Palm Oil News-February 2024

For all the news on the global palm oil industry. February 2024
Makin' it easy for you to monitor developments in the palm oil industry
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Feb 29. 2024
Malaysia's Oil palm industry needs to be revamped to be more sustainable
KUALA LUMPUR — The oil palm industry in Malaysia needs to be revamped, including ensuring the involvement of all related parties, to guarantee the sustainability of the sector in the future.
In stressing this matter, Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Ghani said industry players and smallholders need to work together to develop the industry without involving a lot of government allocations.
“Many issues need to be resolved, not only involving the ministry but also industry players such as the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda), Felcra Bhd and the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda).
“These (institutions) have to be strong so that the smallholders can depend on them. Otherwise, it will be difficult for the smallholders and it will affect their income,” he said on Bernama TV’s Ruang Bicara programme yesterday.
Elaborating further, Johari also emphasised the importance of implementing existing policies to attract interest in the purchasing of finished products as well as raw materials in the long term.
Apart from that, the perception of employment in the industry needs to be changed especially among the younger generation. For example, young people from settler families certainly have a foundation in the industry, he noted.
“Thus, what is needed is professional training through the technical and vocational education training (TVET) that can produce professionals in this industry for the future,” he said, adding that this would help to tackle the labour shortage issues in the industry.
The minister pointed out that the shortage of about 40,000 foreign workers in the oil palm sector has significantly impacted yields, leading to an estimated loss of RM7.9 billion in export value for Malaysia.
Regarding the issue of the European Union’s Deforestation-free Products Regulation (EUDR), he said the government is always aware and compliant with the rules to produce quality palm oil and preserve its sustainability. Read more The Malaysian Reserve
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Petronas urges EU to rethink palm oil phaseout, flags biofuel affordability
Speaking at London's International Energy Week conference Feb. 27, Bahrin Asmawi, Petronas' downstream strategic planning head, said that blanket bans on palm oil-based feedstocks from Europe risk dampening biofuel demand by squeezing cheap feedstock sources and pushing up prices. Read more SPGlobal
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Govt must source foreign workers with right skills for palm oil industry - Pusma
KUALA LUMPUR: The National Association of Human Resources (Pusma) says there is a necessity for the government to allow the recruitment of Indonesian workers in the palm oil industry.
Its president Zarina Ismail said there is a disparity in the expertise of oil palm plantation workers from different countries, with Indonesians being the primary experts.
"Even if the government opts to employ workers from Bangladesh, not all of them possess the necessary skills. Individuals from Lombok, Indonesia, are known to be adept at palm oil-related tasks.
"They (the government) need to know the workers from which country can contribute in this field and they should not open up to foreign workers who are not experts," she said to the New Straits Times.
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Palm oil industry can get extra RM20bil yield through circular economy, says Ahmad Shabery
PUTRAJAYA: Embracing the circular economy model can yield extra returns of some RM20bil for the palm oil industry, says the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda).
Its chairman, Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, said the revenue could be generated by leveraging the circular economy approach to harness oil palm by-products and biomass and convert them into value-added products.
Ahmad Shabery pointed out that palm oil production produces about 20% of oil palm products, and the remaining 80% is leftover waste or biomass.
“If the circular economy approach is given the right priority, the extra value gained will eventually trickle down to Felda settlers and the smallholders,” he said in his speech on the first day of the 2024 Bumiputera Economic Congress on Thursday (Feb 29).
In a circular economy, products are either recycled, recreated or re-used and returned to the economy after they have served their initial purpose.
Ahmad Shabery said Felda sees the potential to develop the biomass field more intensely, in which leftover waste from the oil palm industry can be converted into products such as fly ash, decanter cake and energy sources such as biodiesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Read more The StarMY
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Coconut Oil Production: A Hidden Threat to Tropical Biodiversity, Surpassing Palm Oil
Recent research reveals the alarming threat of coconut oil production to biodiversity in tropical ecosystems, emphasizing the need for sustainable agricultural practices. Explore the study's findings and the call to action for consumers.
Recent research has cast a spotlight on an unexpected environmental culprit: coconut oil production, revealing its considerable threat to biodiversity in tropical ecosystems. This study, appearing in Current Biology, underscores the urgent need for consumers to reconsider the environmental impact of their dietary choices, especially concerning vegetable oils. Unlike its counterparts, coconut oil production impacts an alarming number of threatened species, highlighting a dire need for sustainable agricultural practices.
Unveiling the Hidden Impact
The study's findings are stark: coconut oil production threatens 20 threatened species per million tons produced, a number that significantly overshadows the biodiversity impact of other vegetable oils. Palm oil, often criticized for its environmental impact, affects 3.8 species, while olive and soybean oils impact 4.1 and 1.3 species, respectively. The critical difference lies in the cultivation zones—coconut palms flourish in biodiverse-rich areas like small Pacific islands, where many threatened species reside. These regions, unlike the temperate zones favorable for rapeseed and sunflower cultivation, suffer profound ecological disturbances from agricultural expansion. Read more BNN Breaking
Malaysia's Oil palm industry needs to be revamped to be more sustainable
KUALA LUMPUR — The oil palm industry in Malaysia needs to be revamped, including ensuring the involvement of all related parties, to guarantee the sustainability of the sector in the future.
In stressing this matter, Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Ghani said industry players and smallholders need to work together to develop the industry without involving a lot of government allocations.
“Many issues need to be resolved, not only involving the ministry but also industry players such as the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda), Felcra Bhd and the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda).
“These (institutions) have to be strong so that the smallholders can depend on them. Otherwise, it will be difficult for the smallholders and it will affect their income,” he said on Bernama TV’s Ruang Bicara programme yesterday.
Elaborating further, Johari also emphasised the importance of implementing existing policies to attract interest in the purchasing of finished products as well as raw materials in the long term.
Apart from that, the perception of employment in the industry needs to be changed especially among the younger generation. For example, young people from settler families certainly have a foundation in the industry, he noted.
“Thus, what is needed is professional training through the technical and vocational education training (TVET) that can produce professionals in this industry for the future,” he said, adding that this would help to tackle the labour shortage issues in the industry.
The minister pointed out that the shortage of about 40,000 foreign workers in the oil palm sector has significantly impacted yields, leading to an estimated loss of RM7.9 billion in export value for Malaysia.
Regarding the issue of the European Union’s Deforestation-free Products Regulation (EUDR), he said the government is always aware and compliant with the rules to produce quality palm oil and preserve its sustainability. Read more The Malaysian Reserve
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Petronas urges EU to rethink palm oil phaseout, flags biofuel affordability
- Early palm oil phaseout leaves limited feedstock alternatives: Petronas
- Malaysian palm oil exports to Europe down 42% in 2023
- Consumer willingness to pay for green fuel a key hurdle: Preem
Speaking at London's International Energy Week conference Feb. 27, Bahrin Asmawi, Petronas' downstream strategic planning head, said that blanket bans on palm oil-based feedstocks from Europe risk dampening biofuel demand by squeezing cheap feedstock sources and pushing up prices. Read more SPGlobal
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Govt must source foreign workers with right skills for palm oil industry - Pusma
KUALA LUMPUR: The National Association of Human Resources (Pusma) says there is a necessity for the government to allow the recruitment of Indonesian workers in the palm oil industry.
Its president Zarina Ismail said there is a disparity in the expertise of oil palm plantation workers from different countries, with Indonesians being the primary experts.
"Even if the government opts to employ workers from Bangladesh, not all of them possess the necessary skills. Individuals from Lombok, Indonesia, are known to be adept at palm oil-related tasks.
"They (the government) need to know the workers from which country can contribute in this field and they should not open up to foreign workers who are not experts," she said to the New Straits Times.
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Palm oil industry can get extra RM20bil yield through circular economy, says Ahmad Shabery
PUTRAJAYA: Embracing the circular economy model can yield extra returns of some RM20bil for the palm oil industry, says the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda).
Its chairman, Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, said the revenue could be generated by leveraging the circular economy approach to harness oil palm by-products and biomass and convert them into value-added products.
Ahmad Shabery pointed out that palm oil production produces about 20% of oil palm products, and the remaining 80% is leftover waste or biomass.
“If the circular economy approach is given the right priority, the extra value gained will eventually trickle down to Felda settlers and the smallholders,” he said in his speech on the first day of the 2024 Bumiputera Economic Congress on Thursday (Feb 29).
In a circular economy, products are either recycled, recreated or re-used and returned to the economy after they have served their initial purpose.
Ahmad Shabery said Felda sees the potential to develop the biomass field more intensely, in which leftover waste from the oil palm industry can be converted into products such as fly ash, decanter cake and energy sources such as biodiesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Read more The StarMY
---------
Coconut Oil Production: A Hidden Threat to Tropical Biodiversity, Surpassing Palm Oil
Recent research reveals the alarming threat of coconut oil production to biodiversity in tropical ecosystems, emphasizing the need for sustainable agricultural practices. Explore the study's findings and the call to action for consumers.
Recent research has cast a spotlight on an unexpected environmental culprit: coconut oil production, revealing its considerable threat to biodiversity in tropical ecosystems. This study, appearing in Current Biology, underscores the urgent need for consumers to reconsider the environmental impact of their dietary choices, especially concerning vegetable oils. Unlike its counterparts, coconut oil production impacts an alarming number of threatened species, highlighting a dire need for sustainable agricultural practices.
Unveiling the Hidden Impact
The study's findings are stark: coconut oil production threatens 20 threatened species per million tons produced, a number that significantly overshadows the biodiversity impact of other vegetable oils. Palm oil, often criticized for its environmental impact, affects 3.8 species, while olive and soybean oils impact 4.1 and 1.3 species, respectively. The critical difference lies in the cultivation zones—coconut palms flourish in biodiverse-rich areas like small Pacific islands, where many threatened species reside. These regions, unlike the temperate zones favorable for rapeseed and sunflower cultivation, suffer profound ecological disturbances from agricultural expansion. Read more BNN Breaking
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Feb 28, 2024
Indonesia plans to double palm oil replanting subsidy to 60 mln rupiah per hectare
JAKARTA, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Indonesia plans to double its palm oil replanting subsidy to 60 million rupiah ($3,833.87) per hectare, its chief economic minister Airlangga Hartarto said in a statement on Tuesday, in efforts to accelerate the programme.
Indonesia in 2016 launched a subsidised replanting programme for palm oil, one of its top commodity exports, to boost yields from smallholders without clearing more land.
However, the take-up has been slow due to administrative hurdles and farmers' concerns over loss of income while they wait for the trees to mature, among others.
Airlangga said the government will also review the requirements to join the programme.
The smallholders palm oil replanting scheme initially targeted replacing around 2.5 million hectares of old trees by 2025.
Yet only 326,308 hectares had been approved by the end of 2023, and only 205,524 hectares have actually been planted.
($1 = 15,650.0000 rupiah) Read more on Nasdaq
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Palm oil rejuvenation is hampered by regulations and budget limitations
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Rejuvenation of smallholder oil palms has so far only achieved 30 percent of the target of 180,000 hectares per year. This condition occurs due to regulatory constraints, including regarding land status, and also farmers' limited budgets in rejuvenating their plants.
"One of the obstacles is regulation. "(Therefore), it was requested that the Regulation of the Minister of Agriculture be reviewed because people's gardens cannot bereplanting," said the Coordinating Minister (Menko) for Economy Airlangga Hartarto to journalists at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, Tuesday (27/2/2024).
Airlangga said this after attending a closed meeting chaired by President Joko Widodo regarding the rejuvenation of people's palm oil plants. Apart from Airlangga, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Minister of Trade Zulkifli Hasan, and Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning (ATR) Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono were also present.
Regarding regulatory obstacles, Airlangga mentioned two things that were requested during the meeting. "First, regarding certificate. (And), second, recommendation from KLHK (Ministry of Environment and Forestry)," he said.
Airlangga stated that the recommendation from KLHK is not an easy matter. As a result, the community who wants to obtain a certificate and plant palm trees again cannot do so. For those who already have a certificate, it is hoped that they can immediately rejuvenate their palms as it is considered the right time. Read more on Kompas
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Deforestation-free cocoa: Will producers in the Ivory Coast pay the price for sustainability?
Euronews travels to Adzopé in the Ivory Coast to learn how a cooperative boasting more than 3,000 members has become a pioneer in fair trade and traceable cocoa.
The European Union's new deforestation regulation (EUDR) will come into force at the end of the year. The Ivorian cooperative Cayat told Euronews how it developed a system that ensures the sustainability of its cocoa and higher wages for growers.
"The standards apply to everyone, so we don't take producers who have deforested or who are in protected areas. With climate change here in Africa, the temperatures are high, there's no rain.
"We had anticipated this, even before these rules arrived [EUDR], we were already putting in shade tree nurseries," said Robert Yao Nguettia, the General Secretary of Cayat.
Ake Rosin, the General Secretary of the Women's Association at the Cayat Cooperative also explained to Euronews how shade trees can help cacao plants grow. "We've seen that in recent years we've had too much sun and the cocoa trees can't produce any more. Read more on Euronews
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OPINION-Fueling change – a new era of energy begins
The world stands at a pivotal crossroads in its energy journey. December’s ground-breaking agreement at COP28 in Dubai marked a historic commitment to start moving away from fossil fuels, setting the stage for an intensified focus on renewable energy sources.
Biofuels, particularly sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), are emerging as key players in this transition.
This year, the industry is set to see a major evolution in the role and application of biofuels, underpinned by technological breakthroughs, progressive policies, and a unified global push towards cleaner energy.
As biofuels gear up to lead the discussions at COP29, they are not just alternative energy sources anymore – they are key drivers in our sustainable energy future.
Increasing global consensus
The surge in biofuel adoption is primarily driven by the global consensus on climate action reaffirmed by COP28, which marked the ‘beginning of the end’ of the fossil fuel era, emphasising a swift and equitable transition to renewable energy sources, including biofuels.
COP28’s outcomes highlight the urgent need to cut global greenhouse gas...Biofuels
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OPINION-Palm Fatty Acid Distillate Can be Transformative for Europe
Last month, the EU-based NGO Transport & Environment (T&E) published a report attacking Italian energy giant Eni's use of Palm Fatty Acid Distillate (PFAD) in biofuel production. The report is based on scientific errors and pre-existing bias against palm oil. Unfortunately it epitomizes the hypocrisy shown by many of the promoters of environmental policymaking in Europe.
T&E’s attempts to paint PFAD as somehow unsustainable, is risible and rooted in an old, and long-since disproven, misconception about palm oil cultivation. The reality today is well-known, and widely accepted. PFAD, classified as a “processing residue” by the EU Renewable Energy Directive because it is a waste by-product of palm oil production that producers seek to minimize, is commonly used in products ranging from candles and soaps to animal feed. Now, as demand for sustainable fuel sources grows, it is increasingly important as a feedstock in the production of biodiesel, a sustainable alternative to crude oil-based diesel and aviation fuels that helps to lower fossil fuel emissions from travel and freight.
PFAD can be transformative for industries in Europe and across the world, who are searching for a waste product that is efficiently produced and available in quantity to be used as an advanced energy source. Using PFAD in sustainable biofuels is an efficient way to reduce total environmental impact in alignment with circular economy principles, which advocate recycling existing materials and products as much as possible to avoid excess production and consumption. This is something that European leaders and institutions openly support. In her 2020 State of the Union Address, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said “I want Next Generation EU to make our Union a leader on circular economy.” The following year, the 69th session of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) was dedicated to “Promoting circular economy and sustainable use of natural resources in the UNECE region.”
Transport & Environment, ironically, also support using waste products as advanced fuels. In a recent blog, they wrote, “If the aviation and shipping sectors are to have any chance of survival in a warming world, Europe is in dire need of policies that require a switch from jet oil to cleaner alternatives.” And yet, in the same breath, the same organization is now lobbying against a sustainable and readily available solution. The fact that T&E has, with some success, weaponized its platform against PFAD consumers to the sole benefit of European seed oil producers and the detriment of global environmental progress, points to the failure of European stakeholders to deal with the reality of actually delivering their circular economy statements and ambitions.
Science shows that using PFAD in biofuel production is environmentally responsible. It has been proven to work in multiple case studies and test environments, and other PFAD-based products are already widely and safely used in Europe, as ingredients for animal feed, candles and other products. Meanwhile, T&E and other lobbying groups push against extending this use to aviation biofuels, with no scientific explanation. The warm words around circular economy meet with the cold reality of delivery and execution, and some prefer the comfort of press releases to the hard work of making decisions. Removing PFAD from biofuels would mean promoting alternatives that lead to higher emissions, contradicting sustainable development goals, and undermining the renewable energy transition.
Misinformation is bad wherever it comes from. A shift towards a more fact-based, rational discourse is essential to make real-world advances in sustainable practices, and to mitigate environmental harm. Progress lies in the balance of environmental responsibility, economic rationality, and factual integrity, not in protectionist distortions of reality. My Palm Oil
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EU Biofuels Chain and EBA updated joint position on ETD revision
Following the latest Council Presidency compromise text on the Energy Taxation Directive of 6 February 2024, the EU Biofuels Value Chain and the European Biogas Association sent a letter to the Member States' representatives, underlining that key concerns for the EU biofuel sector have still not been taken into account. First of all, the letter reiterates the fact that sustainable crop-based biofuels cannot be subject to the same minimum tax rates as unsustainable biofuels and fossil fuels: this would be in contradiction with the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) and with the EU’s decarbonization targets. The letter also highlights that the text’s misalignment with the RED on how non-crop biofuels are categorized may lead to unjustifiably high minimum tax rates associated with advanced feedstocks. Finally, it stresses the importance of applying differentiated minimum tax rates to different components of blended products.
Read the full letter here.
Indonesia plans to double palm oil replanting subsidy to 60 mln rupiah per hectare
JAKARTA, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Indonesia plans to double its palm oil replanting subsidy to 60 million rupiah ($3,833.87) per hectare, its chief economic minister Airlangga Hartarto said in a statement on Tuesday, in efforts to accelerate the programme.
Indonesia in 2016 launched a subsidised replanting programme for palm oil, one of its top commodity exports, to boost yields from smallholders without clearing more land.
However, the take-up has been slow due to administrative hurdles and farmers' concerns over loss of income while they wait for the trees to mature, among others.
Airlangga said the government will also review the requirements to join the programme.
The smallholders palm oil replanting scheme initially targeted replacing around 2.5 million hectares of old trees by 2025.
Yet only 326,308 hectares had been approved by the end of 2023, and only 205,524 hectares have actually been planted.
($1 = 15,650.0000 rupiah) Read more on Nasdaq
---------
Palm oil rejuvenation is hampered by regulations and budget limitations
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Rejuvenation of smallholder oil palms has so far only achieved 30 percent of the target of 180,000 hectares per year. This condition occurs due to regulatory constraints, including regarding land status, and also farmers' limited budgets in rejuvenating their plants.
"One of the obstacles is regulation. "(Therefore), it was requested that the Regulation of the Minister of Agriculture be reviewed because people's gardens cannot bereplanting," said the Coordinating Minister (Menko) for Economy Airlangga Hartarto to journalists at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, Tuesday (27/2/2024).
Airlangga said this after attending a closed meeting chaired by President Joko Widodo regarding the rejuvenation of people's palm oil plants. Apart from Airlangga, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Minister of Trade Zulkifli Hasan, and Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning (ATR) Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono were also present.
Regarding regulatory obstacles, Airlangga mentioned two things that were requested during the meeting. "First, regarding certificate. (And), second, recommendation from KLHK (Ministry of Environment and Forestry)," he said.
Airlangga stated that the recommendation from KLHK is not an easy matter. As a result, the community who wants to obtain a certificate and plant palm trees again cannot do so. For those who already have a certificate, it is hoped that they can immediately rejuvenate their palms as it is considered the right time. Read more on Kompas
---------
Deforestation-free cocoa: Will producers in the Ivory Coast pay the price for sustainability?
Euronews travels to Adzopé in the Ivory Coast to learn how a cooperative boasting more than 3,000 members has become a pioneer in fair trade and traceable cocoa.
The European Union's new deforestation regulation (EUDR) will come into force at the end of the year. The Ivorian cooperative Cayat told Euronews how it developed a system that ensures the sustainability of its cocoa and higher wages for growers.
"The standards apply to everyone, so we don't take producers who have deforested or who are in protected areas. With climate change here in Africa, the temperatures are high, there's no rain.
"We had anticipated this, even before these rules arrived [EUDR], we were already putting in shade tree nurseries," said Robert Yao Nguettia, the General Secretary of Cayat.
Ake Rosin, the General Secretary of the Women's Association at the Cayat Cooperative also explained to Euronews how shade trees can help cacao plants grow. "We've seen that in recent years we've had too much sun and the cocoa trees can't produce any more. Read more on Euronews
---------
OPINION-Fueling change – a new era of energy begins
The world stands at a pivotal crossroads in its energy journey. December’s ground-breaking agreement at COP28 in Dubai marked a historic commitment to start moving away from fossil fuels, setting the stage for an intensified focus on renewable energy sources.
Biofuels, particularly sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), are emerging as key players in this transition.
This year, the industry is set to see a major evolution in the role and application of biofuels, underpinned by technological breakthroughs, progressive policies, and a unified global push towards cleaner energy.
As biofuels gear up to lead the discussions at COP29, they are not just alternative energy sources anymore – they are key drivers in our sustainable energy future.
Increasing global consensus
The surge in biofuel adoption is primarily driven by the global consensus on climate action reaffirmed by COP28, which marked the ‘beginning of the end’ of the fossil fuel era, emphasising a swift and equitable transition to renewable energy sources, including biofuels.
COP28’s outcomes highlight the urgent need to cut global greenhouse gas...Biofuels
----------
OPINION-Palm Fatty Acid Distillate Can be Transformative for Europe
Last month, the EU-based NGO Transport & Environment (T&E) published a report attacking Italian energy giant Eni's use of Palm Fatty Acid Distillate (PFAD) in biofuel production. The report is based on scientific errors and pre-existing bias against palm oil. Unfortunately it epitomizes the hypocrisy shown by many of the promoters of environmental policymaking in Europe.
T&E’s attempts to paint PFAD as somehow unsustainable, is risible and rooted in an old, and long-since disproven, misconception about palm oil cultivation. The reality today is well-known, and widely accepted. PFAD, classified as a “processing residue” by the EU Renewable Energy Directive because it is a waste by-product of palm oil production that producers seek to minimize, is commonly used in products ranging from candles and soaps to animal feed. Now, as demand for sustainable fuel sources grows, it is increasingly important as a feedstock in the production of biodiesel, a sustainable alternative to crude oil-based diesel and aviation fuels that helps to lower fossil fuel emissions from travel and freight.
PFAD can be transformative for industries in Europe and across the world, who are searching for a waste product that is efficiently produced and available in quantity to be used as an advanced energy source. Using PFAD in sustainable biofuels is an efficient way to reduce total environmental impact in alignment with circular economy principles, which advocate recycling existing materials and products as much as possible to avoid excess production and consumption. This is something that European leaders and institutions openly support. In her 2020 State of the Union Address, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said “I want Next Generation EU to make our Union a leader on circular economy.” The following year, the 69th session of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) was dedicated to “Promoting circular economy and sustainable use of natural resources in the UNECE region.”
Transport & Environment, ironically, also support using waste products as advanced fuels. In a recent blog, they wrote, “If the aviation and shipping sectors are to have any chance of survival in a warming world, Europe is in dire need of policies that require a switch from jet oil to cleaner alternatives.” And yet, in the same breath, the same organization is now lobbying against a sustainable and readily available solution. The fact that T&E has, with some success, weaponized its platform against PFAD consumers to the sole benefit of European seed oil producers and the detriment of global environmental progress, points to the failure of European stakeholders to deal with the reality of actually delivering their circular economy statements and ambitions.
Science shows that using PFAD in biofuel production is environmentally responsible. It has been proven to work in multiple case studies and test environments, and other PFAD-based products are already widely and safely used in Europe, as ingredients for animal feed, candles and other products. Meanwhile, T&E and other lobbying groups push against extending this use to aviation biofuels, with no scientific explanation. The warm words around circular economy meet with the cold reality of delivery and execution, and some prefer the comfort of press releases to the hard work of making decisions. Removing PFAD from biofuels would mean promoting alternatives that lead to higher emissions, contradicting sustainable development goals, and undermining the renewable energy transition.
Misinformation is bad wherever it comes from. A shift towards a more fact-based, rational discourse is essential to make real-world advances in sustainable practices, and to mitigate environmental harm. Progress lies in the balance of environmental responsibility, economic rationality, and factual integrity, not in protectionist distortions of reality. My Palm Oil
---------
EU Biofuels Chain and EBA updated joint position on ETD revision
Following the latest Council Presidency compromise text on the Energy Taxation Directive of 6 February 2024, the EU Biofuels Value Chain and the European Biogas Association sent a letter to the Member States' representatives, underlining that key concerns for the EU biofuel sector have still not been taken into account. First of all, the letter reiterates the fact that sustainable crop-based biofuels cannot be subject to the same minimum tax rates as unsustainable biofuels and fossil fuels: this would be in contradiction with the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) and with the EU’s decarbonization targets. The letter also highlights that the text’s misalignment with the RED on how non-crop biofuels are categorized may lead to unjustifiably high minimum tax rates associated with advanced feedstocks. Finally, it stresses the importance of applying differentiated minimum tax rates to different components of blended products.
Read the full letter here.
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|
Feb 27, 2024
Global Canopy Report Shows Major Firms Still Failing To Tackle Deforestation
Many global brands with supply chains linked to tropical forest loss do not have a single deforestation policy, according to a report published Tuesday that said 10 years of monitoring showed voluntary action from industry "has failed".
From land clearance for cattle farming to palm oil plantations, there is growing recognition of the human-driven threats to the world's forests and the importance of protecting them in the fight against climate change and devastating biodiversity loss.
Nearly 200 countries at the COP28 climate talks last year gave their support to the goal of halting and reversing deforestation by 2030.
The Forest 500 analysis, by non-profit research group Global Canopy, noted "pockets of progress" from a handful of leading brands.
But 10 years after it first began its annual monitoring of a rolling selection of firms with the biggest impact on tropical forests, the organisation said companies and the financial institutions that fund them are still falling short. Read more on Barrons/AFP
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Nestle sets new targets for protecting nature and banning deforestation-linked cocoa and coffee
The world’s largest food conglomerate has published its 2023 sustainability report pledging to reach and maintain 100% deforestation-free primary supply chains by 2025.
In 2023, Nestle achieved 99.1% of the 100% deforestation-free supply chain target for meat, palm oil, pulp and paper, soy, and sugar. With the newly released sustainability report, the company confirmed the target while also committing to achieving 100% for cocoa and coffee by 2025.
To meet the deforestation-free goal and limit the firm’s impact on nature, the food giant committed to:
REFORESTATION PROGRAMME Read more on Carbon Pulse
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Hope as Kyotera oil palm project takes shape
What you need to know:
In October 2021, the government embarked on reclaiming Sango Bay Estate land measuring 247 square miles for oil palm growing, a project expected to create about 20,000 jobs for youth, especially from Kyotera and Rakai districts
Residents of Kyotera District can now be assured of seeing the long-awaited oil palm project kick off following the setting up of nursery beds in the area.
In October 2021, the government embarked on reclaiming Sango Bay Estate land measuring 247 square miles for oil palm growing, a project expected to create about 20,000 jobs for youth, especially from Kyotera and Rakai districts.
The land covers the sub-counties of Kabira, Kakuuto, Mayanja Kyebe, Mutukula, and Kasensero in Kyotera District, and part of it previously harboured refugees. Read more on MonitorUG
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Ghana's Oil Palm Farmers Cry Over Smuggling
Over 300,000 workers in Ghana’s oil palm and refinery sector are at risk of losing their jobs as the industry faces its worst fears of impending collapse.
This follows the constant smuggling of vegetable oil to the country through unapproved routes by some traders, depriving the local producers of over 600,000 metric tonnes of vegetable oil production monthly.
Executive Secretary, of the Oil Palm Development Association of Ghana [OPDAG], Selorm Quame, speaking at a sensitization workshop held for Accra market women on how to curb the smuggling of vegetable oil onto the market, explained that there are 560,000 farmers and about 300,000 refinery workers who are at risk of losing their jobs due to some market women dealing with vegetable oil smugglers.
According to him, the OPDAG cannot assure buyers and consumers of the food safety standards and hygienic conditions under which the smuggled vegetable oil is produced.
He added that the local oil production cannot be compromised because it is done under good hygienic conditions and its food safety standards are certified by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) /Ghana Standard Authority (GSA).
“OPDAG is focused on promoting sustainability palm oil production, processing and trading in Ghana,” Selorm Quame added Read more on Daily Guide
Global Canopy Report Shows Major Firms Still Failing To Tackle Deforestation
Many global brands with supply chains linked to tropical forest loss do not have a single deforestation policy, according to a report published Tuesday that said 10 years of monitoring showed voluntary action from industry "has failed".
From land clearance for cattle farming to palm oil plantations, there is growing recognition of the human-driven threats to the world's forests and the importance of protecting them in the fight against climate change and devastating biodiversity loss.
Nearly 200 countries at the COP28 climate talks last year gave their support to the goal of halting and reversing deforestation by 2030.
The Forest 500 analysis, by non-profit research group Global Canopy, noted "pockets of progress" from a handful of leading brands.
But 10 years after it first began its annual monitoring of a rolling selection of firms with the biggest impact on tropical forests, the organisation said companies and the financial institutions that fund them are still falling short. Read more on Barrons/AFP
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Nestle sets new targets for protecting nature and banning deforestation-linked cocoa and coffee
The world’s largest food conglomerate has published its 2023 sustainability report pledging to reach and maintain 100% deforestation-free primary supply chains by 2025.
In 2023, Nestle achieved 99.1% of the 100% deforestation-free supply chain target for meat, palm oil, pulp and paper, soy, and sugar. With the newly released sustainability report, the company confirmed the target while also committing to achieving 100% for cocoa and coffee by 2025.
To meet the deforestation-free goal and limit the firm’s impact on nature, the food giant committed to:
- Use tools such as farm assessments, certification, and satellite monitoring
- Work on long-term forest conservation and restoration in its supply chains
- Foster regenerative landscapes
REFORESTATION PROGRAMME Read more on Carbon Pulse
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Hope as Kyotera oil palm project takes shape
What you need to know:
In October 2021, the government embarked on reclaiming Sango Bay Estate land measuring 247 square miles for oil palm growing, a project expected to create about 20,000 jobs for youth, especially from Kyotera and Rakai districts
Residents of Kyotera District can now be assured of seeing the long-awaited oil palm project kick off following the setting up of nursery beds in the area.
In October 2021, the government embarked on reclaiming Sango Bay Estate land measuring 247 square miles for oil palm growing, a project expected to create about 20,000 jobs for youth, especially from Kyotera and Rakai districts.
The land covers the sub-counties of Kabira, Kakuuto, Mayanja Kyebe, Mutukula, and Kasensero in Kyotera District, and part of it previously harboured refugees. Read more on MonitorUG
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Ghana's Oil Palm Farmers Cry Over Smuggling
Over 300,000 workers in Ghana’s oil palm and refinery sector are at risk of losing their jobs as the industry faces its worst fears of impending collapse.
This follows the constant smuggling of vegetable oil to the country through unapproved routes by some traders, depriving the local producers of over 600,000 metric tonnes of vegetable oil production monthly.
Executive Secretary, of the Oil Palm Development Association of Ghana [OPDAG], Selorm Quame, speaking at a sensitization workshop held for Accra market women on how to curb the smuggling of vegetable oil onto the market, explained that there are 560,000 farmers and about 300,000 refinery workers who are at risk of losing their jobs due to some market women dealing with vegetable oil smugglers.
According to him, the OPDAG cannot assure buyers and consumers of the food safety standards and hygienic conditions under which the smuggled vegetable oil is produced.
He added that the local oil production cannot be compromised because it is done under good hygienic conditions and its food safety standards are certified by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) /Ghana Standard Authority (GSA).
“OPDAG is focused on promoting sustainability palm oil production, processing and trading in Ghana,” Selorm Quame added Read more on Daily Guide
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Feb 26, 2024
EUDR: How Can it Address Malaysia’s Concerns?
On February 2nd, the EU convened its second Joint Task Force (JTF) meeting with Malaysia and Indonesia since the ad hoc body was formed last June. The JTF’s stated purpose is to address concerns related to the implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), and a key question is whether it is the right format to not only address the many concerns that producers have, but also to act upon those concerns.
Many of these concerns relate to the EUDR’s marginalisation of Malaysian farmers, especially the 450,000 smallholders that form the backbone of the Malaysian palm oil community. Palm oil smallholders play a critical role in uplifting rural livelihoods and promoting socio-economic development. They also contribute greatly to ensuring food security. Despite this, the EU has failed to regard smallholders as an essential stakeholder and partner, with the consequence that the EUDR undermines the smallholder farmers, and will have serious negative consequences for those families if it is not changed.
A core question now is – how could the JTF become a forum for a win-win solution, supporting the EU’s objectives of rebuilding relations and addressing implementation – but also meeting Malaysia’s needs of substantive changes to problematic areas of EUDR?
First, it should identify a path forward that allows the EU to delay the implementation of the EUDR. The current deadline is unworkable and risks creating far-reaching harm, especially for small farmers, that could be avoided through a more deliberative and balanced approach. Some European companies are already advocating such a delay, and recent precedent indicates that one is attainable. Read more on My Palm Policy
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EU deforestation law means uncertainty for African coffee farmers
ANALYSIS | AGENCIES | Many African smallholder coffee farmers, who primarily sell their harvest to European markets, now find their main source of income in jeopardy.
In 2023, the European Union (EU) established mandatory rules for companies dealing in commodities such as coffee, palm oil, and cocoa. The rules are designed to ensure that products imported to Europe do not originate from deforested land, land acquired forcibly from local and/or indigenous communities, or whose cultivation involves labor and/or human rights abuses. To avoid heavy fines, companies must prove compliance by the end of 2024.
“We’re not seeing many buyers this year,” Tsegaye Anebo, general manager of Ethiopia’s Sidama Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union, told DW. Typically, farmers receive orders for beans that will be sold in supermarkets and shops months later, but Anebo said the unclear consequences of the new EU regulations have created a “sense of ambiguity in the market.” His observation is shared by several other African traders, such as the Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperatives Union, which has raised concerns over EU companies shunning their products.
The EU’s anti-deforestation law, known as EUDR, has garnered praise from environmental organizations, including Greenpeace, for assuring Europeans that the items in their shopping carts are not sourced from deforested areas. However, critics argue the new laws may penalize smallholder coffee farmers around the world, particularly in Africa, possibly resulting in a coffee shortage in Europe.
How to know if coffee comes from deforested land Read more on IndependentUG
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Majority of WTO members sign investment deal for development
ABU DHABI – More than 120 WTO member states have finalised an agreement that aims to facilitate investment in developing countries by improving transparency and clearing bureaucratic hurdles, the global trade body said Sunday.
The Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) Agreement, signed by 75 percent of the World Trade Organization’s members, would require full consensus before it could be formally incorporated, as per the body’s rules.
Despite broad backing, some members may still oppose its integration into the WTO, including India, which typically objects to agreements that do not cover all countries.
The deal was made public on the WTO’s website hours before the trade body kicked off its 13th ministerial conference in Abu Dhabi.
The deal aims to facilitate “the flow of foreign direct investment… particularly to developing and least-developed” countries with the aim of fostering sustainable development, according to the text.
To achieve this, participating countries have agreed “to improve the transparency of measures, streamline administrative procedures, adopt other investment facilitation measures and promote international cooperation.” The Malaysian Reserve
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ESOPP has simplified investment process in oil palm industry in Edo – Bragav MD
The Edo State Oil Palm Programme (ESOPP), an initiative of the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration aimed at diversifying the economic base of the state by de-risking the oil palm sub-sector to create jobs, improve livelihoods, and contribute to forest management and restoration, has been in operation since 2019, making it easy for investors to invest in the oil palm business in the state. Bragav Nigeria Limited is one of the companies that have benefitted from the job that ESOPP is doing. The Managing Director of Bragav Nigeria Limited, Erhunse Oviawe, in this interview with Osa Victor Obayagbona and Chuks Oluigbo, shares his company’s experience as an investor in the oil palm sub-sector in Edo State. Excerpts:
How long has Bragav Nigeria Limited been in operation in Edo State and what has been your experience in those years? Read more on Nigerian Observer
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Samyang Foods Invests in New Palm Oil Refinery Plant in Wonju
Samyang Foods will establish a palm oil refining plant near its Wonju plant in Gangwon Province.
Wonju City and Samyang Food signed an investment agreement on the 26th. Samyang Foods will invest 19.6 billion won in land near the Wonju plant by the first half of 2025. It also plans to hire 30 new production workers.
Accordingly, Wonju City plans to support the rapid licensing process. Wonju City expects the investment to contribute greatly to improving local tax revenues, creating local jobs and revitalizing the economy.
Wonju Mayor Won Kang-soo said, "This investment agreement will serve as a stepping stone for win-win growth for regions and companies," adding, "We plan to spare administrative support so that the new plant can proceed smoothly." Read more on MKKR
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Wooing local labor through mechanisation
Sime Darby Plantation’s initiative to replace its migrant workers with Malaysians seen as the way of the future.
PETALING JAYA: Migrants have long accounted for the majority of workers in the traditionally labour-intensive plantation sector.
In 2022, Bloomberg reported that despite attractive incentives, Malaysians had shown little interest in working in the plantation sector, leaving migrants to dominate the labour force. They now account for about 85% of all workers.
The majority of tasks on palm oil plantations involve harvesting activities and the evacuation of fruits from the estates.
The government, concerned about the outflow of the ringgit as foreign workers repatriate their earnings, and the higher level of unemployment among Malaysians, has urged the plantation sector to find solutions for this decades old problem.
A sector-wide revamp will make a career in the sector a more attractive option for young Malaysians.
In the 2024 budget which was tabled on Oct 13, last year, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is also finance minister, said that embracing mechanisation will enhance productivity in agriculture.
“To increase productivity and reduce dependence on foreign labour through mechanisation and automation such as drones and self-driving vehicles, the scope of automation tax incentives will be expanded to cover the commodities sector under the ministry of plantation and commodities,” said Anwar. Read more on FMT
EUDR: How Can it Address Malaysia’s Concerns?
On February 2nd, the EU convened its second Joint Task Force (JTF) meeting with Malaysia and Indonesia since the ad hoc body was formed last June. The JTF’s stated purpose is to address concerns related to the implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), and a key question is whether it is the right format to not only address the many concerns that producers have, but also to act upon those concerns.
Many of these concerns relate to the EUDR’s marginalisation of Malaysian farmers, especially the 450,000 smallholders that form the backbone of the Malaysian palm oil community. Palm oil smallholders play a critical role in uplifting rural livelihoods and promoting socio-economic development. They also contribute greatly to ensuring food security. Despite this, the EU has failed to regard smallholders as an essential stakeholder and partner, with the consequence that the EUDR undermines the smallholder farmers, and will have serious negative consequences for those families if it is not changed.
A core question now is – how could the JTF become a forum for a win-win solution, supporting the EU’s objectives of rebuilding relations and addressing implementation – but also meeting Malaysia’s needs of substantive changes to problematic areas of EUDR?
First, it should identify a path forward that allows the EU to delay the implementation of the EUDR. The current deadline is unworkable and risks creating far-reaching harm, especially for small farmers, that could be avoided through a more deliberative and balanced approach. Some European companies are already advocating such a delay, and recent precedent indicates that one is attainable. Read more on My Palm Policy
---------
EU deforestation law means uncertainty for African coffee farmers
ANALYSIS | AGENCIES | Many African smallholder coffee farmers, who primarily sell their harvest to European markets, now find their main source of income in jeopardy.
In 2023, the European Union (EU) established mandatory rules for companies dealing in commodities such as coffee, palm oil, and cocoa. The rules are designed to ensure that products imported to Europe do not originate from deforested land, land acquired forcibly from local and/or indigenous communities, or whose cultivation involves labor and/or human rights abuses. To avoid heavy fines, companies must prove compliance by the end of 2024.
“We’re not seeing many buyers this year,” Tsegaye Anebo, general manager of Ethiopia’s Sidama Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union, told DW. Typically, farmers receive orders for beans that will be sold in supermarkets and shops months later, but Anebo said the unclear consequences of the new EU regulations have created a “sense of ambiguity in the market.” His observation is shared by several other African traders, such as the Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperatives Union, which has raised concerns over EU companies shunning their products.
The EU’s anti-deforestation law, known as EUDR, has garnered praise from environmental organizations, including Greenpeace, for assuring Europeans that the items in their shopping carts are not sourced from deforested areas. However, critics argue the new laws may penalize smallholder coffee farmers around the world, particularly in Africa, possibly resulting in a coffee shortage in Europe.
How to know if coffee comes from deforested land Read more on IndependentUG
---------
Majority of WTO members sign investment deal for development
ABU DHABI – More than 120 WTO member states have finalised an agreement that aims to facilitate investment in developing countries by improving transparency and clearing bureaucratic hurdles, the global trade body said Sunday.
The Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) Agreement, signed by 75 percent of the World Trade Organization’s members, would require full consensus before it could be formally incorporated, as per the body’s rules.
Despite broad backing, some members may still oppose its integration into the WTO, including India, which typically objects to agreements that do not cover all countries.
The deal was made public on the WTO’s website hours before the trade body kicked off its 13th ministerial conference in Abu Dhabi.
The deal aims to facilitate “the flow of foreign direct investment… particularly to developing and least-developed” countries with the aim of fostering sustainable development, according to the text.
To achieve this, participating countries have agreed “to improve the transparency of measures, streamline administrative procedures, adopt other investment facilitation measures and promote international cooperation.” The Malaysian Reserve
---------
ESOPP has simplified investment process in oil palm industry in Edo – Bragav MD
The Edo State Oil Palm Programme (ESOPP), an initiative of the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration aimed at diversifying the economic base of the state by de-risking the oil palm sub-sector to create jobs, improve livelihoods, and contribute to forest management and restoration, has been in operation since 2019, making it easy for investors to invest in the oil palm business in the state. Bragav Nigeria Limited is one of the companies that have benefitted from the job that ESOPP is doing. The Managing Director of Bragav Nigeria Limited, Erhunse Oviawe, in this interview with Osa Victor Obayagbona and Chuks Oluigbo, shares his company’s experience as an investor in the oil palm sub-sector in Edo State. Excerpts:
How long has Bragav Nigeria Limited been in operation in Edo State and what has been your experience in those years? Read more on Nigerian Observer
---------
Samyang Foods Invests in New Palm Oil Refinery Plant in Wonju
Samyang Foods will establish a palm oil refining plant near its Wonju plant in Gangwon Province.
Wonju City and Samyang Food signed an investment agreement on the 26th. Samyang Foods will invest 19.6 billion won in land near the Wonju plant by the first half of 2025. It also plans to hire 30 new production workers.
Accordingly, Wonju City plans to support the rapid licensing process. Wonju City expects the investment to contribute greatly to improving local tax revenues, creating local jobs and revitalizing the economy.
Wonju Mayor Won Kang-soo said, "This investment agreement will serve as a stepping stone for win-win growth for regions and companies," adding, "We plan to spare administrative support so that the new plant can proceed smoothly." Read more on MKKR
---------
Wooing local labor through mechanisation
Sime Darby Plantation’s initiative to replace its migrant workers with Malaysians seen as the way of the future.
PETALING JAYA: Migrants have long accounted for the majority of workers in the traditionally labour-intensive plantation sector.
In 2022, Bloomberg reported that despite attractive incentives, Malaysians had shown little interest in working in the plantation sector, leaving migrants to dominate the labour force. They now account for about 85% of all workers.
The majority of tasks on palm oil plantations involve harvesting activities and the evacuation of fruits from the estates.
The government, concerned about the outflow of the ringgit as foreign workers repatriate their earnings, and the higher level of unemployment among Malaysians, has urged the plantation sector to find solutions for this decades old problem.
A sector-wide revamp will make a career in the sector a more attractive option for young Malaysians.
In the 2024 budget which was tabled on Oct 13, last year, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is also finance minister, said that embracing mechanisation will enhance productivity in agriculture.
“To increase productivity and reduce dependence on foreign labour through mechanisation and automation such as drones and self-driving vehicles, the scope of automation tax incentives will be expanded to cover the commodities sector under the ministry of plantation and commodities,” said Anwar. Read more on FMT
|
|
Feb 25, 2024
India’s trajectory toward food security hinges upon palm oil cultivation
It will enable the country to wean itself off import shipments and save the exchequer millions
Edible oils are among India’s most imported commodities, second only to petroleum and gold. With nearly 60 per cent of the country’s annual consumption of 25 million tonnes shipped in from overseas, the edible oil import bill surged 34 per cent to ₹1.57 lakh crore for the 2021-22 oil year.
The 2022-23 oil year has started on the same note. With the consumption of edible oil expected to rise at two to three per cent per annum, total imports of edible oils by India shot up 25 per cent in the first nine months (November 2022 to July 2023).
As the country strives to meet the needs of its 1.4 billion-strong population, it is herein that a boost to production of Palm Oil locally, which represents 33.4 per cent of total edible oil consumption and 59 per cent of the total edible oil imports, can aid the country and slash the import bill.
Why palm oil?
India is the world’s largest importer and second-largest consumer of palm oil. The commodity accounts for the biggest share of the country’s edible oils import pie, with its appeal owing to its neutral taste profile. This renders it a versatile ingredient for a vast array of applications – from ketchups to shampoos.
Boosting domestic production of palm oil, as a result, is key to paving the way for India to become a food-secure nation, enabling it to wean itself off import shipments and saving the state exchequer millions every year. Beyond its financial implications, the oil palm crop also outperforms other oil-producing counterparts in terms of productivity.
Efficient use of farmland
While the Indian agricultural landscape hosts an array of oil-yielding crops such as rapeseed, soya, rice bran, sunflower, groundnut, mustard, and cotton, they all require a lot more land for a certain amount of oil in comparison to the oil palm’s impressive output. Read more on Businessline
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Arjun Munda calls for suggestions amid impasse between Centre, farmers
The Centre however expressed readiness for the fifth round of talks with the farmers while urging them to find a solution through 'dialogue'
Amid a deadlock in talks between farmers and the central government, Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda appealed to the citizens to maintain peace and has invited suggestions.
Speaking to ANI, Agriculture Minister Munda said, "We should try to maintain peace in the country. We have always conversed and held talks in order to find a solution and will continue to do so. We welcome all the suggestions, too. I hope we will discuss the issue further. The Government of India is dedicated to the development of the agriculture sector," Munda said.
The protesting farmers, whose demands include a legal guarantee for minimum support price, had earlier rejected the government's offer after the fourth round of talks.
The Centre however expressed readiness for the fifth round of talks with the farmers while urging them to find a solution through 'dialogue'.
"After the fourth round, the government is ready to discuss all the issues like MSP, crop diversification, stubble issue, FIR in the fifth round. I again invite the farmer leaders for discussion," Arjun Munda said while speaking to ANI on Wednesday. Read more on Business Standard
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Poland Eyes Indonesian Palm Shells in Kalimantan as Renewable Energy Source
EMPO.CO, Pontianak - Indonesian state-owned port operation company Pelindo II stated that Poland expressed a high level of interest in palm shells in West Kalimantan to be used as a raw material source for producing its renewable energy.
"The Polish Embassy has visited West Kalimantan and seen port activities. They are interested in the potential of palm shells as raw materials for renewable energy," said Pelindo II Pontianak General Manager, Hambar Wiyadi, in Pontianak, Saturday, Feb. 24.
He explained that from the port side, export activities to various countries are ready, especially through the Kijing Terminal Port in Mempawah District.
Dwikora Port cannot be docked by large ships because it is shallow. However, Kijing Port allows depths of up to 16 meters," he remarked.
Meanwhile, Deputy Head of Mission of the Polish Embassy, Piotr Firlus, stated that so far, Poland has received energy sources, such as coal from Indonesia, which is from Kalimantan and Sumatra.
Currently, environmentally friendly energy sources, such as palm shells, are being explored.
"We saw and heard that West Kalimantan is a fairly large producer of palm shells and has a new port that is quite large and can accommodate large ships. Hence, this is a great potential for synergy with each other," he affirmed. Read more on Tempo
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ENI, a multinational struggling to keep its commitments
The Transport and Environment NGO singles out the Italian company ENI. The oil company is accused of not keeping its commitments, but also of not having achieved the objectives announced for local farmers in Africa.
The NGO Transport & Environment (T&E) highlights the difficulties encountered by the major oil company ENI in its biofuel initiatives in Africa. The Italian energy giant has launched a vast program in six African countries aimed at growing castor oil for biofuel.
ENI says it can produce biofuels sustainably, benefiting African farmers, as part of a new partnership between Italy and Africa. However, in Kenya, the results are disappointing, with only a quarter of production targets achieved in 2023. Small-scale farmers lacked logistical support and adequate training, and their production was heavily impacted by the drought.
In Congo-Brazzaville, the results were even less satisfactory, with production not even having gone beyond the testing stage. ENI, however, relies on large agro-industrial companies in this country, raising questions about the adaptability of plants to the local context and the impact on local populations, particularly in terms of land grabbing. Read more on Le Journal de Lafrique
India’s trajectory toward food security hinges upon palm oil cultivation
It will enable the country to wean itself off import shipments and save the exchequer millions
Edible oils are among India’s most imported commodities, second only to petroleum and gold. With nearly 60 per cent of the country’s annual consumption of 25 million tonnes shipped in from overseas, the edible oil import bill surged 34 per cent to ₹1.57 lakh crore for the 2021-22 oil year.
The 2022-23 oil year has started on the same note. With the consumption of edible oil expected to rise at two to three per cent per annum, total imports of edible oils by India shot up 25 per cent in the first nine months (November 2022 to July 2023).
As the country strives to meet the needs of its 1.4 billion-strong population, it is herein that a boost to production of Palm Oil locally, which represents 33.4 per cent of total edible oil consumption and 59 per cent of the total edible oil imports, can aid the country and slash the import bill.
Why palm oil?
India is the world’s largest importer and second-largest consumer of palm oil. The commodity accounts for the biggest share of the country’s edible oils import pie, with its appeal owing to its neutral taste profile. This renders it a versatile ingredient for a vast array of applications – from ketchups to shampoos.
Boosting domestic production of palm oil, as a result, is key to paving the way for India to become a food-secure nation, enabling it to wean itself off import shipments and saving the state exchequer millions every year. Beyond its financial implications, the oil palm crop also outperforms other oil-producing counterparts in terms of productivity.
Efficient use of farmland
While the Indian agricultural landscape hosts an array of oil-yielding crops such as rapeseed, soya, rice bran, sunflower, groundnut, mustard, and cotton, they all require a lot more land for a certain amount of oil in comparison to the oil palm’s impressive output. Read more on Businessline
---------
Arjun Munda calls for suggestions amid impasse between Centre, farmers
The Centre however expressed readiness for the fifth round of talks with the farmers while urging them to find a solution through 'dialogue'
Amid a deadlock in talks between farmers and the central government, Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda appealed to the citizens to maintain peace and has invited suggestions.
Speaking to ANI, Agriculture Minister Munda said, "We should try to maintain peace in the country. We have always conversed and held talks in order to find a solution and will continue to do so. We welcome all the suggestions, too. I hope we will discuss the issue further. The Government of India is dedicated to the development of the agriculture sector," Munda said.
The protesting farmers, whose demands include a legal guarantee for minimum support price, had earlier rejected the government's offer after the fourth round of talks.
The Centre however expressed readiness for the fifth round of talks with the farmers while urging them to find a solution through 'dialogue'.
"After the fourth round, the government is ready to discuss all the issues like MSP, crop diversification, stubble issue, FIR in the fifth round. I again invite the farmer leaders for discussion," Arjun Munda said while speaking to ANI on Wednesday. Read more on Business Standard
---------
Poland Eyes Indonesian Palm Shells in Kalimantan as Renewable Energy Source
EMPO.CO, Pontianak - Indonesian state-owned port operation company Pelindo II stated that Poland expressed a high level of interest in palm shells in West Kalimantan to be used as a raw material source for producing its renewable energy.
"The Polish Embassy has visited West Kalimantan and seen port activities. They are interested in the potential of palm shells as raw materials for renewable energy," said Pelindo II Pontianak General Manager, Hambar Wiyadi, in Pontianak, Saturday, Feb. 24.
He explained that from the port side, export activities to various countries are ready, especially through the Kijing Terminal Port in Mempawah District.
Dwikora Port cannot be docked by large ships because it is shallow. However, Kijing Port allows depths of up to 16 meters," he remarked.
Meanwhile, Deputy Head of Mission of the Polish Embassy, Piotr Firlus, stated that so far, Poland has received energy sources, such as coal from Indonesia, which is from Kalimantan and Sumatra.
Currently, environmentally friendly energy sources, such as palm shells, are being explored.
"We saw and heard that West Kalimantan is a fairly large producer of palm shells and has a new port that is quite large and can accommodate large ships. Hence, this is a great potential for synergy with each other," he affirmed. Read more on Tempo
---------
ENI, a multinational struggling to keep its commitments
The Transport and Environment NGO singles out the Italian company ENI. The oil company is accused of not keeping its commitments, but also of not having achieved the objectives announced for local farmers in Africa.
The NGO Transport & Environment (T&E) highlights the difficulties encountered by the major oil company ENI in its biofuel initiatives in Africa. The Italian energy giant has launched a vast program in six African countries aimed at growing castor oil for biofuel.
ENI says it can produce biofuels sustainably, benefiting African farmers, as part of a new partnership between Italy and Africa. However, in Kenya, the results are disappointing, with only a quarter of production targets achieved in 2023. Small-scale farmers lacked logistical support and adequate training, and their production was heavily impacted by the drought.
In Congo-Brazzaville, the results were even less satisfactory, with production not even having gone beyond the testing stage. ENI, however, relies on large agro-industrial companies in this country, raising questions about the adaptability of plants to the local context and the impact on local populations, particularly in terms of land grabbing. Read more on Le Journal de Lafrique
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Feb 24, 2024
China to Import More Palm Oil From Malaysia
KOTA KINABALU: Deputy Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Chan Foong Hin said Malaysian palm oil exports to China will be increased by 3.4 million metric tonnes this year.
“We are building on last year’s agreements to strengthen agricultural and palm oil cooperation,” he said at the Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce Sabah branch Lunar New Year Celebration 2024, here.
The celebration commemorated the 50th anniversary of Malaysia-China diplomatic relations.
“Currently, China is Malaysia’s second-largest palm oil export market. In 2023, Malaysia exported palm oil worth RM5.66 billion (1.47 million metric tonnes) to China,” he said.
China is an important market for downstream palm oil industries and palm oil products in Malaysia.
“My Ministry, through the Malaysian Palm Oil Board, has collaborated with several prominent Chinese food conglomerates such as Fujian Panpan Foods Group, Dali Foods Group and Grains Oils and Foods Co. Ltd, on various research and development initiatives for palm oil plantations,” he said.
He said this aims to increase the value-added of palm oil in downstream products, including food ingredients (such as Mala hot pot), oleochemicals and animal feed.
“I am also pleased to learn that Grand Industrial Holding’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Grand Oils and Fats (Dongguan) Co. Ltd is the first facility outside of Malaysia and in the People’s Republic of China to be certified with Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil Supply Chain Certification Standard (MSPO SCCS) since Oct 21, 2022,” he said.
He said these achievements reflect the close trade relations between Malaysia and China and the mutually beneficial cooperation established between the two countries.
He also noted that during his tenure as Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security last year, he actively promoted the protocol for fresh durian exports to China to be materialised this year. Daily Express
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Draghi Urges EU to Ready Huge Investment as World Order Shifts
(Bloomberg) -- The European Union must find ways of financing massive investment quickly to catch up with major shifts in the world order, according to Mario Draghi.
“Many profound changes have taken place in the last few years in the global economic order,” he said on Saturday. “These changes have a variety of consequences, one of which is clear is that we’ll have to invest an enormous amount in a relatively short time in Europe.”
The former head of the European Central Bank has been tasked with writing a report on how to make the EU more competitive. He spoke in Ghent, Belgium, where he met the bloc’s finance ministers, with attention focused on the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The war has pushed defense spending to the top of the agenda as Draghi sounds out member states on ways to boost the region’s economy in an increasingly hostile global environment.
During Saturday’s discussion, he underlined the need for bold action to cover the cost of the green and digital transitions, as well as defense, while maintaining Europe’s social models, people familiar with the discussion said. Read more on Bloomberg
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RSPO, SOLIDARIDAD LATAM SIGN JOINT DECLARATION OF SUPPORT FOR SUSTAINABLE PALM OIL
Villahermosa, Mexico, February 2024: The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and Solidaridad Latin America have signed a joint declaration in support of Latin America’s sustainable and inclusive palm oil industry, bolstering efforts to uplift smallholders on the path towards sustainability and certification.
Leveraging its over 50 years of experience in developing inclusive and sustainable value chains, Solidaridad’s programme in Latin America has united efforts of six countries – Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru – to work together towards balancing palm oil production with the conservation of natural resources and well-being of communities, focusing on long-term environmental and social responsibility.
With the joint declaration signed on 27 October 2023, the alliance forged between RSPO and Solidaridad will enable the implementation of regional strategies to support oil palm smallholders, including bringing together local, regional, national and international actors to achieve region-wide results. It also seeks to align oil palm farming practices with internationally recognised sustainability standards, such as the RSPO Principles and Criteria (P&C) and the Independent Smallholder (ISH) Standard.
Among the goals of the collaboration are: Read more on RSPO
China to Import More Palm Oil From Malaysia
KOTA KINABALU: Deputy Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Chan Foong Hin said Malaysian palm oil exports to China will be increased by 3.4 million metric tonnes this year.
“We are building on last year’s agreements to strengthen agricultural and palm oil cooperation,” he said at the Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce Sabah branch Lunar New Year Celebration 2024, here.
The celebration commemorated the 50th anniversary of Malaysia-China diplomatic relations.
“Currently, China is Malaysia’s second-largest palm oil export market. In 2023, Malaysia exported palm oil worth RM5.66 billion (1.47 million metric tonnes) to China,” he said.
China is an important market for downstream palm oil industries and palm oil products in Malaysia.
“My Ministry, through the Malaysian Palm Oil Board, has collaborated with several prominent Chinese food conglomerates such as Fujian Panpan Foods Group, Dali Foods Group and Grains Oils and Foods Co. Ltd, on various research and development initiatives for palm oil plantations,” he said.
He said this aims to increase the value-added of palm oil in downstream products, including food ingredients (such as Mala hot pot), oleochemicals and animal feed.
“I am also pleased to learn that Grand Industrial Holding’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Grand Oils and Fats (Dongguan) Co. Ltd is the first facility outside of Malaysia and in the People’s Republic of China to be certified with Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil Supply Chain Certification Standard (MSPO SCCS) since Oct 21, 2022,” he said.
He said these achievements reflect the close trade relations between Malaysia and China and the mutually beneficial cooperation established between the two countries.
He also noted that during his tenure as Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security last year, he actively promoted the protocol for fresh durian exports to China to be materialised this year. Daily Express
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Draghi Urges EU to Ready Huge Investment as World Order Shifts
(Bloomberg) -- The European Union must find ways of financing massive investment quickly to catch up with major shifts in the world order, according to Mario Draghi.
“Many profound changes have taken place in the last few years in the global economic order,” he said on Saturday. “These changes have a variety of consequences, one of which is clear is that we’ll have to invest an enormous amount in a relatively short time in Europe.”
The former head of the European Central Bank has been tasked with writing a report on how to make the EU more competitive. He spoke in Ghent, Belgium, where he met the bloc’s finance ministers, with attention focused on the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The war has pushed defense spending to the top of the agenda as Draghi sounds out member states on ways to boost the region’s economy in an increasingly hostile global environment.
During Saturday’s discussion, he underlined the need for bold action to cover the cost of the green and digital transitions, as well as defense, while maintaining Europe’s social models, people familiar with the discussion said. Read more on Bloomberg
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RSPO, SOLIDARIDAD LATAM SIGN JOINT DECLARATION OF SUPPORT FOR SUSTAINABLE PALM OIL
Villahermosa, Mexico, February 2024: The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and Solidaridad Latin America have signed a joint declaration in support of Latin America’s sustainable and inclusive palm oil industry, bolstering efforts to uplift smallholders on the path towards sustainability and certification.
Leveraging its over 50 years of experience in developing inclusive and sustainable value chains, Solidaridad’s programme in Latin America has united efforts of six countries – Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru – to work together towards balancing palm oil production with the conservation of natural resources and well-being of communities, focusing on long-term environmental and social responsibility.
With the joint declaration signed on 27 October 2023, the alliance forged between RSPO and Solidaridad will enable the implementation of regional strategies to support oil palm smallholders, including bringing together local, regional, national and international actors to achieve region-wide results. It also seeks to align oil palm farming practices with internationally recognised sustainability standards, such as the RSPO Principles and Criteria (P&C) and the Independent Smallholder (ISH) Standard.
Among the goals of the collaboration are: Read more on RSPO
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Feb 22, 2024
The Secretary General of the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) responded to Bill Gates
WHAT GATES CALLED “THE WORST CULPRIT" OF CLIMATE CHANGE IS ACTUALLY THE WORLD’S SAVIOR FROM AN ECOLOGICAL DISASTER
The Secretary General of the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC), Dr. Rizal Affandi Lukman, responded to Bill Gates, the investor of C16 Biosciences, who stated that palm oil is the worst culprit of climate change. Gates, funded USD 3.5 million through Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to a research program to find an alternative material to palm oil from yeast, a microorganism that grows on foods after going through fermentation. Gates felt the need to fund this research program because the vegetable oils consumed globally play a part in wildfires in the forests and peatlands of Indonesia and Malaysia in 2018, which released 1.4% global emission.
The CPOPC Secretary General found that what Bill Gates shared in his blog is misleading, and a way to form public’s opinion without basing it on accurate data by stating that palm oil is the cause of deforestation.
The Governments of Indonesia and Malaysia have been making extensive efforts to ensure that their palm oil is produced sustainably, one of which is by stopping the land expansion for new oil palm plantation. World Research Institute showed a significant reduction on the deforestation in Indonesia and Malaysia since 2017. Both countries continue committing to improve the productivity of existing plantations without opening new lands through their national regulations, including their sustainability certifications.
Gates might not be aware that palm oil is the only vegetable oil being subjected to the most stringent certification requirements vis-à-vis other vegetable oils. From the mandatory national certification schemes, i.e. Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) and Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO), to the voluntary-based certification schemes, such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), Agriculture Sustainable Standard (SAN), International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC), and High Carbon Stock (HCS) Approach.
To attain a sustainable palm oil production for food and energy security, the CPOPC Secretary General believes that the solution needed is a cooperation between the producing and consuming countries. CPOPC took a part in complying with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), by facilitating a collaboration between the Governments of Indonesia and Malaysia and the European Union through an Ad Hoc Joint Task Force (JTF). This platform was formed to discuss the challenges of the implementation of EUDR based on the common understanding of the sustainability issues, and to ensure not only that the products of the commodities within the EUDR are not the result of deforestation, but also that they are and will be compliance to the regulation.
The CPOPC Secretary General agrees that deforestation needs to be stopped. However, a strong and solid partnership is needed to attain this, and not by blaming any party. Therefore, the CPOPC Secretary General urged Gates to correct the claim that palm oil is the worst culprit of climate change. On the other hand, many scientific findings show that the cultivation of oil palm has reduced the greenhouse gas emission (GHG). Palm oil comes from a tree that sequestrates carbon dioxide and release oxygen, which proves that palm oil plays an important role to contribute to the GHG emission.
The CPOPC Secretary General welcomes the scientific findings of palm oil alternative as an initiative to maintain food and energy security in the midst of the quickly increasing world population. The United Nations estimated that the population will reach 8.5 billions by 2030, and the demand for palm oil will increase to 33 million tons in the same year. The Food and Agriculture Organization reported that Indonesia and Malaysia willcontribute up to 83% of the global palm oil production and 34% of the global vegetable oil demand. Palm oil and the other vegetable oils are complementary to each other, and therefore the industries need to collaborate to maintain the stability of global food and energy security. This motivation is what CPOPC is spreading through the annual Sustainable Vegetable Oils Conference, which will be held for the third time on the 10 September, 2024 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
The Governments of Indonesia and Malaysia are also committed to not expanding plantation area and focus on enhancing productivity, such as through replanting program with high-yielding materials. Rather that discrediting, Gates should rethink the ecological function of palm oil, its productivity that reaches 8 – 10 times of the other vegetable oils’, and its role in maintaining the global food and energy security. Are these not enough proofs of the statement of Nico Roozen, the founder of Solidaridad Network, that palm oil is the world’s savior from an ecological disaster? CPOPC
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APKASINDO: Thank you Bill Gates, promoting palm oil which is difficult to replace
Jakarta, SAWIT INDONESIA – Bill Gates' plan to develop an alternative substitute for palm oil received attention from the General Chair of the DPP APKASINDO (Indonesian Palm Oil Farmers Association), Dr. Wrestling ME Manurung, MP., C. IMA
"Actually, we have to thank Bill Gates, because he has promoted good palm oil to the world and it's free," said Gulat by telephone, Wednesday (21 February 202).
Gulat believes that Bill Gates has promoted palm oil as an irreplaceable, highly efficient and natural vegetable oil. On the other hand, the development of palm oil substitutes through microbial, fungal and fermentation technology has not yet achieved results.
Gulat said that the promotion of good palm oil was also emphasized by Bill Gate that the world is very dependent on palm oil for almost all food ingredients, oleochemicals, and finally energy sources.
According to Gulat, the negative issues conveyed by Bill Gates are a form of jealousy towards palm oil. If palm oil could grow well in the USA and soybean oil, sunflower and others could be as productive as palm oil, there would be no B-C16 innovation.
"The B-C16 innovation only resembles or resembles palm vegetable oil, of course we want the original," said Gulat. Read more on Sawit Indonesia
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Nigeria, Malaysia to sign MoU over palm biomass industry
The National Palm Produce Association of Nigeria (NPPAN) has announced that the Federal Government is poised to sign a pivotal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Malaysian Government marking a significant stride in the development of palm biomass in Nigeria.
Amb. Alphosus Inyang, the President of NPPAN, shared this information during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
Biomass is agricultural waste, representing an untapped resource with vast economic potential. The focus is on transforming this waste into wealth. NPPAN is strategically collaborating with its Malaysian counterparts to replicate the success of Malaysia’s palm biomass industry in Nigeria.
Inyang highlighted the immense economic impact that the development of palm biomass could bring to Nigeria. Projections include a potential $10 billion contribution to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) within four years, coupled with the generation of over five million jobs in five years.
He emphasised Nigeria’s substantial annual generation of agricultural waste and emphasized that the MoU would enable the country to harness these waste materials for various industrial purposes.
What you should know Read more Naira Metrics
The Secretary General of the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) responded to Bill Gates
WHAT GATES CALLED “THE WORST CULPRIT" OF CLIMATE CHANGE IS ACTUALLY THE WORLD’S SAVIOR FROM AN ECOLOGICAL DISASTER
The Secretary General of the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC), Dr. Rizal Affandi Lukman, responded to Bill Gates, the investor of C16 Biosciences, who stated that palm oil is the worst culprit of climate change. Gates, funded USD 3.5 million through Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to a research program to find an alternative material to palm oil from yeast, a microorganism that grows on foods after going through fermentation. Gates felt the need to fund this research program because the vegetable oils consumed globally play a part in wildfires in the forests and peatlands of Indonesia and Malaysia in 2018, which released 1.4% global emission.
The CPOPC Secretary General found that what Bill Gates shared in his blog is misleading, and a way to form public’s opinion without basing it on accurate data by stating that palm oil is the cause of deforestation.
The Governments of Indonesia and Malaysia have been making extensive efforts to ensure that their palm oil is produced sustainably, one of which is by stopping the land expansion for new oil palm plantation. World Research Institute showed a significant reduction on the deforestation in Indonesia and Malaysia since 2017. Both countries continue committing to improve the productivity of existing plantations without opening new lands through their national regulations, including their sustainability certifications.
Gates might not be aware that palm oil is the only vegetable oil being subjected to the most stringent certification requirements vis-à-vis other vegetable oils. From the mandatory national certification schemes, i.e. Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) and Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO), to the voluntary-based certification schemes, such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), Agriculture Sustainable Standard (SAN), International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC), and High Carbon Stock (HCS) Approach.
To attain a sustainable palm oil production for food and energy security, the CPOPC Secretary General believes that the solution needed is a cooperation between the producing and consuming countries. CPOPC took a part in complying with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), by facilitating a collaboration between the Governments of Indonesia and Malaysia and the European Union through an Ad Hoc Joint Task Force (JTF). This platform was formed to discuss the challenges of the implementation of EUDR based on the common understanding of the sustainability issues, and to ensure not only that the products of the commodities within the EUDR are not the result of deforestation, but also that they are and will be compliance to the regulation.
The CPOPC Secretary General agrees that deforestation needs to be stopped. However, a strong and solid partnership is needed to attain this, and not by blaming any party. Therefore, the CPOPC Secretary General urged Gates to correct the claim that palm oil is the worst culprit of climate change. On the other hand, many scientific findings show that the cultivation of oil palm has reduced the greenhouse gas emission (GHG). Palm oil comes from a tree that sequestrates carbon dioxide and release oxygen, which proves that palm oil plays an important role to contribute to the GHG emission.
The CPOPC Secretary General welcomes the scientific findings of palm oil alternative as an initiative to maintain food and energy security in the midst of the quickly increasing world population. The United Nations estimated that the population will reach 8.5 billions by 2030, and the demand for palm oil will increase to 33 million tons in the same year. The Food and Agriculture Organization reported that Indonesia and Malaysia willcontribute up to 83% of the global palm oil production and 34% of the global vegetable oil demand. Palm oil and the other vegetable oils are complementary to each other, and therefore the industries need to collaborate to maintain the stability of global food and energy security. This motivation is what CPOPC is spreading through the annual Sustainable Vegetable Oils Conference, which will be held for the third time on the 10 September, 2024 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
The Governments of Indonesia and Malaysia are also committed to not expanding plantation area and focus on enhancing productivity, such as through replanting program with high-yielding materials. Rather that discrediting, Gates should rethink the ecological function of palm oil, its productivity that reaches 8 – 10 times of the other vegetable oils’, and its role in maintaining the global food and energy security. Are these not enough proofs of the statement of Nico Roozen, the founder of Solidaridad Network, that palm oil is the world’s savior from an ecological disaster? CPOPC
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APKASINDO: Thank you Bill Gates, promoting palm oil which is difficult to replace
Jakarta, SAWIT INDONESIA – Bill Gates' plan to develop an alternative substitute for palm oil received attention from the General Chair of the DPP APKASINDO (Indonesian Palm Oil Farmers Association), Dr. Wrestling ME Manurung, MP., C. IMA
"Actually, we have to thank Bill Gates, because he has promoted good palm oil to the world and it's free," said Gulat by telephone, Wednesday (21 February 202).
Gulat believes that Bill Gates has promoted palm oil as an irreplaceable, highly efficient and natural vegetable oil. On the other hand, the development of palm oil substitutes through microbial, fungal and fermentation technology has not yet achieved results.
Gulat said that the promotion of good palm oil was also emphasized by Bill Gate that the world is very dependent on palm oil for almost all food ingredients, oleochemicals, and finally energy sources.
According to Gulat, the negative issues conveyed by Bill Gates are a form of jealousy towards palm oil. If palm oil could grow well in the USA and soybean oil, sunflower and others could be as productive as palm oil, there would be no B-C16 innovation.
"The B-C16 innovation only resembles or resembles palm vegetable oil, of course we want the original," said Gulat. Read more on Sawit Indonesia
----------
Nigeria, Malaysia to sign MoU over palm biomass industry
The National Palm Produce Association of Nigeria (NPPAN) has announced that the Federal Government is poised to sign a pivotal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Malaysian Government marking a significant stride in the development of palm biomass in Nigeria.
Amb. Alphosus Inyang, the President of NPPAN, shared this information during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
Biomass is agricultural waste, representing an untapped resource with vast economic potential. The focus is on transforming this waste into wealth. NPPAN is strategically collaborating with its Malaysian counterparts to replicate the success of Malaysia’s palm biomass industry in Nigeria.
Inyang highlighted the immense economic impact that the development of palm biomass could bring to Nigeria. Projections include a potential $10 billion contribution to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) within four years, coupled with the generation of over five million jobs in five years.
He emphasised Nigeria’s substantial annual generation of agricultural waste and emphasized that the MoU would enable the country to harness these waste materials for various industrial purposes.
What you should know Read more Naira Metrics
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Feb 21, 2024
FEDIOL: Our Manifesto outlines how to maintain competitiveness of companies & EU food availability/ affordability
Improving Food Security and Resilience
Build on Industry Knowledge
The sustainable transition of our societies needs to be based on an EU vision where the
industry in general, the vegetable oil industry and other agri-food partners are seen as part
of the solution rather than as an obstacle. The EU strategy should build on industries’
competences and innovation potential to enhance resilience, boost autonomy in critical
sectors. At the same time, it should consider EU competitiveness and mitigate the cost
increases due to energy, labour, carbon prices and to regulatory compliance.
Recognise Role of Non-Food Outlet in EU Protein Strategy
The EU protein strategy should focus on profitable EU production, that includes oilseeds. It
should integrate non-food outlets for vegetable oils, including biofuels and bio-chemicals,
as a key element of the bioeconomy while providing an important buffer as back-up for the
food outlet in case of crisis or production shortfall.
Strenghthen Trade Partnerships for Diversified Sourcing
Trade policy should build long-lasting and resilient relationships of the EU with like-minded
countries and aimed at diversifying sources of supply. Read more on FEDIOL
---------
Malaysia-162 SUSTAINABLE PALM OIL CLUSTERS RECEIVED MSPO CERTIFICATION AS AT DEC 31 LAST YEAR
KENINGAU, Feb 21 (Bernama) -- One hundred and sixty two Sustainable Palm Oil Clusters (SPOC) involving 177,355 private palm oil smallholders (PKP) have received the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification under the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) as at Dec 31 last year.
Deputy Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Chan Foong Hin said the PKP involved a farm area of 655,189.62 hectares while in Sabah, there are 29 SPOC which received MSPO certification involving 21,630 PKP with a farm acreage of 145,399.9 hectares
"The government provides incentive funding for training, auditing, personal protective equipment and chemical storage rack to continue to assist the PKP in implementing MSPO Certification.
"To ensure the comprehensive implementation of the MSPO, the MPOB established 12 Oil Palm Training and Advisory Offices (TUNAS) in Sabah to provide advisory services on oil palm planting and technology transfer to the MCO," he told Bernama after officiating the Smallholders Palm Oil Replanting Financing Incentive Scheme (TSPKS) 2.0 at Sabah level in Sook near here today.
Chan said that as at Dec 31 last year there were 31,538 PKPs working on oil palm plantations with an area of 203,679.57 hectares in Sabah with the average area of oil palm plantations per PKP being 6.5 hectares.
"Until that period, a total of 69 Sustainable Palm Growers' Cooperatives (KPSM) and 69 Weighing Centres have been established across the country and 27 KPSM are located in Sabah with a total membership of 2,769 people.
"The establishment of KPSM is to unify PKP to carry out economic activities through good agricultural practices and the sale of palm fruit in groups directly to the factory. This step can increase PKP's income through subscription rebates and dividends from cooperative business profits," he said.
He said the PKP also got a better price offer for fresh fruit bunches (BTS) and it was easy to get the latest information related to assistance from the government as well as direct advice from MPOB officials.
Regarding the event, Chan said his ministry through MPOB provided TSPKS 2.0 which was channelled through Agrobank which set a repayment amount of 50 per cent of the total amount of funds given, with a moratorium period of 48 months.
"Smallholders need to take advantage of the facilities provided by the government to increase their income potential through the replanting of old palm trees," he said.
He said application information for the TSPKS 2.0 Financing Incentive Scheme can be obtained at TUNAS MPOB offices and the application form for the scheme can be found online on the MPOB website or Agrobank branches nationwide.
"Until Jan 31 this year, a total of 27 TSPKS 2.0 scheme applications have been received in Sabah with an area of 125.2 hectares," he added.-- BERNAMA
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Singapore's Apeiron signs loan deal to buy UCO for SAF
Singaporean integrated biodiesel producer Apeiron Bioenergy has signed a green trade loan agreement with Taiwan-based Cathay United Bank's Singapore branch, to support the former's procurement of used cooking oil (UCO) for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production.
The total value of the loan is US$15mn, according to Apeiron.
This comes on the back of Singapore announcing on 19 February through a sustainable air hub blueprint its new requirement for 1pc of SAF usage for flights departing the city-state from 2026, with an SAF levy to be imposed from that year as well.
Apeiron had raised S$50mn ($37mn) last June from a five-year green bond guaranteed by a trust fund of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), primarily used for the expansion and improvement of Apeiron's UCO collection points and pre-treatment facilities.
Apeiron also secured investments of undisclosed sums from private equity firm Proterra Investment Partners Asia and from Japanese petrochemical company Mitsui Chemicals in 2022, for the purpose of expanding its waste-based feedstock collection capacity, including UCO and palm oil mill effluent, and upgrading existing plants to produce higher-specification feedstock. Argus Media
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Golden Agri-Resources execs discuss supply chain sustainability for cosmetic & PBC products
20-Feb-2024 By Cassandra Stern
Singaporean company Golden Agri-Resources has recently expanded its operations to include the United States and is working to improve sustainable palm oil production across the supply chain with efforts including meeting Non-GMO standards, obtaining Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil certifications, and meeting ISO standards for quality and environmental management. Read more on Cosmetics Design
FEDIOL: Our Manifesto outlines how to maintain competitiveness of companies & EU food availability/ affordability
Improving Food Security and Resilience
Build on Industry Knowledge
The sustainable transition of our societies needs to be based on an EU vision where the
industry in general, the vegetable oil industry and other agri-food partners are seen as part
of the solution rather than as an obstacle. The EU strategy should build on industries’
competences and innovation potential to enhance resilience, boost autonomy in critical
sectors. At the same time, it should consider EU competitiveness and mitigate the cost
increases due to energy, labour, carbon prices and to regulatory compliance.
Recognise Role of Non-Food Outlet in EU Protein Strategy
The EU protein strategy should focus on profitable EU production, that includes oilseeds. It
should integrate non-food outlets for vegetable oils, including biofuels and bio-chemicals,
as a key element of the bioeconomy while providing an important buffer as back-up for the
food outlet in case of crisis or production shortfall.
Strenghthen Trade Partnerships for Diversified Sourcing
Trade policy should build long-lasting and resilient relationships of the EU with like-minded
countries and aimed at diversifying sources of supply. Read more on FEDIOL
---------
Malaysia-162 SUSTAINABLE PALM OIL CLUSTERS RECEIVED MSPO CERTIFICATION AS AT DEC 31 LAST YEAR
KENINGAU, Feb 21 (Bernama) -- One hundred and sixty two Sustainable Palm Oil Clusters (SPOC) involving 177,355 private palm oil smallholders (PKP) have received the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification under the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) as at Dec 31 last year.
Deputy Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Chan Foong Hin said the PKP involved a farm area of 655,189.62 hectares while in Sabah, there are 29 SPOC which received MSPO certification involving 21,630 PKP with a farm acreage of 145,399.9 hectares
"The government provides incentive funding for training, auditing, personal protective equipment and chemical storage rack to continue to assist the PKP in implementing MSPO Certification.
"To ensure the comprehensive implementation of the MSPO, the MPOB established 12 Oil Palm Training and Advisory Offices (TUNAS) in Sabah to provide advisory services on oil palm planting and technology transfer to the MCO," he told Bernama after officiating the Smallholders Palm Oil Replanting Financing Incentive Scheme (TSPKS) 2.0 at Sabah level in Sook near here today.
Chan said that as at Dec 31 last year there were 31,538 PKPs working on oil palm plantations with an area of 203,679.57 hectares in Sabah with the average area of oil palm plantations per PKP being 6.5 hectares.
"Until that period, a total of 69 Sustainable Palm Growers' Cooperatives (KPSM) and 69 Weighing Centres have been established across the country and 27 KPSM are located in Sabah with a total membership of 2,769 people.
"The establishment of KPSM is to unify PKP to carry out economic activities through good agricultural practices and the sale of palm fruit in groups directly to the factory. This step can increase PKP's income through subscription rebates and dividends from cooperative business profits," he said.
He said the PKP also got a better price offer for fresh fruit bunches (BTS) and it was easy to get the latest information related to assistance from the government as well as direct advice from MPOB officials.
Regarding the event, Chan said his ministry through MPOB provided TSPKS 2.0 which was channelled through Agrobank which set a repayment amount of 50 per cent of the total amount of funds given, with a moratorium period of 48 months.
"Smallholders need to take advantage of the facilities provided by the government to increase their income potential through the replanting of old palm trees," he said.
He said application information for the TSPKS 2.0 Financing Incentive Scheme can be obtained at TUNAS MPOB offices and the application form for the scheme can be found online on the MPOB website or Agrobank branches nationwide.
"Until Jan 31 this year, a total of 27 TSPKS 2.0 scheme applications have been received in Sabah with an area of 125.2 hectares," he added.-- BERNAMA
---------
Singapore's Apeiron signs loan deal to buy UCO for SAF
Singaporean integrated biodiesel producer Apeiron Bioenergy has signed a green trade loan agreement with Taiwan-based Cathay United Bank's Singapore branch, to support the former's procurement of used cooking oil (UCO) for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production.
The total value of the loan is US$15mn, according to Apeiron.
This comes on the back of Singapore announcing on 19 February through a sustainable air hub blueprint its new requirement for 1pc of SAF usage for flights departing the city-state from 2026, with an SAF levy to be imposed from that year as well.
Apeiron had raised S$50mn ($37mn) last June from a five-year green bond guaranteed by a trust fund of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), primarily used for the expansion and improvement of Apeiron's UCO collection points and pre-treatment facilities.
Apeiron also secured investments of undisclosed sums from private equity firm Proterra Investment Partners Asia and from Japanese petrochemical company Mitsui Chemicals in 2022, for the purpose of expanding its waste-based feedstock collection capacity, including UCO and palm oil mill effluent, and upgrading existing plants to produce higher-specification feedstock. Argus Media
---------
Golden Agri-Resources execs discuss supply chain sustainability for cosmetic & PBC products
20-Feb-2024 By Cassandra Stern
Singaporean company Golden Agri-Resources has recently expanded its operations to include the United States and is working to improve sustainable palm oil production across the supply chain with efforts including meeting Non-GMO standards, obtaining Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil certifications, and meeting ISO standards for quality and environmental management. Read more on Cosmetics Design
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Feb 20, 2024
Argentina Criticizes EU as Mercosur Trade Talks Bog Down Again
Manuela Tobias
(Bloomberg) -- A deal between the European Union and Mercosur that “makes everyone happy” may not be possible so the South American trade bloc is mulling breaking the treaty into parts, Argentina’s foreign minister said.
President Javier Milei’s top diplomat, Diana Mondino, offered the grim assessment after meeting her French counterpart, Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné, in Buenos Aires.
“We lament that they do not see the enormous potential this would have for both parties to be able to grow,” Mondino said of the EU at a joint press conference Monday afternoon.
Negotiations between Mercosur and Europe are ongoing despite hitting a wall in recent months. Opposition is particularly stiff in France, where farmers have blockaded highways over a deal they they say would enable cheap imports from countries with lower environmental standards. The South American bloc and the EU have been in talks to clinch an accord for more than two decades and an agreement was announced in 2019 but never implemented.
Mercosur — made up of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and soon Bolivia — discussed the idea of shifting their focus from Europe to other regional trading groups when foreign ministers of those countries met in Paraguay last month, Mondino said. She acknowledged that Argentina, under the administration of former President Alberto Fernandez, had been the primary opponent of an EU deal before Milei took office in December. Bloomberg/ Yahoo
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Von Der Leyen's Green Deal: Where Does It Stand?
By Julien GIRAULT/ AFP News
Intended to push through the EU's ambitious environmental goals, the Green Deal spearheaded by commission chief Ursula von der Leyen ushered in sweeping transport and energy reforms, before stumbling in the face of resistance from farmers.
Of the deal's 70-odd regulations aimed at making the bloc carbon-neutral and preserving its biodiversity, most have been adopted or are on their way to being. But a certain number have stalled or been shelved outright.
Here is a rundown of key measures so far:
-- Automobile: the bloc took the flagship decision to phase out combustion engines in all new cars from 2035, coupled with ambitious goals to create a network of electric and hydrogen charging stations.
-- Trucks: starting in 2030, carbon emissions from new trucks will have to be 45 percent below 2019 levels. All new city buses must be zero-emission as of 2035.
-- From 2025, planes flying from the EU will have to comply with a minimum level of "sustainable fuel" such as synthetics, hydrogen, or biofuel, increasing gradually until 2050. Read more on Barrons
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EU-Indonesia Quarrel Over Palm Oil: Quo Vadis?
Indonesia is a democratic country, and so is the European Union (EU). According to the “democratic peace” theory, democratic countries should not fight each other, they should help one another.
The EU and Indonesia have long been involved in disputes over palm oil. As fellow democratic countries, they must be able to resolve their disputes justly and effectively.
Palm Oil As a Strategic Commodity
Palm oil is a strategic commodity for Indonesia. it contributes significantly to RI’s economic growth, provides decent jobs for millions of people and is also important for national energy security. The palm oil industry (from upstream to downstream) has a “labor intensive” profile so that it absorbs a large number of workers both directly and indirectly.
The export value of palm oil reached 21 billion dollars (2018) and palm-based biodiesel can strengthen Indonesia’s energy security when the country has now become a “net oil importer.” Palm oil contributes 3.5 percent of Indonesia’s GDP and makes its trade balance positive. Currently there are 19.5 million workers in the palm oil industry and 2.6 million palm oil planters (small holders) in Indonesia.
From the perspective of achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), palm oil contributes to (i) job creation; (ii) alleviation of poverty; (iii) reducing income disparities; (iv) achieving national food security and energy security; and (v) reducing the impact of climate change because oil palm trees absorb billions of tons of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
Who Is The Real Culprit? Read more on Sawit Indonesia
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Singapore's Civil Aviation Authority to centrally procure SAF for 2026 mandate
HIGHLIGHTS
Companies may buy more SAF through the procurement mechanism
CAAS to manage and allocate credits from SAF use
CAAS to have a mix of short- to long-term supply contracts
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore will centrally procure sustainable aviation fuel for aircrafts departing from the country to yield better purchase prices, as Singapore mandates SAF use for departing flights from 2026, CAAS Director General Han Kok Juan said Feb. 20 at the Singapore Airshow
The mandate is part of the Singapore Sustainable Air Hub Blueprint launched Feb. 19, which also included funding SAF purchase using direct levies collected from travelers.
Singapore aims to uplift 1% SAF in 2026, with plans to raise this to 3%-5% by 2030, depending on global developments and the wider availability of SAF.
"One percent is a very small volume. It allows us in the initial years to achieve economies of scale and demand aggregation so that we get the best price for the amount of money that we are spending," Han said. "There are actually companies, MNCs (multinational corporations), that want to go beyond the 1%. We would allow them to ride on the central procurement mechanism to also buy their SAF through this mechanism, and hopefully that will also allow them to achieve a better price." Read more on SP Global
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Argentina Criticizes EU as Mercosur Trade Talks Bog Down Again
Manuela Tobias
(Bloomberg) -- A deal between the European Union and Mercosur that “makes everyone happy” may not be possible so the South American trade bloc is mulling breaking the treaty into parts, Argentina’s foreign minister said.
President Javier Milei’s top diplomat, Diana Mondino, offered the grim assessment after meeting her French counterpart, Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné, in Buenos Aires.
“We lament that they do not see the enormous potential this would have for both parties to be able to grow,” Mondino said of the EU at a joint press conference Monday afternoon.
Negotiations between Mercosur and Europe are ongoing despite hitting a wall in recent months. Opposition is particularly stiff in France, where farmers have blockaded highways over a deal they they say would enable cheap imports from countries with lower environmental standards. The South American bloc and the EU have been in talks to clinch an accord for more than two decades and an agreement was announced in 2019 but never implemented.
Mercosur — made up of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and soon Bolivia — discussed the idea of shifting their focus from Europe to other regional trading groups when foreign ministers of those countries met in Paraguay last month, Mondino said. She acknowledged that Argentina, under the administration of former President Alberto Fernandez, had been the primary opponent of an EU deal before Milei took office in December. Bloomberg/ Yahoo
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Von Der Leyen's Green Deal: Where Does It Stand?
By Julien GIRAULT/ AFP News
Intended to push through the EU's ambitious environmental goals, the Green Deal spearheaded by commission chief Ursula von der Leyen ushered in sweeping transport and energy reforms, before stumbling in the face of resistance from farmers.
Of the deal's 70-odd regulations aimed at making the bloc carbon-neutral and preserving its biodiversity, most have been adopted or are on their way to being. But a certain number have stalled or been shelved outright.
Here is a rundown of key measures so far:
-- Automobile: the bloc took the flagship decision to phase out combustion engines in all new cars from 2035, coupled with ambitious goals to create a network of electric and hydrogen charging stations.
-- Trucks: starting in 2030, carbon emissions from new trucks will have to be 45 percent below 2019 levels. All new city buses must be zero-emission as of 2035.
-- From 2025, planes flying from the EU will have to comply with a minimum level of "sustainable fuel" such as synthetics, hydrogen, or biofuel, increasing gradually until 2050. Read more on Barrons
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EU-Indonesia Quarrel Over Palm Oil: Quo Vadis?
Indonesia is a democratic country, and so is the European Union (EU). According to the “democratic peace” theory, democratic countries should not fight each other, they should help one another.
The EU and Indonesia have long been involved in disputes over palm oil. As fellow democratic countries, they must be able to resolve their disputes justly and effectively.
Palm Oil As a Strategic Commodity
Palm oil is a strategic commodity for Indonesia. it contributes significantly to RI’s economic growth, provides decent jobs for millions of people and is also important for national energy security. The palm oil industry (from upstream to downstream) has a “labor intensive” profile so that it absorbs a large number of workers both directly and indirectly.
The export value of palm oil reached 21 billion dollars (2018) and palm-based biodiesel can strengthen Indonesia’s energy security when the country has now become a “net oil importer.” Palm oil contributes 3.5 percent of Indonesia’s GDP and makes its trade balance positive. Currently there are 19.5 million workers in the palm oil industry and 2.6 million palm oil planters (small holders) in Indonesia.
From the perspective of achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), palm oil contributes to (i) job creation; (ii) alleviation of poverty; (iii) reducing income disparities; (iv) achieving national food security and energy security; and (v) reducing the impact of climate change because oil palm trees absorb billions of tons of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
Who Is The Real Culprit? Read more on Sawit Indonesia
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Singapore's Civil Aviation Authority to centrally procure SAF for 2026 mandate
HIGHLIGHTS
Companies may buy more SAF through the procurement mechanism
CAAS to manage and allocate credits from SAF use
CAAS to have a mix of short- to long-term supply contracts
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore will centrally procure sustainable aviation fuel for aircrafts departing from the country to yield better purchase prices, as Singapore mandates SAF use for departing flights from 2026, CAAS Director General Han Kok Juan said Feb. 20 at the Singapore Airshow
The mandate is part of the Singapore Sustainable Air Hub Blueprint launched Feb. 19, which also included funding SAF purchase using direct levies collected from travelers.
Singapore aims to uplift 1% SAF in 2026, with plans to raise this to 3%-5% by 2030, depending on global developments and the wider availability of SAF.
"One percent is a very small volume. It allows us in the initial years to achieve economies of scale and demand aggregation so that we get the best price for the amount of money that we are spending," Han said. "There are actually companies, MNCs (multinational corporations), that want to go beyond the 1%. We would allow them to ride on the central procurement mechanism to also buy their SAF through this mechanism, and hopefully that will also allow them to achieve a better price." Read more on SP Global
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Feb 19, 2024
Parliament must vote on Pacific trade deal before the UK joins, Committee says
19 February 2024
MPs on the Business and Trade Committee have called for the Government to allow lawmakers a debate and a vote on joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trade bloc.
The Committee says MPs must have their say due to controversial aspects of joining the trade bloc – and the lack of clarity over the benefits of doing so.
The MPs conclude it is “difficult to estimate the potential benefits of CPTPP or its impact on economic growth”, especially as Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch has distanced herself from economic modelling produced by her own civil servants.
The Committee considered how CPTPP membership will affect UK safeguards concerning imports of controversial agri-food products. These include beef and pork treated with growth promoters (meat which is currently banned in the UK), agri-food products produced using pesticides that cannot be used in the UK and palm oil linked to deforestation.
MPs also heard about contentious CPTPP provisions allowing governments to be sued by foreign investors over actions that damage their profits – and claims that this part of the agreement could limit the UK Government’s ability to regulate or nationalise the English water industry.
The Committee notes that any debate and vote on the trade deal would need to take place during a period of just a few weeks when Parliament has the power to delay ratification of an international agreement by the Government. Read more
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Duh, Bill Gates is creating a negative issue about palm oil
Jakarta, SAWIT INDONESIA – Bill Gates, the famous tycoon from the United States, is developing innovation through the C16 company to find alternatives to palm oil in the future. Since 2017, C16 has developed products such as palm oil from microbes using a fermentation process. The problem is, Bill Gates links palm oil to deforestation and land burning.
On his Instagram and LinkedIn pages, Bill Gates wrote in his status that palm oil is used in half of all consumer products on supermarket shelves. However, Bill said that the use of palm oil contributes to the destruction of forests throughout the world and damages the climate.
Next, Bill linked the innovation of scientists at C16 Biosciences who developed microbial alternatives to palm oil. These microbes come from yeast through an emission-free fermentation process. This alternative product will be used as an ingredient in cosmetics, cleaning agents and even food which is as effective as palm oil.
In his blog, Gatesnotes explains that the problem with palm oil is not how we use it, but how we get it. This is because oil palm trees, a type of palm originating from Central and West Africa, cannot grow just anywhere.
On the contrary, oil palm trees will only grow well within five to ten degrees of the equator. As a result of palm oil there is deforestation of forests in equatorial regions throughout the world, which are then converted into oil palm plantations. Read more on Sawit Indonesia
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The following are Bill Gates' notes about palm oil
InfoSAWIT, WASHINGTON – Vegetable fats, especially palm oil, have become an inseparable component of various products used daily. From food to non-food items such as bath soap and detergent, palm oil has penetrated various areas of life. However, behind its popularity, there is a deeper story that we need to ponder.
According to notes conveyed by Bill Gates in his blog, the biggest problem lies not in the use of palm oil, but in how to get it. Oil palm trees, which are a type of palm tree native to Central and West Africa, thrive only five to ten degrees from the equator. This condition results in deforestation practices that encroach on rainforests around the equatorial region to make room for oil palm plantations.
This process not only destroys biodiversity and threatens ecosystems, but also has a negative impact on climate change. Burning forests to develop palm oil plantations produces significant greenhouse gases, while the destruction of wetlands causes the release of the carbon stored within them.
"In 2018, forest destruction in Malaysia and Indonesia alone accounted for around 1.4% of global emissions, which is greater than the emissions produced by the entire state of California and almost equivalent to the global aviation industry," notes Bill Gates in his blog. Monday (19/2/2024).
However, replacing palm oil is not an easy thing to do. Its affordable price, odorless nature, and abundant capabilities make it difficult to replace. Palm oil also has semi-solid and viscous properties which allow it to be used in various applications, and has a long shelf life due to its function as a natural preservative. Read more on Infosawit
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Parliament must vote on Pacific trade deal before the UK joins, Committee says
19 February 2024
MPs on the Business and Trade Committee have called for the Government to allow lawmakers a debate and a vote on joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trade bloc.
The Committee says MPs must have their say due to controversial aspects of joining the trade bloc – and the lack of clarity over the benefits of doing so.
The MPs conclude it is “difficult to estimate the potential benefits of CPTPP or its impact on economic growth”, especially as Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch has distanced herself from economic modelling produced by her own civil servants.
The Committee considered how CPTPP membership will affect UK safeguards concerning imports of controversial agri-food products. These include beef and pork treated with growth promoters (meat which is currently banned in the UK), agri-food products produced using pesticides that cannot be used in the UK and palm oil linked to deforestation.
MPs also heard about contentious CPTPP provisions allowing governments to be sued by foreign investors over actions that damage their profits – and claims that this part of the agreement could limit the UK Government’s ability to regulate or nationalise the English water industry.
The Committee notes that any debate and vote on the trade deal would need to take place during a period of just a few weeks when Parliament has the power to delay ratification of an international agreement by the Government. Read more
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Duh, Bill Gates is creating a negative issue about palm oil
Jakarta, SAWIT INDONESIA – Bill Gates, the famous tycoon from the United States, is developing innovation through the C16 company to find alternatives to palm oil in the future. Since 2017, C16 has developed products such as palm oil from microbes using a fermentation process. The problem is, Bill Gates links palm oil to deforestation and land burning.
On his Instagram and LinkedIn pages, Bill Gates wrote in his status that palm oil is used in half of all consumer products on supermarket shelves. However, Bill said that the use of palm oil contributes to the destruction of forests throughout the world and damages the climate.
Next, Bill linked the innovation of scientists at C16 Biosciences who developed microbial alternatives to palm oil. These microbes come from yeast through an emission-free fermentation process. This alternative product will be used as an ingredient in cosmetics, cleaning agents and even food which is as effective as palm oil.
In his blog, Gatesnotes explains that the problem with palm oil is not how we use it, but how we get it. This is because oil palm trees, a type of palm originating from Central and West Africa, cannot grow just anywhere.
On the contrary, oil palm trees will only grow well within five to ten degrees of the equator. As a result of palm oil there is deforestation of forests in equatorial regions throughout the world, which are then converted into oil palm plantations. Read more on Sawit Indonesia
---------
The following are Bill Gates' notes about palm oil
InfoSAWIT, WASHINGTON – Vegetable fats, especially palm oil, have become an inseparable component of various products used daily. From food to non-food items such as bath soap and detergent, palm oil has penetrated various areas of life. However, behind its popularity, there is a deeper story that we need to ponder.
According to notes conveyed by Bill Gates in his blog, the biggest problem lies not in the use of palm oil, but in how to get it. Oil palm trees, which are a type of palm tree native to Central and West Africa, thrive only five to ten degrees from the equator. This condition results in deforestation practices that encroach on rainforests around the equatorial region to make room for oil palm plantations.
This process not only destroys biodiversity and threatens ecosystems, but also has a negative impact on climate change. Burning forests to develop palm oil plantations produces significant greenhouse gases, while the destruction of wetlands causes the release of the carbon stored within them.
"In 2018, forest destruction in Malaysia and Indonesia alone accounted for around 1.4% of global emissions, which is greater than the emissions produced by the entire state of California and almost equivalent to the global aviation industry," notes Bill Gates in his blog. Monday (19/2/2024).
However, replacing palm oil is not an easy thing to do. Its affordable price, odorless nature, and abundant capabilities make it difficult to replace. Palm oil also has semi-solid and viscous properties which allow it to be used in various applications, and has a long shelf life due to its function as a natural preservative. Read more on Infosawit
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Feb 18, 2024
Fadillah: MSPO expected to be recognised as part of EUDR audit process by June
KUCHING (Feb 17): The Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification is expected to be recognised as part of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) audit process by June this year.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said this was conveyed to him during his meeting with the European Union (EU) delegation who are on a working visit here today.
He said the announcement will be made by the EU during their next visit to Sarawak to attend the Hydrogen Conference in June.
“The MSPO will be recognised as one of the auditing processes of the EUDR by this year, maybe before June hopefully.
“For now MSPO is not yet recognised because it is still being processed,” he said when met after handing over of grant at Kampung Malaysia Jaya today.
Fadillah said the recognition of MSPO as part of the EUDR audit process would benefit smallholders who have received MSPO certification.
“In relation to recognising MSPO, especially our smallholders, to ensure that they will not be left out or marginalised by the introduction of EUDR, I have raised this to the EU representatives during the meeting today. Borneo Post
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Stricter rules for online sales platforms come into force in EU
BRUSSELS – Starting on Saturday, even small online platforms accessible in Europe will have to comply with stricter rules, for example with regard to consumer protection and the transparency of advertising, reported German news agency (dpa).
According to the European Commission, users must be given the opportunity to report illegal content, goods and services, for example.
Providers of very large online platforms such as Google, Amazon and YouTube have already had to comply with the rules – which are part of the Digital Services Act (DSA) – since August 2023.
The European Commission is responsible for monitoring the online giants. In Germany, the Federal Network Agency is responsible for smaller providers who now have to follow suit. One example of a service that now falls under the DSA is the German online marketplace Kleinanzeigen.de, a platform where private individuals can buy and sell.
The platforms must provide their users with information about the adverts displayed to them – for example, why the adverts are being shown to them and who has paid for them.
In addition, minors are to be given special protection. It is, therefore, forbidden to target them with adverts based on personal data.
The digital association Bitkom said it was a milestone for internet users in the EU. Consumers will be better protected against disinformation, hate speech and counterfeit products, and online security will be significantly improved. – BERNAMA/ Malaysian Reserve
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Cocoa, Oil Palm Projects In Cross River To Gulp $55m
The World Bank, alongside Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) with other supporting partners have earmarked $5 million and $50m respectively to boost cocoa production and…
The World Bank, alongside Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) with other supporting partners have earmarked $5 million and $50m respectively to boost cocoa production and palm fruits cultivation in Cross River State.
The projects, which come under the Global Environment Facility (GEF) will now be executed in three years instead of the earlier scheduled five years.
This was disclosed by the communications director of the programme, Mr Ogisi Excel, in Calabar when FAO in conjunction with implementing partners held a one-day ‘Infoception Workshop’ to announce the commencement of activities to actualise the projects, which have four major components.
Excel explained that eight local government areas in the state are to be impacted in the two agricultural projects. Daily Trust
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Nigeria should be number one palm oil producer – Okitipupa Oil Palm Plc MD
Amid recent calls for the Federal Government to establish commodities boards to manage rising prices of food items, the Managing Director of Okitipupa Oil Palm Plc, Taiwo Adewole, speaks to Oluwakemi Abimbola, on the matter and other economic issues.
Nigeria is currently dealing with foreign exchange challenges. What are the potentials of the country to earn forex in the space where you operate?
Our own belief is this, we are a Nigerian company. Based on where the country is today, the current production level is lower than the local demand. So why do you want to go satisfying the foreign market when there is a market gap locally. Well I’m not closing the window to that opportunity, but we will first of all for satisfy our local market, the local opportunity, before exploring the foreign markets. Our loyalty is to our nation and we would prefer to be part of the economic transformation of our country, rather than looking for opportunities abroad. Whatever we do, if we take what we produce out, we are denying our people and the economy, the local economy, the potential that it has. So we will be part of the group that will contribute to developing our local market satisfying our local demand before looking at export opportunities.
One of the reasons for the pressure on the dollar is that we are importing from farm products. As a leader in this space, how can we get to that level where we are self reliant that we don’t have to start importing some of these products? Read more
Fadillah: MSPO expected to be recognised as part of EUDR audit process by June
KUCHING (Feb 17): The Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification is expected to be recognised as part of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) audit process by June this year.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said this was conveyed to him during his meeting with the European Union (EU) delegation who are on a working visit here today.
He said the announcement will be made by the EU during their next visit to Sarawak to attend the Hydrogen Conference in June.
“The MSPO will be recognised as one of the auditing processes of the EUDR by this year, maybe before June hopefully.
“For now MSPO is not yet recognised because it is still being processed,” he said when met after handing over of grant at Kampung Malaysia Jaya today.
Fadillah said the recognition of MSPO as part of the EUDR audit process would benefit smallholders who have received MSPO certification.
“In relation to recognising MSPO, especially our smallholders, to ensure that they will not be left out or marginalised by the introduction of EUDR, I have raised this to the EU representatives during the meeting today. Borneo Post
---------
Stricter rules for online sales platforms come into force in EU
BRUSSELS – Starting on Saturday, even small online platforms accessible in Europe will have to comply with stricter rules, for example with regard to consumer protection and the transparency of advertising, reported German news agency (dpa).
According to the European Commission, users must be given the opportunity to report illegal content, goods and services, for example.
Providers of very large online platforms such as Google, Amazon and YouTube have already had to comply with the rules – which are part of the Digital Services Act (DSA) – since August 2023.
The European Commission is responsible for monitoring the online giants. In Germany, the Federal Network Agency is responsible for smaller providers who now have to follow suit. One example of a service that now falls under the DSA is the German online marketplace Kleinanzeigen.de, a platform where private individuals can buy and sell.
The platforms must provide their users with information about the adverts displayed to them – for example, why the adverts are being shown to them and who has paid for them.
In addition, minors are to be given special protection. It is, therefore, forbidden to target them with adverts based on personal data.
The digital association Bitkom said it was a milestone for internet users in the EU. Consumers will be better protected against disinformation, hate speech and counterfeit products, and online security will be significantly improved. – BERNAMA/ Malaysian Reserve
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Cocoa, Oil Palm Projects In Cross River To Gulp $55m
The World Bank, alongside Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) with other supporting partners have earmarked $5 million and $50m respectively to boost cocoa production and…
The World Bank, alongside Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) with other supporting partners have earmarked $5 million and $50m respectively to boost cocoa production and palm fruits cultivation in Cross River State.
The projects, which come under the Global Environment Facility (GEF) will now be executed in three years instead of the earlier scheduled five years.
This was disclosed by the communications director of the programme, Mr Ogisi Excel, in Calabar when FAO in conjunction with implementing partners held a one-day ‘Infoception Workshop’ to announce the commencement of activities to actualise the projects, which have four major components.
Excel explained that eight local government areas in the state are to be impacted in the two agricultural projects. Daily Trust
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Nigeria should be number one palm oil producer – Okitipupa Oil Palm Plc MD
Amid recent calls for the Federal Government to establish commodities boards to manage rising prices of food items, the Managing Director of Okitipupa Oil Palm Plc, Taiwo Adewole, speaks to Oluwakemi Abimbola, on the matter and other economic issues.
Nigeria is currently dealing with foreign exchange challenges. What are the potentials of the country to earn forex in the space where you operate?
Our own belief is this, we are a Nigerian company. Based on where the country is today, the current production level is lower than the local demand. So why do you want to go satisfying the foreign market when there is a market gap locally. Well I’m not closing the window to that opportunity, but we will first of all for satisfy our local market, the local opportunity, before exploring the foreign markets. Our loyalty is to our nation and we would prefer to be part of the economic transformation of our country, rather than looking for opportunities abroad. Whatever we do, if we take what we produce out, we are denying our people and the economy, the local economy, the potential that it has. So we will be part of the group that will contribute to developing our local market satisfying our local demand before looking at export opportunities.
One of the reasons for the pressure on the dollar is that we are importing from farm products. As a leader in this space, how can we get to that level where we are self reliant that we don’t have to start importing some of these products? Read more
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Feb 17, 2024
Malaysia's Palm Oil Certification MSPO on Track to obtain EU's "green light"
KUCHING: Malaysia is on the right track to obtain the European Union's (EU) "green light" in the near term for the recognition of the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification scheme, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.
Fadillah, who is also the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Minister, said the EU leadership is expected to make the announcement by June at the latest.
"We want MSPO to be recognised so that our smallholders are not left out or marginalised following the implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
"This is good news. With our MSPO being recognised by the EU, locally-produced commodity products would not be required to be audited by them," he told reporters after the 2024 annual grant handover ceremony for the Petra Jaya federal constituency's village development and security committees (JKKKs) here today.
He said the good news was shared during a brainstorming session with an EU delegation that has been in the state since last Wednesday for the launch of Invest Sarawak and Business Day programme.
In May last year, Fadillah, who was then holding the Plantation and Commodities Minister portfolio, jointly led a mission to Brussels, Belgium, to convey the stance of the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) members on the EUDR implementation. New Straits Times
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Do On-Pack Sustainability Claims Influence Buying Decisions?
The store aisle is one of the most competitive visual environments known to man, and this is where on-pack claims are put to the test. Sean Higgins, of leading consumer neuroscience firm Future Proof Insights, uncovers the subtle yet significant impacts of product presentation and marketing on shoppers’ buying behaviour.
The aisle itself naturally creates cognitive load as a result of the volume of products put before the consumer, forcing them to ‘bob and weave’ with their eyes to find what they are looking for.
At Future Proof, when we think of on-pack claims, aside from the regulatory obligations, the fundamental purpose is to compete within the aisle, differentiate and make consumers buy.
After a first of its kind neuroscience study here in Ireland, testing over 100 products with diverse claims, the one thing that has consistently shown up across category, demographic and claim types was that cognitive load, or how hard we make shoppers work to process these messages, is a key factor in influencing buying behaviour. Read more at Checkout
Malaysia's Palm Oil Certification MSPO on Track to obtain EU's "green light"
KUCHING: Malaysia is on the right track to obtain the European Union's (EU) "green light" in the near term for the recognition of the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification scheme, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.
Fadillah, who is also the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Minister, said the EU leadership is expected to make the announcement by June at the latest.
"We want MSPO to be recognised so that our smallholders are not left out or marginalised following the implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
"This is good news. With our MSPO being recognised by the EU, locally-produced commodity products would not be required to be audited by them," he told reporters after the 2024 annual grant handover ceremony for the Petra Jaya federal constituency's village development and security committees (JKKKs) here today.
He said the good news was shared during a brainstorming session with an EU delegation that has been in the state since last Wednesday for the launch of Invest Sarawak and Business Day programme.
In May last year, Fadillah, who was then holding the Plantation and Commodities Minister portfolio, jointly led a mission to Brussels, Belgium, to convey the stance of the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) members on the EUDR implementation. New Straits Times
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Do On-Pack Sustainability Claims Influence Buying Decisions?
The store aisle is one of the most competitive visual environments known to man, and this is where on-pack claims are put to the test. Sean Higgins, of leading consumer neuroscience firm Future Proof Insights, uncovers the subtle yet significant impacts of product presentation and marketing on shoppers’ buying behaviour.
The aisle itself naturally creates cognitive load as a result of the volume of products put before the consumer, forcing them to ‘bob and weave’ with their eyes to find what they are looking for.
At Future Proof, when we think of on-pack claims, aside from the regulatory obligations, the fundamental purpose is to compete within the aisle, differentiate and make consumers buy.
After a first of its kind neuroscience study here in Ireland, testing over 100 products with diverse claims, the one thing that has consistently shown up across category, demographic and claim types was that cognitive load, or how hard we make shoppers work to process these messages, is a key factor in influencing buying behaviour. Read more at Checkout
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Feb 16, 2024
European ethanol producers raise new legal challenge to EU aviation-fuel legislation
European renewable ethanol producers have launched a new legal challenge now directed to the EU’s RefuelEU Aviation Regulation - charging that it improperly excludes crop-based biofuels from the effort to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions from air transport.
It’s the second legal challenge from the EU renewable ethanol industry to be raised in recent months alleging discrimination in EU policymaking against RED-compliant crop-based biofuels.
In December 2023 the industry filed a similar case against the FuelEU Maritime Regulation.
The new aviation court action comes from companies representing nearly all of the EU’s production of renewable ethanol, who are seeking to annul specific sections of the RefuelEU Aviation Regulation that exclude crop-based biofuels from the definition of sustainable aviation fuel.
“As with the FuelEU Maritime case, this RefuelEU Aviation legislation once again jeopardies the EU’s ambitions for transport decarbonisation by discriminating against RED-complaint sustainable biofuels,” said David Carpintero, director general of ePURE, the European renewable ethanol association.
“Renewable ethanol has a proven track record of emissions reduction and sustainability as confirmed in the Renewable Energy Directive. Instead of being excluded, it should be empowered in the Union interest.” Biofuels News
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MPOB’s Palm Oil Innovations Revolutionize Animal Feed Production and Boost Economic Benefits
Malaysian Palm Oil Board’s (MPOB) groundbreaking achievements have revolutionized the oil palm industry with the development of 714 technologies, 233 of which have been successfully commercialized and integrated into local industries.
Among these technologies are palm-based food formulations such as Mozzarella cheese analogue, which showcase the versatility of palm oil. However, one of the most impactful innovations is the feed pellet formulation for beef cattle.
This feed pellet formulation contains over 80% palm-based ingredients, including palm kernel cake, empty fruit bunch, and crude palm oil. By utilizing these locally sourced materials, the cost of animal feed production is significantly reduced without compromising nutritional value.
The Minister of Plantation and Commodities recently paid a visit to the MPOB to understand their research and development efforts in the oil palm industry. During the visit, the minister was introduced to their margarine pilot plant, advanced biotechnology and breeding center (ABBC), and oil palm gallery. UK Agro Consult
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TVET grads will expedite automation of palm oil sector, says Malaysian expert
Hong Wai Onn says TVET graduates with the requisite expertise will be able to operate and maintain machines more effectively and efficiently.
PETALING JAYA: An industry expert has lauded a proposal by the plantation and commodities ministry to include palm oil harvesting in technical and vocational education training (TVET) programmes currently on offer.
Hong Wai Onn, a fellow at the Institution of Chemical Engineers, said the move would help address critical labour shortages experienced in the sector.
He said TVET graduates would be best-placed to operate and maintain machines effectively and efficiently if the programme’s syllabus offers a hands-on and practical approach which students can apply when working in the industry.
"Other training programmes, for example, academic training, often focus more on theoretical knowledge, which I think is equally critical to the country. But that might not always align with the specific needs of the industry,” he told FMT.
European ethanol producers raise new legal challenge to EU aviation-fuel legislation
European renewable ethanol producers have launched a new legal challenge now directed to the EU’s RefuelEU Aviation Regulation - charging that it improperly excludes crop-based biofuels from the effort to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions from air transport.
It’s the second legal challenge from the EU renewable ethanol industry to be raised in recent months alleging discrimination in EU policymaking against RED-compliant crop-based biofuels.
In December 2023 the industry filed a similar case against the FuelEU Maritime Regulation.
The new aviation court action comes from companies representing nearly all of the EU’s production of renewable ethanol, who are seeking to annul specific sections of the RefuelEU Aviation Regulation that exclude crop-based biofuels from the definition of sustainable aviation fuel.
“As with the FuelEU Maritime case, this RefuelEU Aviation legislation once again jeopardies the EU’s ambitions for transport decarbonisation by discriminating against RED-complaint sustainable biofuels,” said David Carpintero, director general of ePURE, the European renewable ethanol association.
“Renewable ethanol has a proven track record of emissions reduction and sustainability as confirmed in the Renewable Energy Directive. Instead of being excluded, it should be empowered in the Union interest.” Biofuels News
----------
MPOB’s Palm Oil Innovations Revolutionize Animal Feed Production and Boost Economic Benefits
Malaysian Palm Oil Board’s (MPOB) groundbreaking achievements have revolutionized the oil palm industry with the development of 714 technologies, 233 of which have been successfully commercialized and integrated into local industries.
Among these technologies are palm-based food formulations such as Mozzarella cheese analogue, which showcase the versatility of palm oil. However, one of the most impactful innovations is the feed pellet formulation for beef cattle.
This feed pellet formulation contains over 80% palm-based ingredients, including palm kernel cake, empty fruit bunch, and crude palm oil. By utilizing these locally sourced materials, the cost of animal feed production is significantly reduced without compromising nutritional value.
The Minister of Plantation and Commodities recently paid a visit to the MPOB to understand their research and development efforts in the oil palm industry. During the visit, the minister was introduced to their margarine pilot plant, advanced biotechnology and breeding center (ABBC), and oil palm gallery. UK Agro Consult
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TVET grads will expedite automation of palm oil sector, says Malaysian expert
Hong Wai Onn says TVET graduates with the requisite expertise will be able to operate and maintain machines more effectively and efficiently.
PETALING JAYA: An industry expert has lauded a proposal by the plantation and commodities ministry to include palm oil harvesting in technical and vocational education training (TVET) programmes currently on offer.
Hong Wai Onn, a fellow at the Institution of Chemical Engineers, said the move would help address critical labour shortages experienced in the sector.
He said TVET graduates would be best-placed to operate and maintain machines effectively and efficiently if the programme’s syllabus offers a hands-on and practical approach which students can apply when working in the industry.
"Other training programmes, for example, academic training, often focus more on theoretical knowledge, which I think is equally critical to the country. But that might not always align with the specific needs of the industry,” he told FMT.
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Feb 15, 2024
HUL To Partner With Andhra Pradesh Government For Palm Oil Production
The company seeks to partner with more than 15,000 farmers in the state to create at least 30,000 hectares of palm oil plantations.
Hindustan Unilever Ltd. plans to partner with the Andhra Pradesh government for the production of palm oil in the state. The company seeks to partner with more than 15,000 farmers in the state to create at least 30,000 hectares of palm oil plantations, an exchange filing said on Wednesday.
The plan involves setting up sapling nurseries, palm fresh fruit bunch collection centres, and a state-of-the-art palm oil mill in the state, according to the filing. The establishment of the mill will help generate around 1,000 direct and indirect jobs, along with an investment of Rs 300 crore over the project development period, it said. "The opportunity to set up an oil mill factory to source. Read more at: https://www.ndtvprofit.com/business/hul-to-partner-with-andhra-pradesh-government-for-palm-oil-production Copyright © NDTV Profit
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Johari urges private sector to work with palm oil board to commercialise technology
KUALA LUMPUR: Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani has called on the private sector to get involved in the commercialisation of technology developed by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB).
He said the involvement of the private sector would allow the technology, including the formulation of palm-based food and non-food products, to be used by the oil palm industry.
"We can request the private sector, such as FGV (FGV Holdings Bhd) and Sime Darby, to collaborate with the MPOB to do trials."
He said this in a statement by MPOB, in conjunction with his visit to the board's research and development (R&D) facilities at its headquarters in Bangi, Selangor, yesterday. New Straits Times
HUL To Partner With Andhra Pradesh Government For Palm Oil Production
The company seeks to partner with more than 15,000 farmers in the state to create at least 30,000 hectares of palm oil plantations.
Hindustan Unilever Ltd. plans to partner with the Andhra Pradesh government for the production of palm oil in the state. The company seeks to partner with more than 15,000 farmers in the state to create at least 30,000 hectares of palm oil plantations, an exchange filing said on Wednesday.
The plan involves setting up sapling nurseries, palm fresh fruit bunch collection centres, and a state-of-the-art palm oil mill in the state, according to the filing. The establishment of the mill will help generate around 1,000 direct and indirect jobs, along with an investment of Rs 300 crore over the project development period, it said. "The opportunity to set up an oil mill factory to source. Read more at: https://www.ndtvprofit.com/business/hul-to-partner-with-andhra-pradesh-government-for-palm-oil-production Copyright © NDTV Profit
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Johari urges private sector to work with palm oil board to commercialise technology
KUALA LUMPUR: Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani has called on the private sector to get involved in the commercialisation of technology developed by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB).
He said the involvement of the private sector would allow the technology, including the formulation of palm-based food and non-food products, to be used by the oil palm industry.
"We can request the private sector, such as FGV (FGV Holdings Bhd) and Sime Darby, to collaborate with the MPOB to do trials."
He said this in a statement by MPOB, in conjunction with his visit to the board's research and development (R&D) facilities at its headquarters in Bangi, Selangor, yesterday. New Straits Times
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Feb 14, 2024
Here's what investors expect as Indonesia, world's third-largest democracy, goes to the polls
Indonesia will go the polls on Wednesday to elect a new president to replace Joko Widodo. The vote's importance should not be underestimated.
Covering 17,000 islands across South East Asia and Oceania - including Java and Sumatra - the republic has important geopolitical and global economic clout.
With about 280 million inhabitants, encompassing an estimated 1,300 ethnic groups, Indonesia is the world's fourth-most populous country, the third-biggest democracy, the 16th biggest economy - ahead of Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Switzerland - and the third-best performing stock market over the past 20 years.
And as the biggest Muslim nation enjoying relatively good relations with both the U.S. and China, the administration in the capital Jakarta is positioned as a crucial bridge between East and West.
That balancing act between the world's two biggest economies also has protected Indonesia's commercial interests - though it also helps to have lots of stuff that other country's want. For example, the vast archipelagic state is the world's biggest producer of palm oil and contains the globe's largest deposits of nickel. Morningstar
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MPOB's Palm Oil Innovations Revolutionize Animal Feed Production and Boost Economic Benefits
Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) has developed 714 technologies, among which a feed pellet formulation for beef cattle containing over 80% palm-based ingredients stands out. This innovation significantly reduces the cost of animal feed production, promotes sustainability, and holds the potential to decrease Malaysia's animal feed imports by at least 10%. Additionally, the use of oil palm waste for organic fertilizer and animal feed contributes to environmental management.
Malaysian Palm Oil Board's (MPOB) groundbreaking achievements have revolutionized the oil palm industry with the development of 714 technologies, 233 of which have been successfully commercialized and integrated into local industries.
Innovative Palm-Based Formulations
Among these technologies are palm-based food formulations such as Mozzarella cheese analogue, which showcase the versatility of palm oil. However, one of the most impactful innovations is the feed pellet formulation for beef cattle.
Revolutionizing Animal Feed Production BNN Breaking
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Nigeria- Governor Oborevwori inaugurates multi-million naira Norsworthy palm oil mill
GOV. Sherrif Oborevwori of Delta, on Tuesday, inaugurated a multi-million naira palm oil company in Akwukwu-Igbo Community, Oshimili North Local Government Area.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the project has a production capacity of 10 metric tonnes of palm oil per hour.
It is owned by Norsworthy Farms and Allied Industries Ltd.
In a remark at the event, Oborevwori described the project as a positive development in economy of the local community and the state in general.
“Today, we have gathered here for the ground-breaking ceremony of the inauguration of Norsworthy palm oil mill.
“There is no doubt that this mega project is going to be a great addition to our local economy and the state in general.
“I salute the courage of Dr Gabriel Ogbechie, the Chairman of Norsworthy Farms for his commitment to the growth of our state economy.
“As a government, we are proud of this investment because it holds great hope of urbanisation for this host community of Akwukwu-Igbo. Real News
Here's what investors expect as Indonesia, world's third-largest democracy, goes to the polls
Indonesia will go the polls on Wednesday to elect a new president to replace Joko Widodo. The vote's importance should not be underestimated.
Covering 17,000 islands across South East Asia and Oceania - including Java and Sumatra - the republic has important geopolitical and global economic clout.
With about 280 million inhabitants, encompassing an estimated 1,300 ethnic groups, Indonesia is the world's fourth-most populous country, the third-biggest democracy, the 16th biggest economy - ahead of Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Switzerland - and the third-best performing stock market over the past 20 years.
And as the biggest Muslim nation enjoying relatively good relations with both the U.S. and China, the administration in the capital Jakarta is positioned as a crucial bridge between East and West.
That balancing act between the world's two biggest economies also has protected Indonesia's commercial interests - though it also helps to have lots of stuff that other country's want. For example, the vast archipelagic state is the world's biggest producer of palm oil and contains the globe's largest deposits of nickel. Morningstar
---------
MPOB's Palm Oil Innovations Revolutionize Animal Feed Production and Boost Economic Benefits
Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) has developed 714 technologies, among which a feed pellet formulation for beef cattle containing over 80% palm-based ingredients stands out. This innovation significantly reduces the cost of animal feed production, promotes sustainability, and holds the potential to decrease Malaysia's animal feed imports by at least 10%. Additionally, the use of oil palm waste for organic fertilizer and animal feed contributes to environmental management.
Malaysian Palm Oil Board's (MPOB) groundbreaking achievements have revolutionized the oil palm industry with the development of 714 technologies, 233 of which have been successfully commercialized and integrated into local industries.
Innovative Palm-Based Formulations
Among these technologies are palm-based food formulations such as Mozzarella cheese analogue, which showcase the versatility of palm oil. However, one of the most impactful innovations is the feed pellet formulation for beef cattle.
Revolutionizing Animal Feed Production BNN Breaking
---------
Nigeria- Governor Oborevwori inaugurates multi-million naira Norsworthy palm oil mill
GOV. Sherrif Oborevwori of Delta, on Tuesday, inaugurated a multi-million naira palm oil company in Akwukwu-Igbo Community, Oshimili North Local Government Area.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the project has a production capacity of 10 metric tonnes of palm oil per hour.
It is owned by Norsworthy Farms and Allied Industries Ltd.
In a remark at the event, Oborevwori described the project as a positive development in economy of the local community and the state in general.
“Today, we have gathered here for the ground-breaking ceremony of the inauguration of Norsworthy palm oil mill.
“There is no doubt that this mega project is going to be a great addition to our local economy and the state in general.
“I salute the courage of Dr Gabriel Ogbechie, the Chairman of Norsworthy Farms for his commitment to the growth of our state economy.
“As a government, we are proud of this investment because it holds great hope of urbanisation for this host community of Akwukwu-Igbo. Real News
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Feb 13, 2024
Palm oil deforestation makes comeback in Indonesia after decade-long slump
Palm oil companies in Indonesia, the world’s top producer of the commodity, cleared 30,000 hectares (about 74,100 acres) of forest last year to make way for plantations, up from 22,000 hectares (54,400 acres) in 2022. These increases mark the end of a declining trend that began after the record 227,000 hectares (561,000 acres) — an area nearly twice the size of Los Angeles — of deforestation in 2012. Mongabay
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Indonesia launches WTO dispute against EU over fatty acids
GENEVA/JAKARTA, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Indonesia filed a complaint at the World Trade Organization against the European Union for its import duties on fatty acids, the global trade watchdog said on Monday.
The EU began imposing, opens new tab duties of between 15.2% and 46.4% on Indonesian imports in January 2023, saying they were harming European industry.
"The Indonesian government and exporters assess that the European Union policy violates WTO provisions," Indonesia's trade ministry senior official Budi Santoso told Reuters on Tuesday, adding that the government is waiting for the EU's response regarding the consultation request.
Fatty acids, which use palm oil as a key raw ingredient, are found in both consumer products such as cosmetics and medicines as well as industrial lubricants.
Indonesia's exports of fatty acid to the bloc dropped by nearly 60% to $154 million in 2023 from $373 million in 2022 before the duties imposed.
The EU said imposition of the duties would help to ensure fair competition between fatty acid imported from Indonesia and locally produced fatty acid. Reuters
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Liberian Entrepreneur Converts Wasted Palm Kernels Into Sustainable Livelihoods
In Liberia, rural communities face systemic barriers to economic mobility. Yet social entrepreneur Mahmud Johnson spotted an opportunity in one of the country’s most abundant resources: oil palm.
Johnson founded J-Palm Liberia in 2013 to create income streams for smallholders while meeting local needs for affordable, eco-friendly products. Today, the company employs over 100 staff and farmers, converting neglected palm kernels into sustainable jobs and clean energy solutions.
Alleviating Poverty by Producing Value-Added Goods
Many small palm farms waste discarded kernels or sell them at rock-bottom prices to brokers. J-Palm upcycles this overlooked resource into higher-value consumer goods. Palm oil forms the base for their growing line of organic, vegan-friendly skincare and haircare items.
Liberian Entrepreneur Converts Wasted Palm Kernels into Sustainable Livelihoods
They also craft biodegradable soaps, natural glycerin, and biodiesel from kernels, displacing wood charcoal reliance and slowing deforestation. With global demand surging for plant-based beauty and green products, J-Palm sustainably taps into these markets to uplift their supply chain.
The company reinvests profits into initiatives supporting rural youth and women with equipment loans, farming resources, and vocational training. GNN Liberia
Palm oil deforestation makes comeback in Indonesia after decade-long slump
- Deforestation for oil palm plantations has increased for the second year in a row in Indonesia, the world’s biggest producer of palm oil, bucking a decade-long decline in forest loss.
- A third of the 2023 deforestation occurred on carbon-rich peatlands, raising the potential for massive greenhouse gas emissions as these areas are cleared and drained in preparation for planting.
- Historically, deforestation for plantations in Indonesia was concentrated on the island of Sumatra, but the surge in the past two years has been mostly on the islands of Indonesian Borneo and Papua.
Palm oil companies in Indonesia, the world’s top producer of the commodity, cleared 30,000 hectares (about 74,100 acres) of forest last year to make way for plantations, up from 22,000 hectares (54,400 acres) in 2022. These increases mark the end of a declining trend that began after the record 227,000 hectares (561,000 acres) — an area nearly twice the size of Los Angeles — of deforestation in 2012. Mongabay
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Indonesia launches WTO dispute against EU over fatty acids
GENEVA/JAKARTA, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Indonesia filed a complaint at the World Trade Organization against the European Union for its import duties on fatty acids, the global trade watchdog said on Monday.
The EU began imposing, opens new tab duties of between 15.2% and 46.4% on Indonesian imports in January 2023, saying they were harming European industry.
"The Indonesian government and exporters assess that the European Union policy violates WTO provisions," Indonesia's trade ministry senior official Budi Santoso told Reuters on Tuesday, adding that the government is waiting for the EU's response regarding the consultation request.
Fatty acids, which use palm oil as a key raw ingredient, are found in both consumer products such as cosmetics and medicines as well as industrial lubricants.
Indonesia's exports of fatty acid to the bloc dropped by nearly 60% to $154 million in 2023 from $373 million in 2022 before the duties imposed.
The EU said imposition of the duties would help to ensure fair competition between fatty acid imported from Indonesia and locally produced fatty acid. Reuters
----------
Liberian Entrepreneur Converts Wasted Palm Kernels Into Sustainable Livelihoods
In Liberia, rural communities face systemic barriers to economic mobility. Yet social entrepreneur Mahmud Johnson spotted an opportunity in one of the country’s most abundant resources: oil palm.
Johnson founded J-Palm Liberia in 2013 to create income streams for smallholders while meeting local needs for affordable, eco-friendly products. Today, the company employs over 100 staff and farmers, converting neglected palm kernels into sustainable jobs and clean energy solutions.
Alleviating Poverty by Producing Value-Added Goods
Many small palm farms waste discarded kernels or sell them at rock-bottom prices to brokers. J-Palm upcycles this overlooked resource into higher-value consumer goods. Palm oil forms the base for their growing line of organic, vegan-friendly skincare and haircare items.
Liberian Entrepreneur Converts Wasted Palm Kernels into Sustainable Livelihoods
They also craft biodegradable soaps, natural glycerin, and biodiesel from kernels, displacing wood charcoal reliance and slowing deforestation. With global demand surging for plant-based beauty and green products, J-Palm sustainably taps into these markets to uplift their supply chain.
The company reinvests profits into initiatives supporting rural youth and women with equipment loans, farming resources, and vocational training. GNN Liberia
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Feb 12, 2024
What to Know About Indonesia’s Election
More than 100 million people are expected to vote. The country is a vibrant democracy, but some fear it risks sliding back toward a dark past.
More than 100 million people are expected to vote, many for the first time. They’ll do so in booths across thousands of islands and three time zones, hammering nails into ballots to mark their choices. And within hours, if history is any guide, the world will know the outcome of the biggest race of the day: the one for Indonesia’s presidency.
Indonesia, the world’s third-largest democracy, will hold its general election on Wednesday. Election Day is a national holiday, and on average, about 75 percent of eligible voters have turned out. In addition to the president, voters are choosing members of Parliament and local representatives.
This election season has raised fears that Indonesia, which was an authoritarian state not long ago, is in danger of sliding back toward its dark past. The potential ramifications extend far beyond the country’s borders. As one of the world’s biggest exporters of coal, nickel and palm oil, Indonesia has a large role to play in the climate change crisis. New York Times
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Indonesian President Jokowi Assembles Cabinet Ministers for Meeting on Palm Oil
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian President Joko Widodo or Jokowi convened an internal meeting this morning, Feb. 12 at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta. Some ministers had arrived at the Palace Complex since 9:15 am, including Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlngga Hartarto, who was the first to arrive.
Airlangga Hartarto, who is also the chairman of the Golkar Party, briefly told journalists upon exiting his car that the meeting was for an internal agenda.
Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan or Zulhas arrived after Airlangga at around 9:25 am. He confirmed that palm oil would be on the agenda. “Yes, [the meeting will be about palm oil]. The Coordinating Minister will issue further information later,” said Zulhas, who is also the chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN). Tempo
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Nigeria-5000 farmers benefit from W/Bank, FAO $55m intervention in Cross River, Ondo
At least 5000 smallholder farmers have been listed to benefit from the World Bank, Food And Agriculture, FAO, as well as partners interventions in establishing alternative livelihood projects in forest communities of Cross River State.
Similar intervention is equally ongoing in Ondo State.
The two are the only Niger Delta states selected to benefit from the intervention because of their acknowledged remaining vast forests and arable lands.
National project coordinator of the Global Environment Facility, which is handling the 3-year FOLUR Impact Programme, Prof Oladapo Adeyemi disclosed this in Calabar weekend during a 1-day agric workshop.
Adeyemi said that the 5000 were selected from eight local government areas where the programme of boosting oil palm, cocoa, as well as alternative livelihood initiatives of squirrel and rabbits rearing are ongoing.
“The programme will support people’s livelihoods as a way of discouraging them from further depleting the remaining forests in the country and empowering them.
“It focuses on accelerating sustainability across the value chains of eight major commodities and food staples, including cocoa, coffee, livestock, maize, palm oil, rice, soy and wheat. Daily Post
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Former Senate President Bukola Saraki Goes Into Oil Palm Investments In Cross River
Speaking in Calabar, Saraki also said he had made investments in other agricultural ventures, running into several millions of naira.
He disclosed this when he paid a courtesy call on Governor Bassey Otu in his office in Calabar after visiting the Export Processing Zone.
Saraki said, “We have been very encouraged. It is not only in the oil plantation that we are focusing, we are also looking at other businesses.
He disclosed that he is also investing in the Ayip Eku Oil Plantation in Akamkpa Local Government Area of the state.
The former Kwara State governor said Governor Otu understood what it took to govern and attract investors.
According to him, owing to Otu’s pragmatic economic policies, Cross River has become an investment destination with enormous potential. Daily Trust
What to Know About Indonesia’s Election
More than 100 million people are expected to vote. The country is a vibrant democracy, but some fear it risks sliding back toward a dark past.
More than 100 million people are expected to vote, many for the first time. They’ll do so in booths across thousands of islands and three time zones, hammering nails into ballots to mark their choices. And within hours, if history is any guide, the world will know the outcome of the biggest race of the day: the one for Indonesia’s presidency.
Indonesia, the world’s third-largest democracy, will hold its general election on Wednesday. Election Day is a national holiday, and on average, about 75 percent of eligible voters have turned out. In addition to the president, voters are choosing members of Parliament and local representatives.
This election season has raised fears that Indonesia, which was an authoritarian state not long ago, is in danger of sliding back toward its dark past. The potential ramifications extend far beyond the country’s borders. As one of the world’s biggest exporters of coal, nickel and palm oil, Indonesia has a large role to play in the climate change crisis. New York Times
---------
Indonesian President Jokowi Assembles Cabinet Ministers for Meeting on Palm Oil
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian President Joko Widodo or Jokowi convened an internal meeting this morning, Feb. 12 at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta. Some ministers had arrived at the Palace Complex since 9:15 am, including Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlngga Hartarto, who was the first to arrive.
Airlangga Hartarto, who is also the chairman of the Golkar Party, briefly told journalists upon exiting his car that the meeting was for an internal agenda.
Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan or Zulhas arrived after Airlangga at around 9:25 am. He confirmed that palm oil would be on the agenda. “Yes, [the meeting will be about palm oil]. The Coordinating Minister will issue further information later,” said Zulhas, who is also the chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN). Tempo
---------
Nigeria-5000 farmers benefit from W/Bank, FAO $55m intervention in Cross River, Ondo
At least 5000 smallholder farmers have been listed to benefit from the World Bank, Food And Agriculture, FAO, as well as partners interventions in establishing alternative livelihood projects in forest communities of Cross River State.
Similar intervention is equally ongoing in Ondo State.
The two are the only Niger Delta states selected to benefit from the intervention because of their acknowledged remaining vast forests and arable lands.
National project coordinator of the Global Environment Facility, which is handling the 3-year FOLUR Impact Programme, Prof Oladapo Adeyemi disclosed this in Calabar weekend during a 1-day agric workshop.
Adeyemi said that the 5000 were selected from eight local government areas where the programme of boosting oil palm, cocoa, as well as alternative livelihood initiatives of squirrel and rabbits rearing are ongoing.
“The programme will support people’s livelihoods as a way of discouraging them from further depleting the remaining forests in the country and empowering them.
“It focuses on accelerating sustainability across the value chains of eight major commodities and food staples, including cocoa, coffee, livestock, maize, palm oil, rice, soy and wheat. Daily Post
---------
Former Senate President Bukola Saraki Goes Into Oil Palm Investments In Cross River
Speaking in Calabar, Saraki also said he had made investments in other agricultural ventures, running into several millions of naira.
He disclosed this when he paid a courtesy call on Governor Bassey Otu in his office in Calabar after visiting the Export Processing Zone.
Saraki said, “We have been very encouraged. It is not only in the oil plantation that we are focusing, we are also looking at other businesses.
He disclosed that he is also investing in the Ayip Eku Oil Plantation in Akamkpa Local Government Area of the state.
The former Kwara State governor said Governor Otu understood what it took to govern and attract investors.
According to him, owing to Otu’s pragmatic economic policies, Cross River has become an investment destination with enormous potential. Daily Trust
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Feb 10, 2024
EU supply chain law postponed amid German FDP opposition
The German business-focused FDP said an EU supply chain law would burden companies with cumbersome bureaucracy. The legislation will force firms to crack down on damaging actions in their supply chains.
A blockade by Germany's business-focused Free Democrats, part of the country's governing coalition, has halted the adoption of a proposed EU law that would require large companies to assess whether their supply chains use forced labor or cause environmental damage.
The Belgian EU presidency postponed the vote, which had been scheduled for Friday, at the last minute.
A "qualified majority" of 15 EU countries representing 65% of the EU population is needed for the corporate sustainability due diligence directive (CSDDD) to proceed to a final vote in the European Parliament, where lawmakers are expected to support it.
On Friday, it was not clear whether a sufficient number of envoys from the 27 EU countries would support the legislation, with Germany set to abstain. The Belgian EU presidency said the item would be postponed to a date to be announced.
What is CSDDD?
Under the CSDDD, which would come into force in 2027, large companies in the EU will have to identify and take remedial action if they find that their supply chains use forced or child labor or cause environmental damage, such as deforestation. DW
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Malaysian investment sought in palm oil industry in Bangladesh
Bangladesh has sought investment from Malaysia in its palm-oil industry aiming to develop the sector and to expand exports, sources said.
Bangladesh High Commissioner to Malaysia Md Shameem Ahsan made the request at a meeting with Secretary General (Secretary) of the Ministry of Plantation and Commodities of Malaysia.
In response, the Malaysian side assured of looking into their investment in the refinery facilities of Bangladesh, in particular.
The Bangladesh High Commissioner to Malaysia at the meeting focused on the issues of common interests including increased cooperation in the field of development of palm oil sector especially investing in the palm oil centric industries (e.g., refinery) in Bangladesh to diversify exports, according to a letter.
The High Commissioner also flagged the idea of making Malaysian palm oil competitive in the context of the continuously increasing trend of the export of the palm oil to Bangladesh (previously taken over by Indonesia), reads the letter.
An overall assessment of the current situation of Malaysian palm industry has been highlighted in the high commission's note. The Financial Express
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Malaysia-Reviving FGV
KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 10): The relationship between FGV Holdings Bhd and its statutory body parent, the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda), is a complicated one.
After Felda’s failed attempt to privatise FGV that dragged on for years, both parties seem to be stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Sources say that Felda, which now owns an 82% stake in FGV, is still keen to pursue its plan to privatise the agribusiness group.
Meanwhile, FGV has proposed a corporate exercise involving the issuance of 364.8 million new Islamic redeemable preference shares (RPS-i) that will allow Felda to pare down its stake without diluting its control of two profitable subsidiaries FGV Plantations (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd and FGV Palm Industries Sdn Bhd.
Against this backdrop, billionaire Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Albukhary has proposed to merge his rice-trading and distribution business with FGV’s consumer products division, in exchange for a stake in the joint venture.
It is also understood that there are also many interested parties that are still eyeing to get a block in FGV’s 51% stake in the country’s largest refinery MSM Malaysia Holdings Bhd.
Amid the saga, FGV continues to work on improving its operation, looking for new revenue streams and working toward getting the import ban imposed by the US Customs and Border Protection on its palm oil uplifted. The Edge
EU supply chain law postponed amid German FDP opposition
The German business-focused FDP said an EU supply chain law would burden companies with cumbersome bureaucracy. The legislation will force firms to crack down on damaging actions in their supply chains.
A blockade by Germany's business-focused Free Democrats, part of the country's governing coalition, has halted the adoption of a proposed EU law that would require large companies to assess whether their supply chains use forced labor or cause environmental damage.
The Belgian EU presidency postponed the vote, which had been scheduled for Friday, at the last minute.
A "qualified majority" of 15 EU countries representing 65% of the EU population is needed for the corporate sustainability due diligence directive (CSDDD) to proceed to a final vote in the European Parliament, where lawmakers are expected to support it.
On Friday, it was not clear whether a sufficient number of envoys from the 27 EU countries would support the legislation, with Germany set to abstain. The Belgian EU presidency said the item would be postponed to a date to be announced.
What is CSDDD?
Under the CSDDD, which would come into force in 2027, large companies in the EU will have to identify and take remedial action if they find that their supply chains use forced or child labor or cause environmental damage, such as deforestation. DW
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Malaysian investment sought in palm oil industry in Bangladesh
Bangladesh has sought investment from Malaysia in its palm-oil industry aiming to develop the sector and to expand exports, sources said.
Bangladesh High Commissioner to Malaysia Md Shameem Ahsan made the request at a meeting with Secretary General (Secretary) of the Ministry of Plantation and Commodities of Malaysia.
In response, the Malaysian side assured of looking into their investment in the refinery facilities of Bangladesh, in particular.
The Bangladesh High Commissioner to Malaysia at the meeting focused on the issues of common interests including increased cooperation in the field of development of palm oil sector especially investing in the palm oil centric industries (e.g., refinery) in Bangladesh to diversify exports, according to a letter.
The High Commissioner also flagged the idea of making Malaysian palm oil competitive in the context of the continuously increasing trend of the export of the palm oil to Bangladesh (previously taken over by Indonesia), reads the letter.
An overall assessment of the current situation of Malaysian palm industry has been highlighted in the high commission's note. The Financial Express
---------
Malaysia-Reviving FGV
KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 10): The relationship between FGV Holdings Bhd and its statutory body parent, the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda), is a complicated one.
After Felda’s failed attempt to privatise FGV that dragged on for years, both parties seem to be stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Sources say that Felda, which now owns an 82% stake in FGV, is still keen to pursue its plan to privatise the agribusiness group.
Meanwhile, FGV has proposed a corporate exercise involving the issuance of 364.8 million new Islamic redeemable preference shares (RPS-i) that will allow Felda to pare down its stake without diluting its control of two profitable subsidiaries FGV Plantations (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd and FGV Palm Industries Sdn Bhd.
Against this backdrop, billionaire Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Albukhary has proposed to merge his rice-trading and distribution business with FGV’s consumer products division, in exchange for a stake in the joint venture.
It is also understood that there are also many interested parties that are still eyeing to get a block in FGV’s 51% stake in the country’s largest refinery MSM Malaysia Holdings Bhd.
Amid the saga, FGV continues to work on improving its operation, looking for new revenue streams and working toward getting the import ban imposed by the US Customs and Border Protection on its palm oil uplifted. The Edge
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Feb 09, 2024
Palm oil buyers switch to cheaper rival oils, hampering price recovery
Benchmark Malaysian palm oil futures have risen nearly 5% in 2024 after losing 11% last year.
Primary competitor soyoil typically trades at a premium to palm oil, but a record South American soybean crop has driven down prices, and buyers are taking more soyoil shipments. Reuters
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EWABA welcomes fact several member states not ready to support compromise agreement
Several Member States including Germany are considering not supporting the deal struck during the first trilogue on 18 January - with a minority likely to block the file.
A number of Member States support the important role of renewable fuels, citing the latest statistics published by Eurostat showing that even in 2022 most Member States still did not fulfil the 10% transport target and will be struggling to meet the ambitious future targets 14.5% emission savings or 29% share of renewable energy even more.
Heavy-duty transport is a hard-to-decarbonise sector and will need significantly more time, effort and investments to reach large-scale electrification or the deployment of novel fuels such as hydrogen in significant volumes.
“A combination of technologies will be needed to efficiently decarbonise the transport sector, and especially road HDVs. Sustainable biodiesel is the best available and cheapest fuel solution not requiring any notable infrastructure investments. It should, therefore, be encouraged for further use in higher blends to decarbonise the heavy-duty road sector,” EWABA Secretary General Angel Alvarez Alberdi said.
This is a crucial moment for the EU transport sector to move forward embracing technology neutrality and utilise the most efficient and sustainable fuels to cut emissions today. Biofuels News
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Report shows Peru failed to stop Amazon deforestation for palm oil and cacao
The investigation “Carving up the Amazon” claims that deforestation happened with impunity under the eyes of the Peruvian state, which has put forests at risk through irregular titling practices and by allowing companies to continue their practices despite obvious legal infringements. Almost 100% of deforestation in Ucayali and Loreto between 2012 and 2018 had no legal permits, which is part of a larger trend in which 2.7 million hectares (6.7 million acres) of forest have been cleared in Peru over the last two decades, the EIA stresses. Mongabay
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A call to financial institutions: Work with palm oil stakeholders to scale climate action
Mutual benefits are assured when the financial sector collaborates with palm oil stakeholders. FIs can help smallholders secure credit, while getting access to data and insights required to make sound and profitable investment decisions.
The palm oil sector and financial institutions have long been linked. In 2011, 50 of the world’s largest investor groups backed the Principles for Responsible Investment’s palm oil investor working group, which supports engagement to improve sustainable practices.
However, in today’s increasingly stringent regulatory environment, FIs looking to buy into palm oil need to show more than their potential for profit. Non-financial reporting and environment, social and governance (ESG) commitments mean FIs need to be able to demonstrate their sustainable impact in concrete terms.
What is of concern is how many global financial institutions continue to be exposed to deforestation, conversion and human rights risks through their portfolios by financing corporate buyers of palm oil that are lagging behind on their sustainability commitments.
Current statistics by WWF show that, in the period from January 2016 to December 2021, financial institutions provided a total of US$4.4 trillion to 239 entities who are also buyers of palm oil, yet another report highlights that only a quarter of the members of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), a coalition of leading FIs committed to accelerating the net-zero transition, have at least one deforestation policy for a high risk commodity.
Profit and sustainability as perfect partners EcoBusiness
---------
DBS Bank India Facilitates Sustainable Financing for RSPO-Certified Palm Oil
DBS Bank India made strides in responsible banking by enabling a sustainable financing transaction for Louis Dreyfus Company India to procure RSPO-certified palm oil. This achievement highlights DBS Bank's commitment to promoting responsible sourcing practices and fostering sustainable practices through digital solutions.
DBS Bank India has made significant strides in responsible banking by facilitating a sustainable financing transaction for Louis Dreyfus Company India Pvt Ltd (LDC) to procure RSPO-certified palm oil. This milestone was achieved through DBS Bank Limited, Singapore, using the innovative Supplier Payment Services (SPS) solution.
A Leap Towards Responsible Banking
In a move that echoes its dedication to sustainable banking practices, DBS Bank India has enabled a sustainable financing transaction for the procurement of RSPO-certified palm oil by Louis Dreyfus Company India Pvt Ltd (LDC). The transaction was facilitated by DBS Bank Limited, Singapore, using the bank's Supplier Payment Services (SPS) solution.
The SPS solution permits early payment options to suppliers, bolstering their financial stability and alleviating cash flow pressures. This, in turn, fosters a more resilient and stable supply chain. BNN Breaking
Palm oil buyers switch to cheaper rival oils, hampering price recovery
- Palm oil starts trading at premiums to soyoil, sunoil
- Palm oil prices rise as output falls in Malaysia, Indonesia
- Soyoil prices fall on record soybean crop in South America
- Top buyer India trims palm imports, raises soyoil buying
Benchmark Malaysian palm oil futures have risen nearly 5% in 2024 after losing 11% last year.
Primary competitor soyoil typically trades at a premium to palm oil, but a record South American soybean crop has driven down prices, and buyers are taking more soyoil shipments. Reuters
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EWABA welcomes fact several member states not ready to support compromise agreement
Several Member States including Germany are considering not supporting the deal struck during the first trilogue on 18 January - with a minority likely to block the file.
A number of Member States support the important role of renewable fuels, citing the latest statistics published by Eurostat showing that even in 2022 most Member States still did not fulfil the 10% transport target and will be struggling to meet the ambitious future targets 14.5% emission savings or 29% share of renewable energy even more.
Heavy-duty transport is a hard-to-decarbonise sector and will need significantly more time, effort and investments to reach large-scale electrification or the deployment of novel fuels such as hydrogen in significant volumes.
“A combination of technologies will be needed to efficiently decarbonise the transport sector, and especially road HDVs. Sustainable biodiesel is the best available and cheapest fuel solution not requiring any notable infrastructure investments. It should, therefore, be encouraged for further use in higher blends to decarbonise the heavy-duty road sector,” EWABA Secretary General Angel Alvarez Alberdi said.
This is a crucial moment for the EU transport sector to move forward embracing technology neutrality and utilise the most efficient and sustainable fuels to cut emissions today. Biofuels News
---------
Report shows Peru failed to stop Amazon deforestation for palm oil and cacao
- A new report by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) reveals that about 13,000 hectares (32,000 acres) of Amazon forest in the Peruvian regions of Loreto and Ucayali have been cleared after being purchased by several palm oil and cacao companies between 2012 and 2021.
- The investigation stresses that systemic failures in Peru’s governance, particularly in land title allocation, have allowed corporations to acquire land unlawfully, deforest without permits, disregard environmental rules, avoid fines and violate community rights. Between 2012 and 2018, almost all deforestation in Loreto and Ucayali had no legal permits, the report says.
- Some of the palm oil from these companies has been shown to enter the supply chains of major multinational companies, including Kellogg’s, Nestlé and Colgate.
- Peru’s recent approval of its new forest law, which pardons all historical illegal deforestation on rural properties or areas cleared for agriculture, will only give a license to these companies to continue damaging the environment, the EIA warns.
The investigation “Carving up the Amazon” claims that deforestation happened with impunity under the eyes of the Peruvian state, which has put forests at risk through irregular titling practices and by allowing companies to continue their practices despite obvious legal infringements. Almost 100% of deforestation in Ucayali and Loreto between 2012 and 2018 had no legal permits, which is part of a larger trend in which 2.7 million hectares (6.7 million acres) of forest have been cleared in Peru over the last two decades, the EIA stresses. Mongabay
---------
A call to financial institutions: Work with palm oil stakeholders to scale climate action
Mutual benefits are assured when the financial sector collaborates with palm oil stakeholders. FIs can help smallholders secure credit, while getting access to data and insights required to make sound and profitable investment decisions.
The palm oil sector and financial institutions have long been linked. In 2011, 50 of the world’s largest investor groups backed the Principles for Responsible Investment’s palm oil investor working group, which supports engagement to improve sustainable practices.
However, in today’s increasingly stringent regulatory environment, FIs looking to buy into palm oil need to show more than their potential for profit. Non-financial reporting and environment, social and governance (ESG) commitments mean FIs need to be able to demonstrate their sustainable impact in concrete terms.
What is of concern is how many global financial institutions continue to be exposed to deforestation, conversion and human rights risks through their portfolios by financing corporate buyers of palm oil that are lagging behind on their sustainability commitments.
Current statistics by WWF show that, in the period from January 2016 to December 2021, financial institutions provided a total of US$4.4 trillion to 239 entities who are also buyers of palm oil, yet another report highlights that only a quarter of the members of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), a coalition of leading FIs committed to accelerating the net-zero transition, have at least one deforestation policy for a high risk commodity.
Profit and sustainability as perfect partners EcoBusiness
---------
DBS Bank India Facilitates Sustainable Financing for RSPO-Certified Palm Oil
DBS Bank India made strides in responsible banking by enabling a sustainable financing transaction for Louis Dreyfus Company India to procure RSPO-certified palm oil. This achievement highlights DBS Bank's commitment to promoting responsible sourcing practices and fostering sustainable practices through digital solutions.
DBS Bank India has made significant strides in responsible banking by facilitating a sustainable financing transaction for Louis Dreyfus Company India Pvt Ltd (LDC) to procure RSPO-certified palm oil. This milestone was achieved through DBS Bank Limited, Singapore, using the innovative Supplier Payment Services (SPS) solution.
A Leap Towards Responsible Banking
In a move that echoes its dedication to sustainable banking practices, DBS Bank India has enabled a sustainable financing transaction for the procurement of RSPO-certified palm oil by Louis Dreyfus Company India Pvt Ltd (LDC). The transaction was facilitated by DBS Bank Limited, Singapore, using the bank's Supplier Payment Services (SPS) solution.
The SPS solution permits early payment options to suppliers, bolstering their financial stability and alleviating cash flow pressures. This, in turn, fosters a more resilient and stable supply chain. BNN Breaking
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Feb 08. 2024
EU states to reconsider CO2 truck law approval
EU diplomats may reconsider formally the approval of the regulation requiring manufacturers to cut average emissions of new heavy duty vehicles (HDVs) and coaches on 9 February, after failing today to achieve a qualified majority of EU member states over concerns that the law insufficiently provides for CO2 neutral fuels.
A diplomat told Argus that formal approval of the regulation "might" now take place on 9 February. Non-governmental organisation Transport & Environment said the blockage was triggered by the German liberal FDP party that is calling for "a loophole for e-fuels and biofuels — including climate-wrecking palm oil".
"German truck manufacturers don't want a loophole for e-fuels or biofuels," T&E's freight policy manager Fedor Unterlohner said. "The FDP is going against the interests of its own domestic auto industry which wants regulatory certainty, not diversions into dead-end technologies", he added.
The same diplomat said that EU decisions should not be influenced by internal party politics in a single member state, without referring to Germany. Argus Media
---------
Johari Ghani: Malaysia, Indonesia to strengthen collaboration on oil palm industry
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 8 ― The Ministry of Plantation and Commodities and the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) plan to further strengthen collaboration between Malaysia and Indonesia to benefit the palm oil industry in both countries.
Following a visit from the CPOPC today, Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said that the matters discussed include disseminating information to the world on the high standards in palm oil production in Malaysia and Indonesia.
“Palm oil production is vital to Malaysia’s economy, and we are the second largest producer globally after Indonesia,” he said in a post on his official X account.
Johari said that the effort undertaken with the CPOPC is among the strategies to promote Malaysia’s palm oil industry and make the commodity the global vegetable oil of choice. Malay Mail
---------
Malaysia Cracks Down on Discriminatory Palm Oil Labels
Malaysia has initiated a crackdown on discriminatory palm oil labels, enforcing a ban on labels indicating 'no palm oil'. The move aims to counter the EU's directive reducing palm oil consumption and uphold fair trade principles, with severe penalties for non-compliance.
In a decisive action against discriminatory food labelling, Malaysia has launched a crackdown on products carrying labels such as "no palm oil". The Multi-Agency Enforcement Force (MAEF), established by the Ministry of Plantations and Commodities, has been at the forefront of this initiative, conducting rigorous inspections across the country.
Enforcement Actions in Selangor
The crackdown came into effect on January 26, 2023, with enforcement actions predominantly unfolding in Selangor. The MAEF discovered an array of local and imported products sporting labels that explicitly stated the absence of palm oil. Startlingly, some products even had stickers placed by importing companies to obscure such labels.
In response to these discoveries, the managers of the premises were promptly informed about the nationwide ban on discriminatory labels. They were instructed to remove the associated products from sale immediately, with further inspections planned to ensure compliance.
Legal Implications and Penalties BNN Breaking
---------
Palm Oil and SAP Software Give Ugandan Farmers New Hope
Much has changed for Nassozi Berna, her husband, and their seven children since she began farming oil palm trees on Kalangala, an island in Uganda's Lake Victoria, 11 years ago. Before that, Berna and her husband were subsistence farmers growing cassava, banana, and some coffee and living in a small, timber-framed house.
Like many other farmers on Kalangala, Berna started growing oil palm trees in 2012 while emphasizing sustainability and avoiding the deforestation and other issues associated with oil palm farming in some parts of the world.
Oil palm trees bear the fruit that makes palm oil, a much more reliable and lucrative crop than the cash crops they were producing previously. "When we were farming cassava, bananas, and coffee, we were affected by monkeys. They came and destroyed our crops," she says.
She also explains that she had to leave home and go to the market to find a buyer for the crops that survived the monkey attacks and never knew in advance how much they would fetch. "Our living conditions where bad," she remembers. She and her family lived in a makeshift timber house. "In the night when we were sleeping, winds would come and destroy our houses and our children fell sick almost every day."
Change
That began to change when Berna began working with the Kalangala Oil Palm Growers Trust (KOPGT) and the family planted their first oil palm trees in 2012. They expanded their crop in 2019 and again in 2022. In Kalangala, many of the people are oil palm farmers. "When a day starts, some of my family members help me with the pruning," she says. "The others go to the plantation and do other activities." Access Wire
---------
Fostering Innovation Ecosystems in the Palm Oil Industry: A Global Imperative
The global production of palm oil has experienced a remarkable surge, escalating from 24 million tonnes in 2000/2001 to 77 million tonnes in 2022/2023, driven by the soaring demand for vegetable oils. This demand surge can be attributed to the cost-effectiveness and versatility of palm oil, which is widely utilized in both edible and non-edible industrial applications.
Examining how innovation ecosystems can be cultivated within this industry provides valuable insights into addressing pressing challenges and charting a sustainable future.
The transformation of the palm oil industry necessitates collaborative efforts across the entire supply chain. Governments, industry players, NGOs, and local communities must work together within an innovation ecosystem that encourages the development and implementation of sustainable practices.
Governments play a crucial role in setting the regulatory framework and incentivizing sustainable practices. By providing clear guidelines and supporting research and development initiatives, they can create an environment that fosters innovation and responsible business conduct within the palm oil sector. A prime illustration of such efforts is seen in the mandated Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification, highlighting the Malaysian government's commitment to promoting sustainable practices.
Collaboration within the industry is paramount. Companies can share best practices, invest in research, and collectively work towards common sustainability goals. Initiatives like the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and Palm Oil Innovation Group (POIG) demonstrate the industry's commitment to fostering sustainable practices and driving positive change. Astro Awani
EU states to reconsider CO2 truck law approval
EU diplomats may reconsider formally the approval of the regulation requiring manufacturers to cut average emissions of new heavy duty vehicles (HDVs) and coaches on 9 February, after failing today to achieve a qualified majority of EU member states over concerns that the law insufficiently provides for CO2 neutral fuels.
A diplomat told Argus that formal approval of the regulation "might" now take place on 9 February. Non-governmental organisation Transport & Environment said the blockage was triggered by the German liberal FDP party that is calling for "a loophole for e-fuels and biofuels — including climate-wrecking palm oil".
"German truck manufacturers don't want a loophole for e-fuels or biofuels," T&E's freight policy manager Fedor Unterlohner said. "The FDP is going against the interests of its own domestic auto industry which wants regulatory certainty, not diversions into dead-end technologies", he added.
The same diplomat said that EU decisions should not be influenced by internal party politics in a single member state, without referring to Germany. Argus Media
---------
Johari Ghani: Malaysia, Indonesia to strengthen collaboration on oil palm industry
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 8 ― The Ministry of Plantation and Commodities and the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) plan to further strengthen collaboration between Malaysia and Indonesia to benefit the palm oil industry in both countries.
Following a visit from the CPOPC today, Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said that the matters discussed include disseminating information to the world on the high standards in palm oil production in Malaysia and Indonesia.
“Palm oil production is vital to Malaysia’s economy, and we are the second largest producer globally after Indonesia,” he said in a post on his official X account.
Johari said that the effort undertaken with the CPOPC is among the strategies to promote Malaysia’s palm oil industry and make the commodity the global vegetable oil of choice. Malay Mail
---------
Malaysia Cracks Down on Discriminatory Palm Oil Labels
Malaysia has initiated a crackdown on discriminatory palm oil labels, enforcing a ban on labels indicating 'no palm oil'. The move aims to counter the EU's directive reducing palm oil consumption and uphold fair trade principles, with severe penalties for non-compliance.
In a decisive action against discriminatory food labelling, Malaysia has launched a crackdown on products carrying labels such as "no palm oil". The Multi-Agency Enforcement Force (MAEF), established by the Ministry of Plantations and Commodities, has been at the forefront of this initiative, conducting rigorous inspections across the country.
Enforcement Actions in Selangor
The crackdown came into effect on January 26, 2023, with enforcement actions predominantly unfolding in Selangor. The MAEF discovered an array of local and imported products sporting labels that explicitly stated the absence of palm oil. Startlingly, some products even had stickers placed by importing companies to obscure such labels.
In response to these discoveries, the managers of the premises were promptly informed about the nationwide ban on discriminatory labels. They were instructed to remove the associated products from sale immediately, with further inspections planned to ensure compliance.
Legal Implications and Penalties BNN Breaking
---------
Palm Oil and SAP Software Give Ugandan Farmers New Hope
Much has changed for Nassozi Berna, her husband, and their seven children since she began farming oil palm trees on Kalangala, an island in Uganda's Lake Victoria, 11 years ago. Before that, Berna and her husband were subsistence farmers growing cassava, banana, and some coffee and living in a small, timber-framed house.
Like many other farmers on Kalangala, Berna started growing oil palm trees in 2012 while emphasizing sustainability and avoiding the deforestation and other issues associated with oil palm farming in some parts of the world.
Oil palm trees bear the fruit that makes palm oil, a much more reliable and lucrative crop than the cash crops they were producing previously. "When we were farming cassava, bananas, and coffee, we were affected by monkeys. They came and destroyed our crops," she says.
She also explains that she had to leave home and go to the market to find a buyer for the crops that survived the monkey attacks and never knew in advance how much they would fetch. "Our living conditions where bad," she remembers. She and her family lived in a makeshift timber house. "In the night when we were sleeping, winds would come and destroy our houses and our children fell sick almost every day."
Change
That began to change when Berna began working with the Kalangala Oil Palm Growers Trust (KOPGT) and the family planted their first oil palm trees in 2012. They expanded their crop in 2019 and again in 2022. In Kalangala, many of the people are oil palm farmers. "When a day starts, some of my family members help me with the pruning," she says. "The others go to the plantation and do other activities." Access Wire
---------
Fostering Innovation Ecosystems in the Palm Oil Industry: A Global Imperative
The global production of palm oil has experienced a remarkable surge, escalating from 24 million tonnes in 2000/2001 to 77 million tonnes in 2022/2023, driven by the soaring demand for vegetable oils. This demand surge can be attributed to the cost-effectiveness and versatility of palm oil, which is widely utilized in both edible and non-edible industrial applications.
Examining how innovation ecosystems can be cultivated within this industry provides valuable insights into addressing pressing challenges and charting a sustainable future.
The transformation of the palm oil industry necessitates collaborative efforts across the entire supply chain. Governments, industry players, NGOs, and local communities must work together within an innovation ecosystem that encourages the development and implementation of sustainable practices.
Governments play a crucial role in setting the regulatory framework and incentivizing sustainable practices. By providing clear guidelines and supporting research and development initiatives, they can create an environment that fosters innovation and responsible business conduct within the palm oil sector. A prime illustration of such efforts is seen in the mandated Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification, highlighting the Malaysian government's commitment to promoting sustainable practices.
Collaboration within the industry is paramount. Companies can share best practices, invest in research, and collectively work towards common sustainability goals. Initiatives like the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and Palm Oil Innovation Group (POIG) demonstrate the industry's commitment to fostering sustainable practices and driving positive change. Astro Awani
|
|
Feb 07, 2024
Indonesia, Malaysia see EUDR as detrimental to exports
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Both Indonesia and Malaysia are of the view that the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) will harm their economic interests as major producers and exporters of crude palm oil (CPO).
“Malaysia and Indonesia should voice their concern about our nation’s economic interest and that the (European Union’s) deforestation regulation (is intended to) restrict the import of our palm oil to their countries,” Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad bin Hasan said at the Presidential Palace here on Tuesday.
He added that this shared stance is due to Indonesia and Malaysia having the same economic interest in exporting CPO to European Union countries.
Indonesia and Malaysia believe that the EUDR would benefit only vegetable oil commodities in the European market, he informed.
“We should make our voice heard as it is clear that the regulation is not enacted with good faith as it is only to benefit other (oil) products,” he added. Antara News
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Jokowi Meets Malaysian Foreign Minister, Talks EU Deforestation Regulation
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo welcomed Malaysian Foreign Affairs Minister Mohamad Hasan at the State Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday, Feb. 6. Hasan paid a courtesy visit to discuss a number of issues with Jokowi.
Hasan is one of the new ministers in the newly reshuffled government of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in December 2023. He previously served as Minister of Defense.
“We talked about Indonesia-Malaysia relations, which are growing closer, and this visit is also aimed at strengthening friendship,” Hasan said after the meeting.
In a press statement, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said the meeting lasted approximately half an hour and discussed three issues. The first issue was the border agreement between the two countries that was agreed upon last year. The second issue was regarding Indonesian migrant workers, particularly concerning the right to education for the children of migrant workers. The third topic was economic cooperation.
“We have a strong commitment to further strengthen economic cooperation because we know that our trade and investment ties with Malaysia are significant,” Retno said in a press statement after the meeting. Tempo
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Malaysia to work with Egypt to expand palm oil exports to Africa
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 7 ― The Ministry of Plantation and Commodities intends to make Egypt an essential part of its plan to expand Malaysia's palm oil exports to the African continent through the Suez Canal Economic Zone.
Its minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said economic cooperation in the palm oil sector between Malaysia and Egypt was discussed in his meeting with the Egyptian Ambassador to Malaysia Ragai Tawfik Nasir on Monday at his office.
“Egypt is a strategic country for our palm oil industry because palm oil makes up almost 90 per cent of Malaysia's exports to Egypt.
“Egypt has a population of more than 110 million people,” he said in a post on X today.
He also said that both countries are exploring a partnership in palm product marketing strategies involving government-linked companies along with the cooperation of private players in both countries. Malay Mail
---------
Malaysian Ministry issues stern warning over discriminatory palm oil labelling
PUTRAJAYA (Feb 7): The Ministry of Plantations and Commodities (KPK) will take stern action against any party involved in discriminatory or negative labelling of palm oil.
In a statement on Wednesday, the ministry said it takes the issue seriously and will take strict action in accordance with laws and regulations against importers, traders, sellers, and related parties who commit such offences.
"The Multi-Agency Enforcement Force (MAEF) conducted inspections at several premises in Selangor under the Trade Descriptions (Prohibition of Use of Statement, Expression or Indication) (Oil Palm Product and Palm Oil Goods) Regulations 2022 on Jan 26.
The penalty for a violation of the above regulations is a fine of up to RM220,000 or imprisonment of up to five years.
“During the inspections, it was found that some food products in these establishments were conspicuously labelled with discriminatory labelling against palm oil (DLAPO), for example with statements such as 'no palm oil' or 'without palm oil',” it said.
These shops included those selling local products such as baby food and imported food labelled DLAPO. It is important to note that some importing companies placed stickers on the investigated products labelled "Imported and distributed by". The Edge Malaysia
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Peruvian Palm oil supplier to Nestle, Kellogg's linked to Peru deforestation in EIA report
By Jake Spring and Alexander Villegas
Feb 7 (Reuters) - A supplier to brands including Nestle, Kellogg's and Colgate has been farming palm oil on deforested land in one of the best-preserved areas of Peru's Amazon rainforest, an environmental group said in an investigative report, opens new tab released on Wednesday.
Peru-based supplier Ocho Sur and related companies deforested more than 130 square kilometers (50 square miles) in Peru's Ucayali region, with most of the destruction occurring since 2012, the nonprofit Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) said in the report. That is an area more than twice the size of Manhattan.
Palm oil can be found in consumer products from shampoo to chocolate bars.
Ocho Sur in a statement to Reuters said that nonprofit organizations have sought to damage its reputation with false accusations, and that it had all necessary environmental permits since acquiring the land in 2016.
The company said it has not expanded its plantation area since, and reforested areas without forest coverage and maintains protected Amazon areas.
"Ocho Sur backs its commitment to biodiversity and preserving the forest," it said.
Ocho Sur is a privately held company backed by North American investors, according to its website. In a statement last year, the company denied having cleared any additional land.
Investigations by nonprofit organizations into food companies have scrutinized the often-murky connection between deforestation, a major contributor to climate change, and the food on consumer's plates. Reuters
---------
Indonesia, Malaysia see EUDR as detrimental to exports
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Both Indonesia and Malaysia are of the view that the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) will harm their economic interests as major producers and exporters of crude palm oil (CPO).
“Malaysia and Indonesia should voice their concern about our nation’s economic interest and that the (European Union’s) deforestation regulation (is intended to) restrict the import of our palm oil to their countries,” Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad bin Hasan said at the Presidential Palace here on Tuesday.
He added that this shared stance is due to Indonesia and Malaysia having the same economic interest in exporting CPO to European Union countries.
Indonesia and Malaysia believe that the EUDR would benefit only vegetable oil commodities in the European market, he informed.
“We should make our voice heard as it is clear that the regulation is not enacted with good faith as it is only to benefit other (oil) products,” he added. Antara News
---------
Jokowi Meets Malaysian Foreign Minister, Talks EU Deforestation Regulation
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo welcomed Malaysian Foreign Affairs Minister Mohamad Hasan at the State Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday, Feb. 6. Hasan paid a courtesy visit to discuss a number of issues with Jokowi.
Hasan is one of the new ministers in the newly reshuffled government of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in December 2023. He previously served as Minister of Defense.
“We talked about Indonesia-Malaysia relations, which are growing closer, and this visit is also aimed at strengthening friendship,” Hasan said after the meeting.
In a press statement, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said the meeting lasted approximately half an hour and discussed three issues. The first issue was the border agreement between the two countries that was agreed upon last year. The second issue was regarding Indonesian migrant workers, particularly concerning the right to education for the children of migrant workers. The third topic was economic cooperation.
“We have a strong commitment to further strengthen economic cooperation because we know that our trade and investment ties with Malaysia are significant,” Retno said in a press statement after the meeting. Tempo
---------
Malaysia to work with Egypt to expand palm oil exports to Africa
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 7 ― The Ministry of Plantation and Commodities intends to make Egypt an essential part of its plan to expand Malaysia's palm oil exports to the African continent through the Suez Canal Economic Zone.
Its minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said economic cooperation in the palm oil sector between Malaysia and Egypt was discussed in his meeting with the Egyptian Ambassador to Malaysia Ragai Tawfik Nasir on Monday at his office.
“Egypt is a strategic country for our palm oil industry because palm oil makes up almost 90 per cent of Malaysia's exports to Egypt.
“Egypt has a population of more than 110 million people,” he said in a post on X today.
He also said that both countries are exploring a partnership in palm product marketing strategies involving government-linked companies along with the cooperation of private players in both countries. Malay Mail
---------
Malaysian Ministry issues stern warning over discriminatory palm oil labelling
PUTRAJAYA (Feb 7): The Ministry of Plantations and Commodities (KPK) will take stern action against any party involved in discriminatory or negative labelling of palm oil.
In a statement on Wednesday, the ministry said it takes the issue seriously and will take strict action in accordance with laws and regulations against importers, traders, sellers, and related parties who commit such offences.
"The Multi-Agency Enforcement Force (MAEF) conducted inspections at several premises in Selangor under the Trade Descriptions (Prohibition of Use of Statement, Expression or Indication) (Oil Palm Product and Palm Oil Goods) Regulations 2022 on Jan 26.
The penalty for a violation of the above regulations is a fine of up to RM220,000 or imprisonment of up to five years.
“During the inspections, it was found that some food products in these establishments were conspicuously labelled with discriminatory labelling against palm oil (DLAPO), for example with statements such as 'no palm oil' or 'without palm oil',” it said.
These shops included those selling local products such as baby food and imported food labelled DLAPO. It is important to note that some importing companies placed stickers on the investigated products labelled "Imported and distributed by". The Edge Malaysia
---------
Peruvian Palm oil supplier to Nestle, Kellogg's linked to Peru deforestation in EIA report
By Jake Spring and Alexander Villegas
Feb 7 (Reuters) - A supplier to brands including Nestle, Kellogg's and Colgate has been farming palm oil on deforested land in one of the best-preserved areas of Peru's Amazon rainforest, an environmental group said in an investigative report, opens new tab released on Wednesday.
Peru-based supplier Ocho Sur and related companies deforested more than 130 square kilometers (50 square miles) in Peru's Ucayali region, with most of the destruction occurring since 2012, the nonprofit Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) said in the report. That is an area more than twice the size of Manhattan.
Palm oil can be found in consumer products from shampoo to chocolate bars.
Ocho Sur in a statement to Reuters said that nonprofit organizations have sought to damage its reputation with false accusations, and that it had all necessary environmental permits since acquiring the land in 2016.
The company said it has not expanded its plantation area since, and reforested areas without forest coverage and maintains protected Amazon areas.
"Ocho Sur backs its commitment to biodiversity and preserving the forest," it said.
Ocho Sur is a privately held company backed by North American investors, according to its website. In a statement last year, the company denied having cleared any additional land.
Investigations by nonprofit organizations into food companies have scrutinized the often-murky connection between deforestation, a major contributor to climate change, and the food on consumer's plates. Reuters
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Feb 06, 2024
Leading German sports retailer linked to rights abuses overseas, as German government looks set to kill EU ethical supply chain law
Palm oil trade shift: Malaysia likely to emerge as big winner with UK’s CPTPP membership approval
06-Feb-2024 By Pearly Neo
Malaysian palm oil is likely to gain an edge in terms of exports to the United Kingdom thanks to the latter obtaining membership into the CPTPP and new acknowledgement of the South East Asian nation’s sustainability standards. Food Navigator Asia
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Johari Ghani: Felda should prioritise palm oil output over other commercial issues
KUALA LUMPUR: The Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) must focus its efforts to increase palm oil production yields on its 800,000 hectares of land, instead of venturing into other business areas outside of its expertise.
Plantations and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said Felda should be looking into improving palm oil production, which he said needed significant reforms to be implemented.
"Felda should not look outside of the palm oil industry. We need to focus, and cannot be involved in too many things such as manufacturing sugar, owning hotels.
"It's not that we cannot, but we should only be doing so when Felda is making money."
He said this in a press conference after officiating the Felda Symposium in conjunction with the Bumiputera Economic Congress 2024.
Johari said Felda would face huge problems if it did not prioritise its core business, especially if the organisation still had debts. New Straits Times
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Johari Ghani: Felda must ensure oil palm industry does not share same fate of rubber
KUALA LUMPUR: Felda must ensure the sustainability of Malaysia’s palm oil industry so that it will not suffer the same fate that befell the country’s rubber industry, says plantation and commodities minister Johari Ghani.
He said Felda, being the country’s largest owner of plantation land with 800,000ha, needed to fully utilise its strength by increasing production and focussing on the downstream sector.
“If we do not focus on the downstream industry in the next 15 to 30 years, the palm oil industry will go down the same path as the rubber industry. I don’t want to see that.
“We were the largest rubber producer in the world at one time. Today, we are the main producer of rubber products, but we import natural rubber from Vietnam and Thailand because we do not have enough of it.
“The strange thing is, we have 420,000ha of rubber trees belonging to 290,000 smallholders,” he said in his keynote speech at the Felda 2024 symposium.
Johari said Malaysia produced 19.5 million tonnes of palm oil in 2013, while Indonesia produced 26 million tonnes. However, production here dropped to 18.5 million tonnes in 2023 while Indonesia grew its output to 46.5 million tonnes.
Noting that Indonesia used half of its palm oil for biodiesel production, while Malaysia exported 15 million tonnes, Johari said the country’s main oil palm industry players produced an estimated 20 tonnes of fresh fruit bunches (FFB) per hectare, and suggested Felda beat its 2023 production of 16.49 tonnes per hectare. Free Malaysia Today
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Golden Agri-Resources (GAR) Joins World Business Council for Sustainable Development
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) announces Golden Agri-Resources (GAR), a leading global agribusiness and palm oil producer, as its newest member to join forces with a global network of 200 businesses committed to accelerating the transition to a more sustainable world.
GAR will contribute to the Agriculture & Food Pathway, aiming to enhance collaboration across the sector and support the Equitable Livelihoods workstream. GAR’s primary focus within the workstream is to support the creation of thriving and resilient agriculture and food systems that support equitable livelihoods for all workers, placing farmers’ prosperity at the heart of food systems.
Food systems are responsible for around one third of greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activity. Recent announcements such as the COP28 declaration on sustainable agriculture and the FAO’s global roadmap for agrifood systems demonstrate a growing global consensus about the integral role agriculture and food sectors must play in climate solutions. Edie
Leading German sports retailer linked to rights abuses overseas, as German government looks set to kill EU ethical supply chain law
- A crucial new EU law meant to prevent human rights and environmental abuses in the supply chains of European firms - the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) - is in danger of being scrapped at the last hurdle, due in large part to lobbying by German industry associations.
- The German coalition government is expected to decide how it will vote on the law in the coming days, before a meeting of representatives of EU Member States at the end of this week.
- Now new Earthsight research has revealed the hypocrisy of the German industry associations campaigning to kill the law.
- Trade records obtained by Earthsight show that a large German sports retailer whose CEO is a key figure at one of the industry associations lobbying against the law is buying clothing from a Turkish company previously accused of using child labour, while its largest Bangladeshi supplier is purchasing cotton fabric from a Chinese firm implicated in the Chinese government’s forced labour program in the Uyghur Region. Earthsight
Palm oil trade shift: Malaysia likely to emerge as big winner with UK’s CPTPP membership approval
06-Feb-2024 By Pearly Neo
Malaysian palm oil is likely to gain an edge in terms of exports to the United Kingdom thanks to the latter obtaining membership into the CPTPP and new acknowledgement of the South East Asian nation’s sustainability standards. Food Navigator Asia
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Johari Ghani: Felda should prioritise palm oil output over other commercial issues
KUALA LUMPUR: The Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) must focus its efforts to increase palm oil production yields on its 800,000 hectares of land, instead of venturing into other business areas outside of its expertise.
Plantations and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said Felda should be looking into improving palm oil production, which he said needed significant reforms to be implemented.
"Felda should not look outside of the palm oil industry. We need to focus, and cannot be involved in too many things such as manufacturing sugar, owning hotels.
"It's not that we cannot, but we should only be doing so when Felda is making money."
He said this in a press conference after officiating the Felda Symposium in conjunction with the Bumiputera Economic Congress 2024.
Johari said Felda would face huge problems if it did not prioritise its core business, especially if the organisation still had debts. New Straits Times
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Johari Ghani: Felda must ensure oil palm industry does not share same fate of rubber
KUALA LUMPUR: Felda must ensure the sustainability of Malaysia’s palm oil industry so that it will not suffer the same fate that befell the country’s rubber industry, says plantation and commodities minister Johari Ghani.
He said Felda, being the country’s largest owner of plantation land with 800,000ha, needed to fully utilise its strength by increasing production and focussing on the downstream sector.
“If we do not focus on the downstream industry in the next 15 to 30 years, the palm oil industry will go down the same path as the rubber industry. I don’t want to see that.
“We were the largest rubber producer in the world at one time. Today, we are the main producer of rubber products, but we import natural rubber from Vietnam and Thailand because we do not have enough of it.
“The strange thing is, we have 420,000ha of rubber trees belonging to 290,000 smallholders,” he said in his keynote speech at the Felda 2024 symposium.
Johari said Malaysia produced 19.5 million tonnes of palm oil in 2013, while Indonesia produced 26 million tonnes. However, production here dropped to 18.5 million tonnes in 2023 while Indonesia grew its output to 46.5 million tonnes.
Noting that Indonesia used half of its palm oil for biodiesel production, while Malaysia exported 15 million tonnes, Johari said the country’s main oil palm industry players produced an estimated 20 tonnes of fresh fruit bunches (FFB) per hectare, and suggested Felda beat its 2023 production of 16.49 tonnes per hectare. Free Malaysia Today
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Golden Agri-Resources (GAR) Joins World Business Council for Sustainable Development
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) announces Golden Agri-Resources (GAR), a leading global agribusiness and palm oil producer, as its newest member to join forces with a global network of 200 businesses committed to accelerating the transition to a more sustainable world.
GAR will contribute to the Agriculture & Food Pathway, aiming to enhance collaboration across the sector and support the Equitable Livelihoods workstream. GAR’s primary focus within the workstream is to support the creation of thriving and resilient agriculture and food systems that support equitable livelihoods for all workers, placing farmers’ prosperity at the heart of food systems.
Food systems are responsible for around one third of greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activity. Recent announcements such as the COP28 declaration on sustainable agriculture and the FAO’s global roadmap for agrifood systems demonstrate a growing global consensus about the integral role agriculture and food sectors must play in climate solutions. Edie
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Feb 05, 2024
Indonesia hopes for delay in EUDR implementation
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia has expressed the hope that the implementation of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) will be delayed for the sake of plantation smallholders.
In a statement received here on Saturday, expert staff at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, Musdhalifah Machmud, said that the Indonesian government is hoping for a concrete solution from the Ad Hoc Joint Task Force (JTF), such as delayed EUDR implementation.
This hope was conveyed during the 2nd meeting of the Ad Hoc JTF on the EUDR, which was held on February 2, 2024, in Putrajaya, Malaysia.
Machmud called for mutual understanding and respect and said that the Indonesian government hoped that the European Union would understand the request for delay and consider the sustainability efforts that it has made to date.
She added that the Indonesian government has stressed that it is adhering to sustainability principles based on its regulations and the Common but Differentiated Responsibility and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC) principle.
Meanwhile, director of green diplomacy and multilateralism at the European Commission (EC), Astrid Schomaker, reaffirmed the EU's commitment to work with Indonesia and Malaysia to ensure smooth EUDR implementation.
The EC assured that it will cooperate with Indonesia and Malaysia to ensure that smallholders in all relevant commodity sectors remain in the deforestation-free supply chains. Antara News
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Indonesia's oleochemical exports are projected to reach US$ 54 billion in 2030
InfoSAWIT, BANDUNG – The Indonesian Oleochemical Producers Association (APOLIN) projects that the export value of Indonesian oleochemical products could reach US$ 54 billion in 2030, with this increase expected to be driven by the development of the downstream palm oil industry in Indonesia.
Secretary General of APOLIN, Rapolo Hutabarat stated that the increase in the value of oleochemical exports will be driven by various demands from the cosmetics, food and beverage and pharmaceutical industries.
According to Rapolo, the estimated market value of oleochemicals in 2030 is estimated to reach USD 5.4 billion, with growth of around 6 percent every year. However, he also noted that the value of oleochemical exports in the previous year had decreased due to the drop in world commodity values amounting to USD3.5 billion, with an estimated volume of 4.2 million tonnes.
Rapolo emphasized that the largest oleochemical export market is to the Asia Pacific region, with a value of USD 16 billion, while the rest goes to the European Union and America. Infosawit
Indonesia hopes for delay in EUDR implementation
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia has expressed the hope that the implementation of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) will be delayed for the sake of plantation smallholders.
In a statement received here on Saturday, expert staff at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, Musdhalifah Machmud, said that the Indonesian government is hoping for a concrete solution from the Ad Hoc Joint Task Force (JTF), such as delayed EUDR implementation.
This hope was conveyed during the 2nd meeting of the Ad Hoc JTF on the EUDR, which was held on February 2, 2024, in Putrajaya, Malaysia.
Machmud called for mutual understanding and respect and said that the Indonesian government hoped that the European Union would understand the request for delay and consider the sustainability efforts that it has made to date.
She added that the Indonesian government has stressed that it is adhering to sustainability principles based on its regulations and the Common but Differentiated Responsibility and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC) principle.
Meanwhile, director of green diplomacy and multilateralism at the European Commission (EC), Astrid Schomaker, reaffirmed the EU's commitment to work with Indonesia and Malaysia to ensure smooth EUDR implementation.
The EC assured that it will cooperate with Indonesia and Malaysia to ensure that smallholders in all relevant commodity sectors remain in the deforestation-free supply chains. Antara News
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Indonesia's oleochemical exports are projected to reach US$ 54 billion in 2030
InfoSAWIT, BANDUNG – The Indonesian Oleochemical Producers Association (APOLIN) projects that the export value of Indonesian oleochemical products could reach US$ 54 billion in 2030, with this increase expected to be driven by the development of the downstream palm oil industry in Indonesia.
Secretary General of APOLIN, Rapolo Hutabarat stated that the increase in the value of oleochemical exports will be driven by various demands from the cosmetics, food and beverage and pharmaceutical industries.
According to Rapolo, the estimated market value of oleochemicals in 2030 is estimated to reach USD 5.4 billion, with growth of around 6 percent every year. However, he also noted that the value of oleochemical exports in the previous year had decreased due to the drop in world commodity values amounting to USD3.5 billion, with an estimated volume of 4.2 million tonnes.
Rapolo emphasized that the largest oleochemical export market is to the Asia Pacific region, with a value of USD 16 billion, while the rest goes to the European Union and America. Infosawit
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Feb 03, 2024
Joint Press Release The 2nd Meeting of the Ad Hoc Joint Task Force on the EUDR
The 2nd meeting of Ad Hoc Joint Task Force (JTF) on the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) was convened on 2 February 2024 in Putrajaya, Malaysia. The meeting was attended by the official representatives and stakeholders of relevant five commodities identified in the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) namely palm oil, rubber, cocoa, timber, and coffee.
The meeting was co-chaired by Dato' Zailani Bin Haji Hashim, Deputy Secretary General (Plantation & Commodities), Ministry of Plantation and Commodities of Malaysia, Dr. Musdhalifah Machmud, Senior Advisor for Connectivity, Service Sector and Natural Resources Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, the Republic of Indonesia, and Ms. Astrid Schomaker, Director for Green Diplomacy and Multilateralism, European Commission (EC). The meeting was facilitated by the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC).
Dato’ Zailani Bin Haji Hashim highlighted that while Malaysian leaders have repeatedly acknowledged the EU's right to implement the EUDR, aligning these regulations with Malaysia's existing legal, administrative, and supply chain systems presents significant challenges. Smallholders, particularly those in remote areas, are likely to be most impacted by the EUDR. Leniency towards them is crucial, considering deferring implementation and providing targeted technical and capacity-building support. This will ensure a smoother transition and empower them to comply with the EUDR in the long run. Musdhalifah Machmud reiterated that by fostering mutual understanding and respect, the Government of Indonesia (GoI) hoped the EU can comprehend and consider the efforts made by the GoI to date. The GoI would take to highlight that they adhere to sustainability principles based on their own regulations, citing the principles of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabiltities (CBDR-RC). They reaffirmed their hope for a concrete solution from the Ad Hoc JTF such as the possible postponement of EUDR implementation for smallholders. Astrid Schomaker reaffirmed that the EU’s commitment to work closely with Indonesia and Malaysia to ensure smooth implementation of the EUDR, in particular on ensuring that smallholders in all relevant commodity sectors remain included in legal and deforestation free supply chains to the European Union. She welcomed Malaysia’s and Indonesia’s commitment to developing strict traceability and to further strengthening their respective certification systems based on a shared analysis of discrepancies with EUDR requirements, and looked forward to discussions on forest mapping with a view to developing national forest maps using the FAO forest definition. In his opening remarks, Secretary General of CPOPC, Rizal A. Lukman, thanked all relevant parties of the Ad Hoc JTF for their strong commitment to continue putting efforts on the 2nd meeting which is held six months after its first meeting on 4 August 2023 in Jakarta, Indonesia. CPOPC
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UK government offers positive verdict on Malaysian deforestation standards for palm oil
Industry observers have welcomed a UK government verdict that has offered a report confirming that Malaysia is operating mandatory deforestation-free standards (MSPO) in its palm oil operations, which are used for sectors including the confectionery market, writes Neill Barston.
Significantly, Britain’s Trade and Agriculture Commission (TAC) –also recommends to the UK Government that MSPO, and the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (Licensing) Regulations 2005, should be accepted as proven compliance tools for the UK’s Due Diligence regulations, established in the UK Environment Act.
As Confectionery Production has previously covered, wider industry concerns have been raised by environmental groups surrounding the use of palm oil, which has led to widespread issues of deforestation in some global areas. However, the sector has responded in recent years with a greater emphasis on sustainable harvesting methods.
The TAC provided its latest assessment to the UK Government following the UK’s successful negotiations to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for a Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
This includes 11 countries that are members, making it the world’s largest free-trade deal – and so the UK was ready to make concessions to CPTPP nations, including Malaysia. Malaysian palm oil exports to the UK will henceforth be zero-tariff, as part of the agreement. The TAC analysis examines this change, specifically, and is supportive of the proposed zero-tariff for future Malaysian palm oil exports to the British market. Confectionery Production
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Nigeria’s palm oil imports from Malaysia surge 34% in 2023
Nigeria’s imports of Malaysian Palm Oil surged in 2023 by 34 percent, despite the devaluation of the naira and increased local production of the crop, according to data from the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC).
The country imported 304,043 metric tons (MT) of palm oil from Malaysia in 2023, from 227,035 MT in 2022, indicating a 77,008 MT increase.
In 2021, the country imported 309,911 MT of palm oil from Malaysia.
And though the exchange rate fell to a fresh low of N1,460 per dollar at the parallel market on Tuesday morning with traders expecting further weakness in the coming days as dollar shortages worsen, Nigeria still imports palm oil in large quantities from Malaysia, Indonesia, and its other neighbouring West African countries. Business Day
Joint Press Release The 2nd Meeting of the Ad Hoc Joint Task Force on the EUDR
The 2nd meeting of Ad Hoc Joint Task Force (JTF) on the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) was convened on 2 February 2024 in Putrajaya, Malaysia. The meeting was attended by the official representatives and stakeholders of relevant five commodities identified in the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) namely palm oil, rubber, cocoa, timber, and coffee.
The meeting was co-chaired by Dato' Zailani Bin Haji Hashim, Deputy Secretary General (Plantation & Commodities), Ministry of Plantation and Commodities of Malaysia, Dr. Musdhalifah Machmud, Senior Advisor for Connectivity, Service Sector and Natural Resources Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, the Republic of Indonesia, and Ms. Astrid Schomaker, Director for Green Diplomacy and Multilateralism, European Commission (EC). The meeting was facilitated by the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC).
Dato’ Zailani Bin Haji Hashim highlighted that while Malaysian leaders have repeatedly acknowledged the EU's right to implement the EUDR, aligning these regulations with Malaysia's existing legal, administrative, and supply chain systems presents significant challenges. Smallholders, particularly those in remote areas, are likely to be most impacted by the EUDR. Leniency towards them is crucial, considering deferring implementation and providing targeted technical and capacity-building support. This will ensure a smoother transition and empower them to comply with the EUDR in the long run. Musdhalifah Machmud reiterated that by fostering mutual understanding and respect, the Government of Indonesia (GoI) hoped the EU can comprehend and consider the efforts made by the GoI to date. The GoI would take to highlight that they adhere to sustainability principles based on their own regulations, citing the principles of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabiltities (CBDR-RC). They reaffirmed their hope for a concrete solution from the Ad Hoc JTF such as the possible postponement of EUDR implementation for smallholders. Astrid Schomaker reaffirmed that the EU’s commitment to work closely with Indonesia and Malaysia to ensure smooth implementation of the EUDR, in particular on ensuring that smallholders in all relevant commodity sectors remain included in legal and deforestation free supply chains to the European Union. She welcomed Malaysia’s and Indonesia’s commitment to developing strict traceability and to further strengthening their respective certification systems based on a shared analysis of discrepancies with EUDR requirements, and looked forward to discussions on forest mapping with a view to developing national forest maps using the FAO forest definition. In his opening remarks, Secretary General of CPOPC, Rizal A. Lukman, thanked all relevant parties of the Ad Hoc JTF for their strong commitment to continue putting efforts on the 2nd meeting which is held six months after its first meeting on 4 August 2023 in Jakarta, Indonesia. CPOPC
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UK government offers positive verdict on Malaysian deforestation standards for palm oil
Industry observers have welcomed a UK government verdict that has offered a report confirming that Malaysia is operating mandatory deforestation-free standards (MSPO) in its palm oil operations, which are used for sectors including the confectionery market, writes Neill Barston.
Significantly, Britain’s Trade and Agriculture Commission (TAC) –also recommends to the UK Government that MSPO, and the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (Licensing) Regulations 2005, should be accepted as proven compliance tools for the UK’s Due Diligence regulations, established in the UK Environment Act.
As Confectionery Production has previously covered, wider industry concerns have been raised by environmental groups surrounding the use of palm oil, which has led to widespread issues of deforestation in some global areas. However, the sector has responded in recent years with a greater emphasis on sustainable harvesting methods.
The TAC provided its latest assessment to the UK Government following the UK’s successful negotiations to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for a Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
This includes 11 countries that are members, making it the world’s largest free-trade deal – and so the UK was ready to make concessions to CPTPP nations, including Malaysia. Malaysian palm oil exports to the UK will henceforth be zero-tariff, as part of the agreement. The TAC analysis examines this change, specifically, and is supportive of the proposed zero-tariff for future Malaysian palm oil exports to the British market. Confectionery Production
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Nigeria’s palm oil imports from Malaysia surge 34% in 2023
Nigeria’s imports of Malaysian Palm Oil surged in 2023 by 34 percent, despite the devaluation of the naira and increased local production of the crop, according to data from the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC).
The country imported 304,043 metric tons (MT) of palm oil from Malaysia in 2023, from 227,035 MT in 2022, indicating a 77,008 MT increase.
In 2021, the country imported 309,911 MT of palm oil from Malaysia.
And though the exchange rate fell to a fresh low of N1,460 per dollar at the parallel market on Tuesday morning with traders expecting further weakness in the coming days as dollar shortages worsen, Nigeria still imports palm oil in large quantities from Malaysia, Indonesia, and its other neighbouring West African countries. Business Day
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February 02, 2024
The Malaysian Palm Oil Certification Council has published The MSPO Certification Scheme Document: Chain of Custody of Oil Palm Biomass MPOCC
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Indonesia's December biodiesel production rises 7%, exports jump: trade body
Indonesia produced 1.243 million kiloliters (7.82 million barrels) of biodiesel in December, up 7.2% on the month, domestic trade association APROBI said Feb. 2.
Biodiesel output at the world's third-largest producer stood at 13.15 million kiloliters in 2023, up 11.3% from a year ago, APROBI data showed.
Exports, meanwhile, jumped 49.5% on the month to 14,251.88 kiloliters in December.
Jakarta increased the mandated percentage of palm oil-based biodiesel in its gas oil supply to 35% in February 2023, from an earlier 30% mandate in place since 2020.
The mandate, widely known as B35, was implemented nationwide in August 2023.
Local biodiesel consumption fell 926,714 kiloliters in December from 1.09 million kiloliters in November, APROBI said. SPGlobal
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Jokowi’s land reform initiative hits roadblock as conflicts nearly double, report shows
Land conflicts in Indonesia have nearly doubled under President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo as his administration pursues an investor-first economic agenda that has sidelined local communities and the environment, a new report shows.
Land conflicts nearly doubled under the administration of Indonesia’s current president, Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, compared with his predecessor, driven largely by his prioritisation of investors and infrastructure projects over local communities and the environment, a new report shows.
Between 2015 and 2023, there were 2,939 land conflicts identified by the Consortium for Agrarian Reform (KPA), against 1,520 under the administration of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, from 2005 to 2014.
These conflicts involved a combined 6.3 million hectares (15.6 million acres) of land, mostly occupied by Indigenous or traditional communities but which have been granted by the government as concessions to plantation companies or earmarked for infrastructure projects. Eco Business
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Interim Budget 2024: FM Nirmala Sitharaman calls for self-sufficiency in oilseed production as imports surge
During the Oil Year (November 2022- October 2023), India imported 167.1 lakh tonne of edible oil – which was 16 per cent higher than the preceding year
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her interim budget speech on Thursday stressed the need to become self-sufficient in oil seed production. The announcement came in the backdrop of India becoming a major destination for imported edible oil.
In her Budget speech, Sitharaman said, “Building on the initiative announced in 2022, a strategy will be formulated to achieve ‘atma-nirbharta (self-sufficiency)’ for oil seeds such as mustard, groundnut, sesame, soybean, and sunflower. This will cover research for high-yielding varieties, widespread adoption of modern farming techniques, market linkages, procurement, value addition, and crop insurance.”
During the Oil Year (November 2022—October 2023), India imported 167.1 lakh tonne of edible oil – which was 16 per cent higher than the preceding year.
The Solvent and Extractors Association of India (SEA), the umbrella body of oil extractors and solvent manufacturers, in a press statement, had attributed this trend to the low 5.5 per cent import duty levied on crude palm oil. “This influx of imports has transformed India into a prime destination for excess oil supplies,” the press statement said. Indian Express
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Strategy in the works for self-reliance in edible oils
Under the National Mission for Edible Oil – Oil Palm launched in 2021, the government is aiming to bring the area under palm oil production to a million hectare by FY26.
The government will formulate a strategy to achieve self-sufficiency in oilseeds — mustard, groundnut, sesame, soybean and sunflower — and expand usage of nano diammonium phosphate (DAP) fertiliser to reduce import dependence.
“Atmanirbhar Oilseeds Abhiyan will cover research for high-yielding varieties, widespread adoption of modern farm techniques, market linkages, procurement, value addition and crop insurance,” finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Thursday. India imports around 56% of its domestic edible oil consumption of around 25 million tonne (MT). Financial Express
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Ethiopia-Authority Prepares Nat’l Action Plan for Implementation of EU Deforestation-free Products Regulation
Addis Ababa February 1/2024 (ENA) A consultative meeting on the National Action Plan for the implementation of Compliance Measures on European Union Deforestation-free Products Regulation (EUDR) was held today.
Under the EU regulation, any operator or trader who places commodities like cattle, soy, beef, palm oil, wood, cocoa, coffee, rubber on the EU market or exports from it must be able to prove that the products do not originate from recently deforested land or contributed to forest degradation.
The Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority has prepared a three-year National Action Plan for the implementation of Compliance Measures on European Union Deforestation-free Products Regulation in collaboration with ministries of Finance and Agriculture.
Opening the consultative meeting on the action plan today, Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority Director-General Adugna Debela said adjustment to the EU regulation is crucial as Ethiopia’s coffee export to European Union member countries accounts about 30 percent. ENA
The Malaysian Palm Oil Certification Council has published The MSPO Certification Scheme Document: Chain of Custody of Oil Palm Biomass MPOCC
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Indonesia's December biodiesel production rises 7%, exports jump: trade body
Indonesia produced 1.243 million kiloliters (7.82 million barrels) of biodiesel in December, up 7.2% on the month, domestic trade association APROBI said Feb. 2.
Biodiesel output at the world's third-largest producer stood at 13.15 million kiloliters in 2023, up 11.3% from a year ago, APROBI data showed.
Exports, meanwhile, jumped 49.5% on the month to 14,251.88 kiloliters in December.
Jakarta increased the mandated percentage of palm oil-based biodiesel in its gas oil supply to 35% in February 2023, from an earlier 30% mandate in place since 2020.
The mandate, widely known as B35, was implemented nationwide in August 2023.
Local biodiesel consumption fell 926,714 kiloliters in December from 1.09 million kiloliters in November, APROBI said. SPGlobal
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Jokowi’s land reform initiative hits roadblock as conflicts nearly double, report shows
Land conflicts in Indonesia have nearly doubled under President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo as his administration pursues an investor-first economic agenda that has sidelined local communities and the environment, a new report shows.
Land conflicts nearly doubled under the administration of Indonesia’s current president, Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, compared with his predecessor, driven largely by his prioritisation of investors and infrastructure projects over local communities and the environment, a new report shows.
Between 2015 and 2023, there were 2,939 land conflicts identified by the Consortium for Agrarian Reform (KPA), against 1,520 under the administration of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, from 2005 to 2014.
These conflicts involved a combined 6.3 million hectares (15.6 million acres) of land, mostly occupied by Indigenous or traditional communities but which have been granted by the government as concessions to plantation companies or earmarked for infrastructure projects. Eco Business
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Interim Budget 2024: FM Nirmala Sitharaman calls for self-sufficiency in oilseed production as imports surge
During the Oil Year (November 2022- October 2023), India imported 167.1 lakh tonne of edible oil – which was 16 per cent higher than the preceding year
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her interim budget speech on Thursday stressed the need to become self-sufficient in oil seed production. The announcement came in the backdrop of India becoming a major destination for imported edible oil.
In her Budget speech, Sitharaman said, “Building on the initiative announced in 2022, a strategy will be formulated to achieve ‘atma-nirbharta (self-sufficiency)’ for oil seeds such as mustard, groundnut, sesame, soybean, and sunflower. This will cover research for high-yielding varieties, widespread adoption of modern farming techniques, market linkages, procurement, value addition, and crop insurance.”
During the Oil Year (November 2022—October 2023), India imported 167.1 lakh tonne of edible oil – which was 16 per cent higher than the preceding year.
The Solvent and Extractors Association of India (SEA), the umbrella body of oil extractors and solvent manufacturers, in a press statement, had attributed this trend to the low 5.5 per cent import duty levied on crude palm oil. “This influx of imports has transformed India into a prime destination for excess oil supplies,” the press statement said. Indian Express
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Strategy in the works for self-reliance in edible oils
Under the National Mission for Edible Oil – Oil Palm launched in 2021, the government is aiming to bring the area under palm oil production to a million hectare by FY26.
The government will formulate a strategy to achieve self-sufficiency in oilseeds — mustard, groundnut, sesame, soybean and sunflower — and expand usage of nano diammonium phosphate (DAP) fertiliser to reduce import dependence.
“Atmanirbhar Oilseeds Abhiyan will cover research for high-yielding varieties, widespread adoption of modern farm techniques, market linkages, procurement, value addition and crop insurance,” finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Thursday. India imports around 56% of its domestic edible oil consumption of around 25 million tonne (MT). Financial Express
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Ethiopia-Authority Prepares Nat’l Action Plan for Implementation of EU Deforestation-free Products Regulation
Addis Ababa February 1/2024 (ENA) A consultative meeting on the National Action Plan for the implementation of Compliance Measures on European Union Deforestation-free Products Regulation (EUDR) was held today.
Under the EU regulation, any operator or trader who places commodities like cattle, soy, beef, palm oil, wood, cocoa, coffee, rubber on the EU market or exports from it must be able to prove that the products do not originate from recently deforested land or contributed to forest degradation.
The Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority has prepared a three-year National Action Plan for the implementation of Compliance Measures on European Union Deforestation-free Products Regulation in collaboration with ministries of Finance and Agriculture.
Opening the consultative meeting on the action plan today, Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority Director-General Adugna Debela said adjustment to the EU regulation is crucial as Ethiopia’s coffee export to European Union member countries accounts about 30 percent. ENA
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February 01, 2024
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi discusses cooperation during meeting with Dutch counterpart
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi discussed various issues, ranging from economic cooperation to Palestine, during a bilateral meeting with Dutch Foreign Affairs Minister Hanke Bruins Slot in The Hague on Wednesday (January 31).
"The Netherlands is one of Indonesia's important partners in Europe. The Netherlands is the biggest trade partner (of Indonesia) in Europe and is also the biggest investment partner in Europe. The same thing also applies to the tourism sector," Marsudi noted in a press statement.
At the meeting, she expressed hope that the Action Plan for 2024-2025, signed by the two ministers in Jakarta in October 2023, can be implemented well.
She also highlighted several bilateral cooperation priorities, such as energy transition, the digital industry, and returning Indonesia's historical objects.
"I also emphasized the importance of the two countries continuously cooperating in strengthening the sustainable production of palm oil. As is known, 14 percent of Indonesia's total exports to the Netherlands are oil palm," she remarked.
In the context of bilateral cooperation, Slot reiterated the commitment to cooperate in the development of Indonesia's new capital city, Nusantara, especially related to waters and sustainable city concept. Antara News
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Malaysia's Biomass From Palm Oil Tapped as Source of Hydrogen
THE time is ripe for Malaysian palm oil producers to seize the untapped the potential found in the biomass industry, which is set to be a game-changer for the country in the coming years.
The country's palm oil industry churns out millions of tonnes of oil palm biomass yearly which that can be turned into hydrogen by breaking down the carbon and hydrogen molecules.
This transformative venture is poised to materialise within the next three years, propelled by several preliminary attempts between Dongguan University of Technology and the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB). The effort presents a golden opportunity to convert this abundant waste into hydrogen.
This potential strategic partnership not only aligns with the global push for sustainable practices but also positions Malaysia as a pioneer in leveraging its key industry waste using cutting-edge solutions.
Hong-Kong based Dongguan University of Technology and MPOB are in the midst of formulating a collaborative plan to develop big-scale hydrogen production in Malaysia.
He said a significant amount of oil palm biomass would be generated with the industry's growth, leading to the problem of waste.
"Biomass such as oil palm trunks and fronds can be turned into biogas. These are the two big potential biomass sources that have not been tapped currently.
"If we can utilise these resources in the oil palm industry, hydrogen can be produced and added to the supply chain," he said during his presentation on "Value Addition from Waste Biomass: A Circular Economy Approach" at the MPOB International Palm Oil Congress and Exhibition 2023 (PIPOC 2023) last year. New Straits Times
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi discusses cooperation during meeting with Dutch counterpart
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi discussed various issues, ranging from economic cooperation to Palestine, during a bilateral meeting with Dutch Foreign Affairs Minister Hanke Bruins Slot in The Hague on Wednesday (January 31).
"The Netherlands is one of Indonesia's important partners in Europe. The Netherlands is the biggest trade partner (of Indonesia) in Europe and is also the biggest investment partner in Europe. The same thing also applies to the tourism sector," Marsudi noted in a press statement.
At the meeting, she expressed hope that the Action Plan for 2024-2025, signed by the two ministers in Jakarta in October 2023, can be implemented well.
She also highlighted several bilateral cooperation priorities, such as energy transition, the digital industry, and returning Indonesia's historical objects.
"I also emphasized the importance of the two countries continuously cooperating in strengthening the sustainable production of palm oil. As is known, 14 percent of Indonesia's total exports to the Netherlands are oil palm," she remarked.
In the context of bilateral cooperation, Slot reiterated the commitment to cooperate in the development of Indonesia's new capital city, Nusantara, especially related to waters and sustainable city concept. Antara News
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Malaysia's Biomass From Palm Oil Tapped as Source of Hydrogen
THE time is ripe for Malaysian palm oil producers to seize the untapped the potential found in the biomass industry, which is set to be a game-changer for the country in the coming years.
The country's palm oil industry churns out millions of tonnes of oil palm biomass yearly which that can be turned into hydrogen by breaking down the carbon and hydrogen molecules.
This transformative venture is poised to materialise within the next three years, propelled by several preliminary attempts between Dongguan University of Technology and the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB). The effort presents a golden opportunity to convert this abundant waste into hydrogen.
This potential strategic partnership not only aligns with the global push for sustainable practices but also positions Malaysia as a pioneer in leveraging its key industry waste using cutting-edge solutions.
Hong-Kong based Dongguan University of Technology and MPOB are in the midst of formulating a collaborative plan to develop big-scale hydrogen production in Malaysia.
He said a significant amount of oil palm biomass would be generated with the industry's growth, leading to the problem of waste.
"Biomass such as oil palm trunks and fronds can be turned into biogas. These are the two big potential biomass sources that have not been tapped currently.
"If we can utilise these resources in the oil palm industry, hydrogen can be produced and added to the supply chain," he said during his presentation on "Value Addition from Waste Biomass: A Circular Economy Approach" at the MPOB International Palm Oil Congress and Exhibition 2023 (PIPOC 2023) last year. New Straits Times
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Palm oil news CSPO Watch February 2024