivatisation, distribution and into a finished product. That tracking is the job of the supply chain models.

What are the four RSPO supply chain models?

RSPO defines four supply chain models: Identity Preserved (IP), Segregated (SG), Mass Balance (MB) and Book & Claim, also called RSPO Credits (B&C). Each comes with its own requirements and its own pre-approved claim. The difference between them is how strictly the certified palm is kept physically separate from conventional palm — and therefore what the model actually guarantees about the material in your drum.

Identity Preserved vs Segregated vs Mass Balance vs Book & Claim — what’s the difference?

The four models sit on a spectrum from strongest physical assurance to greatest flexibility.

• Identity Preserved (IP) is the strictest. The certified palm is kept separate throughout the supply chain and is traceable back to a single, identifiable certified source. The buyer receives certified material from one known origin.
• Segregated (SG) also keeps certified palm physically apart from conventional palm, so the product remains 100% certified — but it may come from several certified sources rather than one. SG is the common choice when a buyer needs physically certified material without requiring a single point of origin.
• Mass Balance (MB) allows certified and conventional palm to be mixed, on the condition that the certified volume sold is balanced against the certified volume bought. The certificate is real and supports certified production, but the specific molecules you receive may not all be certified. MB typically has the widest availability across grades.
• Book & Claim / Credits (B&C) is a virtual model. There is no physical separation; instead, buyers purchase credits from certified growers and mills to support sustainable production for a matched volume.

Why does sustainable palm matter for oleochemical buyers?

Sustainable palm matters to oleochemical buyers because most palm-derived materials inherit their sustainability status from the upstream oil. Fatty acids, fatty alcohols, glycerine and many surfactants are made by splitting and processing palm or palm kernel oil, so the RSPO model and chain-of-custody attached to the feedstock flow through to the derivative you buy. A “sustainable” finished formula depends on the certification of those inputs.

Regulation is reinforcing the same point. The EU Regulation on deforestation-free products (EUDR), Regulation 2023/1115, lists oil palm among the commodities in scope, which raises the bar on due diligence and traceability for palm and palm-derived products placed on the EU market. RSPO certification is a voluntary scheme rather than a substitute for the regulation, but the documentation and chain-of-custody discipline it builds is the same muscle buyers need for compliance. Confirm your own regulatory obligations for the markets you serve.

How to source RSPO palm and palm-derivative materials

Sourcing the right certified material is a matter of specifying it precisely and confirming it per order. Berstin supplies palm and palm-derivative raw materials from a curated network of named manufacturers, with RSPO documentation where the grade and origin allow.

• Palm oil — grades include CPO, RBD palm olein and RBD palm stearin; RSPO Mass Balance or Segregated available; Halal and Kosher; HS 1511.90; origins Malaysia and Indonesia. See the palm oil material page for current detail.
• Palm kernel oil — CPKO and RBD PKO; RSPO Mass Balance or Segregated available; HS 1513.29; origins Malaysia and Indonesia.
• Coconut oil — RBD and Virgin grades; Halal and Kosher; HS 1513.19; origins the Philippines, Indonesia and Sri Lanka — a frequent non-palm alternative for some applications.
• Stearic acid — single- and triple-pressed; USP / EP / JP grades; HS 3823.11. Stearic acid and glycerine are classic oleochemical products of fat-splitting and are commonly palm-derived.

When you enquire, state the material, grade, the RSPO model you need (IP, SG, MB or Credits), the destination market and your documentation requirements. We will confirm the available certification model and chain-of-custody for the specific order against the current TDS, SDS and CoA. Browse the full oleochemicals and specialty range to see what pairs with your formulation.

Berstin is an independent, family-owned distributor: not locked to one producer, and able to match the right grade and the right RSPO model from the right manufacturer to your brief. Tell us your material, certification model and destination, and we will respond with technical data, lead times and indicative pricing.