Five pilot audits were conducted in the first half of 2021 to test the low ILUC-risk certification approach. The pilot reports share first insights on how low ILUC-risk biofuels can be certified in practice and reflect on the improvements that can be made to the approach. The reports describe the availability of data and experiences determining the additionality test, the dynamic yield baseline (if relevant) and the amount of additional biomass that could be claimed as low ILUC-risk biomass, if the pilot project was low ILUC-risk certified.

• Pilot Colombia, yield increase of palm oil by improved irrigation on a large integrated plantation and mill
• Pilot Malaysia, yield increase of palm oil by thinning and replanting of high yielding seedlings on different parts of a large plantation
• Pilot France, yield increase through sequential cropping with cereals or oilseeds on an arable farm with biogas
• Pilot Uruguay, yield increase through sequential cropping of Brassica carinata with soy bean as the main crop
• Pilot Ukraine, cultivation on abandoned land for a 10ha plot that has been abandoned since the 1990s

This report presents the interim findings for the low ILUC pilot project, reflecting on the results of the pilots conducted in the first half of the project (Phase 1) and recommendations for the Phase 2 pilots. Five pilots were conducted in Phase 1 to test the approach to certify low ILUC-risk biofuels. The five pilots test the certification methodology on farms and plantations in three different geographical regions (Europe, South-East Asia and Latin America) for different types of crops (oil crops and starch crops) and different types of “additionality measure” which aim to produce additional biomass, namely via yield increase on an existing farm or via cultivation on abandoned land. The report can be found here.

In July 2021, we published a Call for data, aiming to gather data on representative oil palm yield curves to develop and validate the “standard oil palm yield curve” that can be used to determine a yield baseline in the low ILUC certification methodology included in the draft Implementing Act on “rules to verify sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions saving criteria and low indirect land-use change-risk criteria”. It is the shape of the curve that is most important when developing the reference curve, as the magnitude of the yield baseline is determined by the historic yields on the plantation being certified.

We received a good response from stakeholders, covering a range of different geographies in key oil palm producing countries. From the documents submitted, 31 yield curves were derived and analysed, covering both large scale and small holder plantations.

The analysis showed the curves had a high correlation with the yield curve used in Phase 1 of the low ILUC pilot project. The paper provides a normalised standard yield curve that can be used in the certification of low ILUC-risk oil palm.

The report can be found here.

We are seeking data on representative oil palm yield curves from agricultural ministries, research institutes, literature, and other stakeholders. This data is needed to develop a “standard” oil palm yield curve that can be used in the methodology to certify biomass from oil palm plantations included in the draft Implementing Act on “rules to verify sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions saving criteria and low indirect land-use change-risk criteria”. The standard yield curve is combined with the actual yield from a plantation to estimate the baseline yield (an estimate of how the yield would have been in the absence of a yield increase measure).

We are reaching out to any stakeholders who may be able to provide representative oil palm yield curves. Data shared will be used to build an average yield curve that can be applied to different plantations. If desired, any data shared can be anonymized. Further information is included in this document.

We invite you to please send any data and literature references to  by 31 August.