FAQs for Suppliers

If you are interested in becoming our supplier, click here to understand the process and share your company profile to our team.

We inform all potential suppliers of the tender results or registration via e-mail and/or telephone. If you are still unsure, please contact the category manager in charge of your account.

If you are an existing supplier, please refer to the ROS portal (link and details provided by your Account Manager) with specific for information and updates. Otherwise, contact the Category Manager in charge of your account. Locate your category manager here.

The GAR Social and Environmental Policy (GSEP) is the roadmap guides us on our sustainability journey. It was created in 2015 when we combined our Forest Conservation, Social and Community Engagement and Yield Improvement policies into a single document for a consistent and holistic approach. It applies to company’s entire operations, subsidiaries and suppliers in order to realise its vision of building a sustainable palm oil industry.

Suppliers who meet these requirements become preferred partners of the company. With a strong global market requirement for sustainable palm oil, our partners will be seen more credible to other buyers too. Through operating sustainably, suppliers will be able to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and lower risk.

Yes. The GAR Social and Environmental Policy is our set of guidelines to ensure that our supply chain produces palm oil sustainably. It is not a worldwide policy. ISPO and RSPO are national and global industry certification standards, respectively.

Sustainability can be broken down into many different aspects from environmental management to social and community engagement. Our Social and Environmental Policy offers a good overview of what sustainability means for our company. Suppliers can find out more about the various types of support services we offer, download useful resources, or contact our support team at [email protected].

We provide a range of support programmes, from broad to deep engagement, depending on each supplier’s needs. We share our expertise and consultation, based on the outcome of our planning sessions with suppliers.
We also have a dedicated e-mail address [email protected] that keeps us connected with our suppliers.

No. All suppliers are welcome as long as they are open and committed to adopting sustainable production practices.

We have a procedure for handling grievance that guides us and our suppliers in managing issues raised by stakeholders. Suppliers may contact our dedicated support team through [email protected] for more assistance.

Traceability is basically tracking the finished goods. With regard to our palm oil production, this feature allows us to find out where the fresh fruit bunch (FFB) came from, and whether the oil is produced in a sustainable manner. Traceability allows us to know that. Traceability is required by the ISPO and RSPO certifications too.

The difference between TTP and TTM is the extent to which we can trace the origin of our finished product.
For instance, palm oil originates from the FFB found in the plantations. They are then separated and crushed to create crude palm oil and palm kernel at mills. These products then go into a refinery to create palm oil and palm kernel oil. The TTP is better yardstick because it allows us to trace back into furthest source like the raw materials of palm oil products.

We help suppliers understand and implement TTP through standardised reporting formats and extensive training so that they too can become trainers for their own supply chains.

Field visit activities are a great way for us and our suppliers to share best practices with one another. These visits are used to find opportunities for both parties to improve. The main objective of the our transformation program is to engage with our suppliers and inspire them to collaborate. In fact, we visit our suppliers even after they have received their certification.

Our company will not repeat the same process if the supplier has already been visited by another buyer working within the same industry framework. For such instances, the supplier can share results of the other buyer’s visit with us.

We will not penalise suppliers for cases prior to 1 October 2015, which is when our GAR Social and Environmental Policy was formalised. However, for such instances, these suppliers must demonstrate the use of best practices to the management of peatlands, as we will continue to monitor operations closely.

Furthermore, in such a situation, we will expect the supplier to commit to the Re-entry Protocol. Developed by a number of industry specialists like NGO Mighty Earth and us, the protocol requires the supplier to acknowledge the non-compliant planted area, declare a conservation liability and commit to a compensation project.

Suppliers are advised to follow the RSPO’s New Planting Procedures. The steps include undertaking a comprehensive impact assessment and verification by the certification body before embarking on further expansion plans.

Suppliers are advised to follow the RSPO’s New Planting Procedures. The steps include undertaking a comprehensive impact assessment and verification check by the certification body before embarking on further expansion plans.