THE SUSTAINABLE PALM OIL DIALOGUE 2025

Programme is subject to changes

SPOD 2025 will consist of an exciting mix of plenary sessions, breakout sessions, best practice sessions and expert sessions.

Plenary Sessions (45–60 min)

These are panel sessions for the full audience, in which we explore broader themes with speakers from industry, academia, and NGOs. Engaging discussions led by a moderator who will actively involve the audience through Q&A.

Breakout Sessions (60 min)

Smaller sessions on specific topics, diving deeper into issues raised during the plenary sessions. Designed to be highly interactive, they encourage audience participation and may take various formats (e.g., workshops, fishbowl discussions).

Best Practice Sessions (60 min)

These sessions highlight real-life examples that have led to measurable improvements in sustainability.

Expert Sessions (60 min)

Smaller, lecture-style sessions where a dedicated expert shares in-depth insights on a specific topic, followed by a Q&A.

Registration and welcome coffee

8:30

Opening

9:00

Plenary Session I: The journey of social sustainability in palm oil

Perspectives from NGOs, Academia, and Consumer Goods/Retail on the Evolution of Social Sustainability in the Palm Oil Sector: How has the topic evolved over the past decades? What is currently on the agenda? and what lies ahead?

Ruben Brunsveld

Moderator, RSPO

Marije Schaafsma

Associate Professor, Vrije Universiteit

Marcus Colchester

Senior Policy Advisor, Forest Peoples Programme

Didier Bergeret

Director, Sustainability , Consumer Goods Forum

9:15

Parallel Breakout sessions on: Upholding rights

Following presentations on workers’ rights, unions, and land rights, you’re invited to join the ‘fishbowl’ discussion to explore how to prevent conflicts and how to respond when they arise.

Ward Berenschot

Professor, KITLV

Quentin Meunier

VP Head of Sustainable Development, Olam Group Limited

Suzan Cornelissen

Programme Manager, Indonesia, CNV Internationaal

Charlene Colison

Director, Collaboration, BSR

10:00

Parallel Breakout sessions on: Connecting people and planet

This session explores the intersection of environmental and social sustainability, examining how they influence one another and whether integrated solutions can address both areas effectively.

Beatrix Richards

Moderator, Senior Programme Manager, Landscape IDH

Ahmad Furqon

Global Palm Oil Technical Manager, WWF International

Malika Virah-Sawmy

Co-Chair of the IUCN Oil Crops Task Force, IUCN

Bernadinus Steni

Executive Director, Kaleka

10:00

Parallel Breakout sessions on: Smallholders as Business Partners

An interactive workshop that challenges top-down approaches to ‘inclusion’ by reimagining smallholders as true business partners. Can you identify the key issues across the different parts of the value chain?

Marieke Leegwater

Moderator, International Program Coordinator Palm Oil, Solidaridad Network | Program Manager, Sustainable Palm Oil Choice, Solidaridad Network | Sustainable Palm Oil Choice

10:00

Coffee Break

11:00

Plenary Session II - Social Responsibility: A Business Imperative

Three international companies will share their perspectives on how they integrate social sustainability into their operations and why it is not optional, but a vital part of their business strategy.

Ruben Brunsveld

Moderator, RSPO

Julie Vallat

VP Human Rights (L’Oréal), L’Oreal

Clotilde Kervella

Head of Transformation & Chief of Staff, Biscuit International

Anita Neville

Chief Sustainability & Communications Officer, GAR

11:15

Parallel Best Practices sessions on: Enhancing Downstream Collaborations

Collaborative approaches such as Landscape and Jurisdictional Approaches are well known in production areas. But how can stakeholders collaborate effectively to drive meaningful impact?

Francesca Morgante

Moderator, RSPO

Pauline Raffaitin

Head of Regulatory Watch & Public Affairs, Ecolabel Rep (ECOCERT)

Charlotte Bernhard

Senior Policy Advisor , Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands

Judith Murdoch

Efeca Associate and Director of Murdoch Associates, Efeca

12:00

Parallel Best Practices sessions on: Practical Implementation of Procurement Policies

Well-written procurement policies are essential for promoting sustainability across your supply chain. But do they truly translate into meaningful impact on the ground? This session explores how to bridge the gap between policy and practice.

Marjan De Bock-Smit

Founder and Non-Executive Director ImpactBuying, Impact Buying

Olatz Armengod

Programme Manager, IDH

Anne Manschot

Founder and Senior Consultant, ValueChange

Valentine Prevo

Sustainable Sourcing Project Manager, ASD

12:00

Parallel Best Practices sessions on: Landscape Approaches

This session will explore how different actors engage with landscape approaches—what value they derive, how social inclusion is factored in, and how progress is tracked. The discussion will anchor around palm oil landscapes as a use case and offer insights into real-world examples, evaluation frameworks, and investment strategies.

Billie Wilcox Brooke

Moderator, ISEAL

Annelotte Crena de longh

Head of Development , Source Up

Carolina Fontes

Program Manager Circular and Bioeconomy, Clariant

Katie Kenick

, Earthworm

12:00

Lunch

13:00

Parallel Experts sessions on: Living Wage and Living Income

Living wage and living income have been long debated in palm oil but progress has been slow. This session will explore the differences between the two, the obstacles in implementing them and the way forward to achieving stronger impact.

Anny Stoikova

Moderator, Manager, Sustainability Systems and Livelihoods, ISEAL

Cheng Boon Ong

Decent Work Programme Manager, RSPO

Vaibhav Panpaliya

Senior Innovation Manager, IDH

14:15

Parallel Experts sessions on: Organising the derivative supply chain for sustainability

The specificities of the derivatives supply chain require players in this market to implement an approach that is tailored to its constraints and operational realities. This session aims to explore the strives made by the sector while shedding light on the remaining challenges and new opportunities.

Per Bogstad

Senior Manager, Sustainability Supply, Haleon

Sarah Ceska

Project Director - Coalitions Lead, ASD

Veronique Bovee

Deputy Director Company Collaboration, Proforest

Laurent Schubnel

Group CSR Leader, Gattefossé Group

14:15

Parallel Experts sessions on: Gender and inclusivity

A practical and colourful illustration of how land settlement issues have changed in patriarchal societies in Papua New Guinea, highlighting the challenges faced by women, the business case for their inclusion, and the importance of an intergenerational perspective.

George Curry

Professor, Curtin University

14:15

Plenary Session III - European regulations: effective tools to address social sustainability?

Over the last years we have seen a move from voluntary certification to legal requirements, both at national and EU level. Do these laws and regulations have the desired impact on the ground or are we creating administrative burdens and an overcomplicated web of legal obligations?

Ruben Brunsveld

Moderator, RSPO