Free Prior and Informed Consent

Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) has been a central requirement of the RSPO Principles and Criteria since they were adopted in 2005. Respect for the right to FPIC is designed to ensure that RSPO certified sustainable palm oil comes from areas without land conflicts or ‘land grabs’.Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) is the right of indigenous peoples and other local communities to give or to withhold their consent to any project affecting their lands, livelihoods and environment. This consent should be given or withheld freely, meaning without coercion, intimidation or manipulation, and through communities’ own freely chosen representatives such as their customary or other institutions. It should be sought prior to the project going ahead, meaning sufficiently in advance of any authorisation or commencement of activities and respecting the time requirements of indigenous consultation processes. It should be informed, meaning that communities must have access to and be provided with comprehensive and impartial information on the project, including the nature and purpose of the project, its scale and location, duration, reversibility, and scope; all possible economic, social, cultural and environmental impacts, including potential risks and benefits, resulting from the project and that the costs and benefits of alternative development options can be considered by the community with, or offered by, any other parties who wish to do so, with whom the community is free to engage. Key to respecting consent are iterative processes of collective consultation, the demonstration of good faith in negotiations, transparent and mutually respectful dialogue, broad and equitable participation, and free decision by the community to give or withhold consent, reached through its self-chosen mode of decision- making.A procedure to secure FPIC is required whenever companies want to acquire any lands to which indigenous peoples; local communities and other users have prior legal, customary or informal rights. FPIC is a responsibility of companies seeking to acquire lands and should not be contracted out to consultancies, as the agreement that results should be between the company and the communities. Steps to FPICOur Assistance We provide consultancy for FPIC process within certain timeframe. FPIC should be conducted by the companies, therefore our product in FPIC should be limited to assistance for the company to conduct FPIC. We assist the process for every stage, depending on the client’s need. The assistances are, as follow:Prepare documents as required by RSPO (Documents to share with communities as part of consultation and negotiations), Community engagement and facilitation process. Participatory mapping As a third-party during negotiations Ensuring consent is freely given/there is consent, regarding to the requirement under the RSPO standard.