National sustainability standards provide potential opportunity to align with national priorities and commitments. These standards provide the best platform to facilitate national consensus and actions towards addressing ground issues and related sustainability challenges; and help the local governments, industries and stakeholders to participate in a sustainability discourse more actively.

The government of Indonesia established the Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) in the year 2009, and the government of Malaysia has first launched the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) in the year 2015. Similarly, India has launched the Indian Palm Oil Sustainability (IPOS) framework in the year 2017. Such national standards and initiatives are needed to raise the floor to include the excluded smallholders.

The national standards are well aligned with the local context and need of the region and markets. It also facilitates better inclusion of smallholders in the sustainable palm oil supply chain while providing the business case for sustainable practices. Overall, the national initiatives led by the government and local stakeholders are key potential solutions towards sustainable transformation of palm oil sector.