Written by Cheah Chi Ern, MPOCC

Compared to its predecessor, the MS 2530:2022 was developed with very different industry baseline knowledge on sustainable oil palm management practices. In 2013, sustainable certification of oil palm was only implemented by large industry players. But due to the groundwork established by the MS 2530:2013, the revised Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) standards launched in 2022 with more awareness about sustainable practices, and a capacity to implement them, which was not previously present.

The MS 2530:2022 still consists of the four main parts and is further divided into a total of eight (8) separate parts. This was to cater to the differences in capacity and scale of the implementers of the MSPO.

The scope of the 8 parts of the MS 2530:2022

MS2530-1:2022 - MSPO Part 1: General Principles. Part 1 lists the general principles of the Standards. It provides the framework for the other parts and includes terms and definitions used throughout the Standards.  Part 1 does not contain requirements used to assess conformity.

MS2530-2-1:2022 - MSPO Part 2-1: General Principles for Independent Smallholders (less than 40.46 hectares). Part 2-1 contains requirements used to assess conformity for independent smallholders against the MSPO. These independent smallholders are categorised as individual farmers who won or lease less than 40.46 hectares (100 acres) of an oil palm smallholding and manage the smallholding themselves.

MS2530-2-2:2022 - MSPO Part 2-2: General Principles for Organised Smallholders (less than 40.46 hectares). Part 2-2 contains requirements used to assess conformity for organised smallholders against the MSPO.  Organised smallholders are individual farmers who own, or lease less than 40.46 ha of an oil palm smallholding, and the holdings are managed by government agencies such as FELDA, RISDA, FELCRA, SALCRA, SLDB, and other organisations.

MS2530-3-1:2022 - MSPO Part 3-1: General Principles for Oil Palm Plantations (40.46 hectares to 500 hectares). Part 3-1 contains requirements used to assess conformity for small oil palm estates between 40.46 ha to 500 ha against the MSPO.

MS2530-3-2:2022 - MSPO Part 3-2: General Principles for Oil Palm Plantations (more than 500 hectares). Part 3-2 contains requirements used to assess conformity for large oil palm estates/plantations with areas of more than 500 ha against the MSPO.

MS2530-4-1:2022 - MSPO Part 4-1: General Principles for Palm Oil Mill Including Supply Chain Requirements. Part 4-1 contains requirements used to assess conformity for palm oil mills against the MSPO. This standard contains requirements for sustainable management as well as supply chain requirements.

MS2530-4-2:2022 - MSPO Part 4-2: General Principles for Palm Oil Processing Facilities Including Supply Chain Requirements. Part 4-2 contains requirements used to assess conformity for palm oil processing facilities, such as crude palm oil (CPO), palm kernel (PK), and other oil palm products processing facilities, against the MSPO. This standard contains requirements for supply chain requirements as well as introducing sustainable management practices requirements.

MS2530-4-3:2022 - MSPO Part 4-3: General Principles for Dealers Including Supply Chain Requirements. Part 4-3 contains requirements used to assess conformity for fresh fruit bunch (FFB) dealers and palm oil traders against the MSPO. Organisation in this category is all types of dealers under MPOB Licensing, including exporters and importers that purchase and sell oil palm products that do not change the chemical properties of the materials. This standard contains requirements for sustainable management as well as supply chain requirements.

The new framework for MSPO Standards has only five (5) principles compared to the previous versions of seven (7) principles. This was decided by the Technical Committee on MSPO (TC MSPO) which is to further streamline the requirements to be consistent with the overall flow.

As seen in the above table, principles 1 – 5 are very similar between the MS2530:2013 and the MS2530:2022. Principle 6 of the MSPO 2013 has been amalgamated into Principles 1, 2, 4 and 5. Whereas the requirements for new plantings has been strengthen and incorporated mainly into Principle 1, with supporting requirements appearing in Principle 4 and Principle 5.