Headline News on Palm Oil. June 2021
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India - BREAKING NEWS. Government of India reduces import duty on crude palm oil to 10% till 30th September, 2021.
MPOB: India’s lower import duty a boon for Malaysian palm oil industry
KUALA LUMPUR, June 30 — The Indian government’s decision to reduce its import duty on crude palm oil (CPO) from 15 per cent to 10 per cent is a boon for the Malaysian palm oil industry, giving immediate relief to the smallholders, said the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB).
Director-general Ahmad Parveez Ghulam Kadir said with the CPO price level stabilising between RM3,500 and RM3,800 per tonne, CPO export to the world’s largest palm oil consumer is bound to increase further in the near future.
Based on the industrial regulator’s data, Malaysia’s palm oil export to India increased by more than eight folds to 1.29 million tonnes from January until May 2021, from 0.15 million tonnes recorded during the same period in 2020. MalayMail
MPOB: India’s lower import duty a boon for Malaysian palm oil industry
KUALA LUMPUR, June 30 — The Indian government’s decision to reduce its import duty on crude palm oil (CPO) from 15 per cent to 10 per cent is a boon for the Malaysian palm oil industry, giving immediate relief to the smallholders, said the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB).
Director-general Ahmad Parveez Ghulam Kadir said with the CPO price level stabilising between RM3,500 and RM3,800 per tonne, CPO export to the world’s largest palm oil consumer is bound to increase further in the near future.
Based on the industrial regulator’s data, Malaysia’s palm oil export to India increased by more than eight folds to 1.29 million tonnes from January until May 2021, from 0.15 million tonnes recorded during the same period in 2020. MalayMail
U.S. Farm Belt lawmakers introduce bills to boost biofuel industry
June 30 (Reuters) - A bipartisan group of U.S. Farm Belt lawmakers will introduce a trio of bills on Tuesday aimed at boosting public investment in biofuels as the industry tries to combat a White House push for electric vehicles, according to copies of the bills seen by Reuters. The bills, which include billions of dollars in grants and tax credits, could get swept into broader infrastructure or spending bills snaking through Congress. Democrats hold a thin majority in both houses, and individual Democratic lawmakers are likely to leverage that position to extract regional benefits from the broader bills. The biofuel industry is trying to position itself as lower-carbon bridge to an electric car future. Biden is counting on a surging electric car market to hit his target for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Reuters |
Ivory Coast - Proparco and EAIF in biomass power plant deal
Proparco and the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF) have closed a €165m project finance deal and €13m grant to secure the financing of Biovea project in Ivory Coast. This will be the first biomass power plant with grid injection in Africa. The loans are granted by Proparco and EAIF to Biovea Energie, which was the winner of the 25-year concession to design, build, operate and transfer the 46MW biomass plant. Biovea Energie is incorporated in Ivory Coast and is sponsored by EDF (Electricité De France), Meridiam, and Biokala, a joint venture set up between Meridiam and SIFCA, a major agro-industrial player in West Africa. AfricaGlobalFunds |
India - Subabul farmers shift focus to palm oil cultivation
Khammam: Subabul farmers, who are finding it tough to sell wood, are shifting gears and eyeing palm oil cultivation. The state government’s encouragement is coming as a morale-booster. There are two palm oil factories in Bhadradri district and a third is coming up at Konigerla in Khammam district. The price of crude palm oil is nearly Rs 20,000 per tonne and farmers in Dammapet and Aswaraopet are getting a lucrative Rs 80,000 per acre as annual lease for their palm oil fields. Around 300 farmers from Konigerla, Kallur, Sattupalli, Kusumanchi, Tallada, Wyra and Enkoor mandals in Khammam district and Dammapet, Awaraopet, Mulakalapalli, Chandrugonda and Annapureddipalli, who have adequate water facility, have gone in for palm oil. The land extent from subabul to palm oil shift is around 1,500 acres. DeccaChronicle |
Nigeria to Lose Vegetation By 2039 Unless... - Climate Specialists
Lokoja — By year 2039, Nigeria may have lost all its vegetation and experience serious environmental hazard unless urgent steps are taken to reverse the trend. Senior Climate Specialist and County Director of Solidaridad West Africa, a solution-oriented Civil Society Organisations, Dr. Sam Ogallah stated this, weekend, in Lokoja during the inauguration of Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) for Sustainable Climate Smart Oil Palm production among communities in Kogi. Dr Ogalla said unless Nigeria adopts the plantation of sustainable climate smart crops, the country faces a serious climate vulnerability in less than 20 years. He said the inauguration of the Multi-Stakeholder Platform for sustainable climate Smart Oil palm production was part of the National Initiative on Sustainable Climate Smart Oil Palm Smallholder (NISCOPS) project. AllAfrica |
Malaysia - MPOB to unveil new technologies
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) will introduce four new technologies and innovations developed by its researchers at the Transfer of Technology Seminar and Exhibition (TOT 2021) webinar on July 1. Director-general Dr Ahmad Parveez Ghulam Kadir (pic) said MPOB’s latest discoveries comprised two disease control technologies in oil palm plantations, one biomass technology for pollution control in oil palm mills and one plantation engineering technology specifically for the transportation of fresh fruit bunches. The new technologies will encourage the use of innovation and new techniques which will increase plantation efficiency and the productivity of oil palm crops, he said in an interview on Bernama TV yesterday. TheStarMY |
Indonesia Envisions Global Leader in Processed Palm Oil Products
Jakarta. Indonesia is eyeing to lead the world's downstream palm oil industry by 2045, according to the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs on Monday. The ministry’s food and agribusiness coordination deputy Musdhalifah Machmud said the government is trying to switch Indonesia’s position from being world’s biggest crude palm oil (CPO) producer to leader of the downstream palm oil industry by 2045. To speed up the process, the government has rolled out numerous policies in the past few years. “Among them are tax incentives, the development of a port-equipped integrated industrial area for downstream palm oil products, export duties and levy, as well as the mandatory biodiesel program to substitute diesel fuel imports,” Musdhalifah said. JakartaGlobe |
Ghana - African farmers could benefit from more friendly EU agriculture policies
“For products like coffee, mangoes or peanuts, Europe is an important market,” Mr. Bor explains, enthusiastically. “Crops exported from Kenya are exempt from taxation in Europe. That also goes for exports to Europe from Ghana, Nigeria and the Francophone countries.” The EU is a global agricultural powerhouse. The 27-country bloc feeds a steady stream of processed foods, grains, dairy and meats onto the world market while importing large quantities of raw commodities like soy, sugar cane or palm oil, tropical vegetables and fruits like avocados. Globalization is making markets better accessible to farmers like Mr. Bor. He says: “Almost all EU countries purchase Kenyan agricultural goods. Who stands to benefit most will depend on what countries like Germany or the Netherlands decide. African farmers must keep a closer eye on European policymakers.” In particular, African farmers need to watch the evolution of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) that was conceived in 1962 to provide affordable food for its population post-World War II. ModernGhana |
Nigeria - Okitipupa Oil Palm commences 4.5 tons per hour milling facility maintenance
The Okitipupa Oil Palm (OOP) Plc has commenced the turnaround maintenance of its 4.5 tonnes per hour oil milling facility at Ipoke, targeted at producing crude palm oil and other by-products for the benefits of Nigerians. Chairman, Board of Directors of the company, Chief Mobolaji Osomo, who disclosed this at the 31st Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the company in Lagos — the first in 12 years, added that the closure of the country’s borders has significantly addressed the challenge of illegal importation of vegetable in the local market, thereby impacting the price of the company’s products. Osomo who disclosed that the company has resolved to pay its shareholders 25k dividends for the year ended December 31, 2020, 27 years after it last paid one, said the company had returned to significant profitability and had wiped out consistent losses of past years, hence the dividend payout for every 50 kobo shares held. The chairman also said that the company recorded a significant 94.97 per cent revenue growth for the year ended, December 31, 2020, compared to the same period of 2019. GuardianNG |
Liberia: 'Crushed and Demoralized'
Crushed and Demoralized-At least 112 indigenous women who have had to live rough due to the operations of the Salala Rubber Corporation (SRC) in Margibi and Bong Counties, Liberia, have gotten some relief. The stories of these women are heart-wrenching: The Salala Rubber Corporation, a subsidiary of a massive European Agricultural Corporation named SOCFIN, owned by two of Europe's Billionaires- Bolloré (French) and Fabri (Belgian) has for decades, grabbed not just the land of these poor communities but their wealth, culture, history and community-driven entrepreneurship. This aggressive imperialist investment has left many crippled in different ways: a single mother uprooted from her small farm; a mother of three abandoned by the father of her children and a pregnant mother expecting her third child abandoned by her boyfriend, just to name a few. Cumulatively, successive Liberian Governments have failed them and left them to the mercy of a powerful corporation. AllAfrica |
Nigeria - There is looming hunger in the land
PLAGUED by years of interminable Islamist terrorism, banditry and other unbridled security challenges, Nigeria’s ability to feed its mammoth population is becoming highly questionable. Already, millions of Nigerians are unable to feed like they used to do. With insecurity deteriorating to an extraordinary level, there is a real threat of hunger looming large over Africa’s most populous country. Nigeria occupied the 10th position in the 2020 Global Hunger Index where countries like Afghanistan, Haiti and Chad prominently featured among the ten hungriest countries. Millions of Nigerians live in extreme poverty on less than $1.90 per person per day, an amount which is impossible to support a healthy livelihood. But not since the Nigerian Civil War between 1967 and 1970 has the security situation been so devastating. This time, almost every part of the country is under siege of one form of insecurity or the other. The bloody breaches have created millions of internally displaced persons and rendered farming activities negligible in the North-East, North-West, and North-Central, regarded as the major food-producing regions. Farming in other regions is also increasingly being threatened. PunchNG |
Europe faces canola shortage
It’s estimated a focus on organic farming and reduced fertilizer and pesticide use will slash acres The European Union will double its canola imports by 2030 if the region follows through on its controversial Farm to Fork strategy, says an industry group. Coceral, a European association of grains, oilseeds and pulses traders, believes that strategy will result in reduced EU rapeseed production and increased canola imports. The Farm to Fork strategy of converting more land to organic production, reducing fertilizer applications by 20 percent and dropping pesticide use by 50 percent is going to wreak havoc on the crop, said the organization. Producer |
South Africa - Cooking oil prices hit a high as SA sources from Europe
CONSUMERS should expect to pay even more for vegetable cooking oil as prices could remain elevated in the short term before moderating in the latter part of the year. The price of cooking oil in South Africa has risen by more than 70 percent due to poor harvests of oil-producing crops such as sunflower, palm, soya and canola last year. Last week, FNB senior agricultural economist Paul Makube said crop production of sunflowers in South Africa fell 12 percent, creating a shortage as demand had not declined. Makube said South Africa did not produce enough vegetable oil to meet local demand, meaning the rest had to be sourced from Europe. IOLZA |
CPOPC calls on EU to adopt non-discriminatory biofuels policy to fight climate change
The Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) urges the European Union (EU) to revise its approach on vegetable oils in biofuels under the framework of the Renewable Energy Directive II (RED II) in light of the upcoming revision of the Directive expected on 14 July 2021 as well as the Commission’s approaching deadline for adopting rules on certifying low indirect land-use change (ILUC)-risk biofuels and updating the list of high ILUC-risk feedstocks. The CPOPC reiterates its opposition to the criteria laid down in a Delegated Regulation from March 2019 where palm oil is the only crop yielding high ILUC-risk and thus subjected to a freeze and phase-out from the EU’s renewable energy program. The use of ILUC as a policy tool has been fraught with methodological problems and biases from the beginning. Therefore, a new approach, which treats all sustainable vegetable oils equally, based on verified production practices and not on the type of commodity, is urgently needed. After all, commodities in themselves are not responsible for deforestation – it is the practices that matter. EURACTIV |
Report: EU Low-Carbon Bunker Mandate Could Lock In High-Carbon Fuel
The Brussels-based NGO Transport & Environment has obtained a draft copy of the European Commission's plans to encourage the uptake of "green" marine fuels. If enacted, the proposed legislation would be the world's first low-carbon bunker fuel mandate. However, according to T&E, the proposed package would "lock in the use of fossil fuels" for decades by endorsing two affordable compliance options - crop-based biofuels and LNG - which would outcompete lower-emission e-fuels on price. Based on T&E's analysis, over half of the energy used by ships calling in the EU could be supplied by LNG and biofuels by 2035 under the draft proposal. Given the powerful warming effect of methane, LNG comes with challenges related to fugitive emissions, according to T&E. Crop-based biofuels can result in higher net greenhouse gas emissions than fossil fuels, with heavy use of fertilizers driving up total lifecycle climate impact. MarineExecutive |
Indonesia - EU to support Indonesia's sustainable palm oil push: Czech Republic
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Czech Environment Minister Richard Brabec has assured that the European Union (EU), under the presidency of the Czech Republic, will support Indonesia’s efforts to develop sustainable palm oil. He also stressed that the EU will, by no means, impose any import ban on Indonesian palm oil. To that end, the Czech Republic will continue to coordinate and consult with the European commission and parliament to support Indonesia’s efforts, he said following a meeting with Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, in Jakarta. Czech Ambassador to Indonesia, Jaroslav Dolecek, Vice Minister of Industry and Trade, Martina Tauberová, and president of the Czech Republic Industrial Confederation, Jaroslav Hanák, also attended the meeting. During the meeting, the two countries decided to intensify cooperation in environmental conservation, including the handling of urban garbage and the management of plastic waste, in which the Czech Republic has excellence, experience, and expertise. AntaraNews |
REPORT - ASEAN’s predicted export growth with Europe in the agricultural market by 2030
Agriculture is a major player in the world economic scene. Trade traverses both national and international borders. Therefore growth is always expected as the world becomes more interconnected and globalised With this in mind, a recent 2021 report published by the European Commission made predictions about the EU agriculture market and its growth and evolution between 12 Free Trade Agreement partners (FTA) by 2030. This report focuses on these 12 FTA countries which include Australia, Canada, Chile, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay), Mexico, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. The report’s goal is focused on the impacts of the EU’s exports and imports of food commodities with these trade agreement partners by 2030. Giving an in-depth prediction of what the export and imports market of certain food commodities may be. The report stated that by 2030 these trade agreement partners would be the source of 34% of the EU’s imports. FarEasternAgri |
CORPORATE - Ferrero reaffirms commitment to source palm oil responsibly through new ‘Palm Oil Charter'
Ferrero Group unveiled its new Palm Oil Charter, in which the company outlines its ongoing ambition to achieve a palm oil industry that is good for both people and nature. Originally announced in 2013, the first Palm Oil Charter served as a driver for the group’s development of its responsible palm oil supply chain; a public commitment that took into consideration the company’s core values and its broader sustainability strategy. Today, Ferrero further strengthens its commitments and progress through an updated Charter, which has been elevated based on the company’s ongoing learning journey and insights generated by close collaboration with stakeholders at every level, from suppliers to NGOs through to academic partners. The new Charter has been developed with Earthworm Foundation; a non-profit organisation focused on positively improving value chains. FnBNews |
CORPORATE - Nestlé’s ‘forest positive’ strategy targets elimination of palm oil and cocoa deforestation
Nestlé’s ‘forest positive’ strategy targets elimination of palm oil and cocoa deforestation Nestlé has pledged to intensify its efforts to protect and retain global forests in its areas of operation, as a central element of its plans to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, reports Neill Barston. As the company noted, its ‘forest positive’ strategy, will be backed by promotion of sustainable livelihoods and the respect of human rights with the company’s value chains. Significantly, the company added that it also seeking to accelerate work to completely eliminate deforestation in its palm oil, sugar, soy, meat as well as pulp and paper supply chains by 2022. By 2025, it plans to achieve the same for its coffee and cocoa supply chains. ConfectioneryProduction |
Indonesia and Canada to launch economic partnership talks
JAKARTA -- Indonesia and Canada will begin negotiations on a comprehensive economic partnership agreement, both countries said on Monday, as the Southeast Asian nation steps up its economic diplomacy under President Joko Widodo. In a joint statement, they agreed to open talks covering areas including "market access, rules to facilitate trade and investment, and cooperation, taking into account each other's sensitivities and different levels of development." The first round will be held "at the earliest opportunity," they added. Canada was Indonesia's 19th-largest trading partner in 2019, according to data from the World Bank, with $2.6 billion worth of trade passing between the two countries. NikkeiAsia |
Indonesia to cut crude palm oil export levy to $175/mt: sources
Indonesia's finance ministry has announced that the maximum export levy on crude palm oil will be reduced to $175/mt when palm prices exceed $1,000/mt, sources told S&P Global Platts. While the implementation date has not been announced, sources are expecting the reduction to be effective by the end of the month. The export levy on CPO is currently $255/mt, and is used to fund the nation's biodiesel program. The move has been welcomed by most market participants, who were expecting it. "Indonesian CPO has lost out on market share to Malaysian CPO due to price competitiveness. This will help Indonesian CPO exports," a trader said, adding that the decision had been "imperative". SPGlobal |
Nigeria - Solidaridad harps on oil palm potential, best practices
Solidaridad West Africa, a not-for-profit advocate of best agricultural practices, has said its main aim is to make palm oil production in the country compete internationally by following global best practices. This was disclosed during a seminar and inauguration of its Multi-Stakeholders Platform (MSP) in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, yesterday. Speaking with the stakeholders, Dr Samuel Ogallah, Senior Climate Specialist for Africa and Country Technical Lead, reminded participants that MSP was set up to promote synergy among stakeholders in the oil palm sector of Nigeria. Again, he told the palm oil farmers in the state that setting up the body was also to increase stakeholders’ level of awareness on their direct and indirect roles in enhancing productivity in the oil palm sub-sector through climate-smart agriculture. He assured farmers of a transformed oil palm sector in the country if only stakeholders follow the guidelines and best management practices. GuardianNG |
Ghana - Africa Skills Hub launches support programme to increase livelihoods to women
Africa Skills Hub, an international non-governmental organisation, has launched the Nneka Women Empowerment Scheme, a support programme in Ve-Agbome in the Volta Region to increase livelihoods to women in communities in the Afadzato South District. The scheme in partnership with Canada World Youth and Global Affairs Canada under the Women Entrepreneurship and Livelihoods Initiative (WELI) looks at increasing livelihoods of women through the creation of various local women’s co-operatives in the palm oil sector. Madam Anatu Ben-Lawal, Programmes Director, WELI said the Initiative would be committed to support the co-operatives and the community since WELI had the vision to better the lives of the residents of Ve Agbome and its surrounding communities during these uncertain times “By partnering with the Nneka Women Empowerment Scheme, support services such as the provision of physical infrastructure, business development services, reinforcement of technical capacities, and psychosocial support will enable the women to build resiliency against further shocks that continue to leave them vulnerable.” NewsGhana |
Pakistan Now Moving Towards Stopping Agri Imports: Jamshed Iqbal Cheema
LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Jun, 2021 ) :Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) for Food Security and Research Jamshed Iqbal Cheema said that following the effective measures taken by the present government, Pakistan was now moving towards stopping the import of agricultural commodities. In a meeting with office-bearers and members of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) here at FPCCI Regional Office, he said that food demand increased with growth in population, and "We have streamlined the wheat procurement and ensured proper returns to farmers for their hard work by increasing the wheat price to Rs 1800 per 40kg from Rs 1400, besides giving subsidy on wheat flour to the end consumer. The government will continue to facilitate the common man". UrduPoint |
Pakistan’s food security problem (Op-ed)
The year 2021 saw Pakistan step into the limelight and has host World Environment Day (WED) under the banner of ‘Ecosystem Restoration’. According to the Global Climate Risk Index Report of 2020, Pakistan is the fifth most vulnerable country on this front; facing numerous climate change challenges which are embedded in its demographic and geographic make-up. The consequences of which are already evident in changing weather patterns that have resulted in rising temperatures, melting glaciers, off-season rainfall and hailstorms, and degradation of the ecosystem. In addition, there are other factors like depleting water reservoirs and an increase in water losses, which are contributing to changing crop patterns in the agricultural sector which trigger the threat of food security in the country. Food security, as defined by the United Nations’ Committee on World Food Security, means that all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their food preferences and dietary needs for an active and healthy life. DailyTimesPK |
Indonesia - Gov’t Urged to Step Up Palm Oil Negotiations with EU
Jakarta. Market restrictions in the European Union continue to become the main hurdle for Indonesian palm oil exports for the last three years despite ongoing negotiations and efforts at the World Trade Organization, the industry association said on Thursday. The government has since 2019 engaged in negotiations with the EU and lodged a complaint with the WTO’s dispute settlement body over alleged discriminatory policies on palm oil market, but the Indonesian Palm Oil Association or Gapki said little progress was made. The EU’s revised Renewable Energy Directive, also known as RED2, amended biofuel sustainability requirements from the first generation of renewable fuel products in 2018, resulting in wider restrictions on palm oil import from Indonesia due to allegations that palm plantation triggered widespread deforestation. JakartaGlobe |
Malaysia - Use EU defence deals to save palm oil industry, says smallholders body
PETALING JAYA: The National Association of Smallholders (NASH) wants the government to flex its muscles by leveraging the huge multi-billion dollar defence contracts with European Union (EU) countries against palm oil exports. Otherwise, the body representing 600,000 oil palm smallholders warned, Malaysia would risk seeing the industry collapse in a couple of years. NASH president Aliasak Ambia said countries in the EU, especially France and Italy, were pushing through legislation that might see the end of palm oil entering these countries despite having earned big bucks selling defence equipment to Malaysia. Aliasak called for a joint body comprising ministries such as defence, international trade and industry, plantation industries and commodities, and finance to be formed to coordinate the matter. FreeMalaysiaToday |
India cuts base import price of palm oil and soyaoil
Cooking oil prices across the world have falled after hitting record highs India slashed the base import prices of palm oil and soyabean oil for a fortnight, the government said in a statement late on Wednesday, as prices of the cooking oils fell sharply in the global market. The move was in contrast to the country's decision on Tuesday to keep the base import price of all edible oils unchanged. India has put on hold a proposal to reduce import taxes on edible oils as cooking oil prices started to fall in the world market after hitting record highs, two government and one industry officials told Reuters. TheHinduBusinessLine |
China - Palm oil options trading launched in China, open to overseas investors
China on Friday started the trading of palm oil options at the Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) and allowed overseas investors to participate, marking another step in the country's financial opening-up push. The move made palm oil options the first yuan-denominated options contracts listed in China open to overseas investors, the DCE said. China is a major importer and consumer of palm oil in the world, with its import and consumption volumes accounting for 15 percent and 10 percent of the world's total, respectively. By launching palm oil options and including overseas investors in the trading, the country can provide risk management tools for market entities and contribute to the coordination of international supply and industrial chains, as well as ensure the quality development of its futures market, the DCE said. China |
Malaysia - FGV to appoint independent auditor for forced labour assessment in August
KUALA LUMPUR: FGV Holdings Bhd will soon appoint an independent auditor to conduct an assessment of its operations following the US Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) ban on the import of its palm oil products in September last year. In a statement, the group said it is calling for proposals from prospective organisations and expects to finalise the appointment of the independent auditor in August, following which the assessment works will immediately begin. On the advisement of the CBP, the assessment will be made against the 11 International Labour Organization (ILO) indicators of Forced Labour. TheStarMY |
Neste, Lyondell sign supply agreement for bio-feedstock
Finnish refiner Neste has entered into a long-term agreement to supply 100pc bio-based renewable feedstock for processing into polymers at global petrochemical firm LyondellBassell's cracker and polyolefin plant in Wesseling, Germany. LyondellBassell will market the polymers under its Circulen brand, which is certified by the ISCC Plus certification system. Annual offtake volumes were not disclosed. It is the latest in a series of deals between Neste and petrochemical and polymer producers. In November last year, South Korean petrochemical producer LG Chem announced plans to start replacing some of its fossil fuel feedstock with Neste's renewable hydrocarbons by the second half of 2021. In June 2019, Neste and LyondellBasell said they had produced commercial volumes of polyethylene and polypropylene using over 30pc of bio-based renewable feedstock. ArgusMedia |
Africa - Côte d’Ivoire to get Africa’s first grid tied biomass power plant
The Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF) and Proparco will finance a biomass power plant with grid injection in Africa in Côte d’Ivoire in a first for the continent. Proparco (the private sector financing arm of Agence France de Développement Group) and the EAIF have closed a €165 million project finance deal with a €13m grant to secure the financing of the Biovea Energie project. EAIF is a Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) Company managed by Ninety-One. Biovea Energie was the winner of the 25-year concession to design, build, operate and transfer the 46MW biomass plant. The company is incorporated in Côte d’Ivoire and is sponsored by Electricité De France (EDF), Meridiam and Biokala ( a joint venture between Meridiam and agro-industrial player SIFCA). ESIAfrica |
Canada - Covenant Energy to produce renewable diesel with low carbon footprint
Canada-based Covenant Energy’s new facility is set to produce renewable diesel with a significantly lower carbon footprint than conventional diesel and will thereby support the country’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. Covenant Energy has chosen Topsoe as the facility’s technology provider. Topsoe brings industry-proven technology that will help Covenant Energy meet its projected renewable fuel demand. “We are very pleased that Covenant Energy has selected Topsoe’s HydroFlex and H2bridge technologies for this state of the art, standalone renewable diesel facility. These market-leading technologies are complementary and together they will provide Covenant with one of the lowest carbon intensity fuels in the world,” BiofuelsNews |
Indonesian exports, imports surge in May amid boom in commodity prices
JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia’s export growth shot up on a yearly basis to an 11-year high in May, supported by high commodity prices and a low base effect, while imports also jumped as domestic demand rose, official data showed on Tuesday. Southeast Asia’s largest economy has seen its exports recover vigorously from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on soaring prices of its main commodities amid improving demand from major trade partners like China and the United States. In May, prices of commodities such as coal, palm oil and copper roughly doubled from a year earlier, helping the resource-rich country book a $2.37 billion trade surplus, the statistics bureau said, which was the highest in six months. The poll had expected a $2.30 billion surplus in May after April’s $2.19 billion surplus. Reuters |
Nigeria - Beyond oil: Delta hopeful of oil palm as game changer, says Perm Sec
Asaba, June 11, 2021 Mr Ben Agamah, Permanent Secretary, Delta Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, on Friday, said that the state government’s investment in oil palm would provide the alternative to a crude oil economy. Agamah told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Asaba that the deliberate efforts of the Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa-led administration to develop oil palm production in Delta remained the economic game changer from dependence on crude oil revenue. He said that investing in oil palm production provided endless opportunities to farmers, as the agriculture sector remained the soul and heart of prosperity. The permanent secretary noted that given its relevance on the international market today, a ton of palm oil could fetch more foreign exchange than crude oil. “One ton is a thousand liters; and one ton of palm oil sold four weeks ago on the international market at $1,070 (about N481,500); a ton equivalent of crude oil which is about 7.4 barrels, sells at $520 dollars (N234,000). Naija247News |
Malaysia targets full rollout of B20 biodiesel plan by end-2022
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia, the world’s second-biggest palm oil producer, expects its B20 biofuel plan to be implemented nationwide by the end of 2022, according to Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali. * Malaysia’s B20 programme in the transport sector, which entails a 20% mix of palm-biodiesel into petroleum, was initially scheduled to be completed by mid-2021 but later delayed to 2022 as the country prioritises economic recovery from the pandemic. * The palm oil industry should also take proactive action to reduce food contaminants in refined palm oil, he said in remarks prepared for an online conference Tuesday. * The industry should target to lower 3-monochloropropanediol esters, or 3-MCPDE, to below the EU-prescribed level of 2.5ppm. * Mechanisation and automation in the upstream sector is important as there’s an over-dependence on foreign labor. Any disruption to the labour force will have a significant impact to Malaysia’s palm industry. KLSEScreener |
Biofuels will pave the way for greener shipping
While it has been a tumultuous past year with the COVID-19 pandemic, the transformation of the marine fuels market continued at pace. The International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) decarbonisation targets of a 50% reduction in emissions from 2008 levels by 2050, and a minimum reduction in carbon intensity per transport usage of 40% by 2030, compared with 2008 levels, remains the main driver behind the production and development of ‘future fuels’. There can be no doubt that the next decade will bring an increasingly diverse marine fuel landscape, as growing demand for economically viable low and zero carbon future fuels becomes exponential. However, the shipping industry is historically conservative to change. With this in mind, driving a significant uptake of future fuels relies on a number of critical factors to inspire confidence in ship owners and operators, who may understandably be reluctant to transition. Firstly, the fuels must be financially viable if they are to be realistically considered in a competitive market. Secondly, the fuel supply infrastructure and appropriate standards needs to be in place, available in all major bunkering locations and mature enough to accelerate transition. BiofuelsNews |
Tanzania committed to ending sunflower problems: PM
Dar es Salaam. Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa yesterday said the government is committed to working on challenges plaguing sunflower production in order to save the Sh474 billion spent annually on importing cooking oil. Mr Majaliwa believes that the amount spent on importing 360,000 to 400,000 tonnes of the product annually could be used in implementing development projects. The premier was speaking in Singida Region during the launch of a national campaign to increase sunflower production in order to improve cooking oil production that brought together several stakeholders from the public and private sector. “Sh474 billion could be used for implementation of development projects, including schools, healthcare centres, roads, etc. The money could be served through implementation of a special strategy to increase production of sunflower, palm oil, cotton, groundnuts, sesame etc used for producing edible oil,” he said. He said the country’s demand for cooking oil stood at 650,000 tonnes, saying 290,000 tonnes was produced annually, demanding importation of about 450,000 tonnes to close the gap. TheCitizenTz |
Ethiopia - Local edible oil complexes are of paramount importance to meet demand, generate forex
According to the Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) Ethiopia’s oilseeds annual report, the total production of sesame seed, Niger seed, and soybeans during the coming September and October of 2020/21 marketing year is estimated to reach 705,000 metric tons, slightly down by 0.3 percent over previous year. With expansion of acreage and improved yields due to good weather conditions, production of soybeans and nigger seed is expected to increase nearly by 14 percent and 2 percent, respectively; whereas, sesame seed production is estimated to drop by 9 percent because of reduction in planted area. The projected impact of COVID-19 on supply chain disruptions, on one hand, has pushed farmers to slash sesame seed plantings and shift to cultivation of food crops mainly sorghum to enhance local supply. On the other hand, the expansion of local edible oil complexes and integrated agro-industries in the country is anticipated to stimulate oilseeds production to meet the rapidly growing local demand for cooking oils as well as livestock feed. NewBusinessEthiopia |
Malaysia - After topping ‘forest-risk’ investor list, PNB says it only funds sustainable palm oil
After being ranked as the number one investor in firms identified as being drivers of deforestation, Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) has responded saying it only invests in sustainable palm oil companies. “In relation to PNB’s exposure in the plantation sector, it is important to highlight that its investee companies follow the principles of sustainability standards including Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) and the Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (Ispo). MalaysiaKini |
Malaysia - IJM to divest entire stake in IJM Plantations to KLK for RM1.53 billion
IJM Corp Bhd has agreed to divest its entire stake in IJM Plantations Bhd representing 56.2% of shares in IJM Plantations, to Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd (KLK), for a cash consideration of RM1.53 billion. IJM Corp will continue to be entitled to the dividend of 10 sen per share in July that was declared by IJM Plantations. Upon completion of the disposal, IJM Plantations will cease to be a subsidiary of IJM Corp. The group believes that the proposed disposal is in the best interest of the group, given the attractive offer price and the maturity of the plantation business, which it currently has no plans to expand further. TheMalaysianReserve |
Asean must step up to protect 30 percent of Earth's land and ocean
AS unprecedented changes and pressing issues continue to impact both nature and the biodiversity of the planet, a growing global effort is under way to protect 30 percent of the Earth's land and oceans - the 30x30 Wyss Campaign for Nature championed by the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People (HAC), an intergovernmental coalition of more than 60 countries around the world co-chaired by Costa Rica, France and the UK. It calls on other nations, especially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), to commit to this definite target for the benefit of the environment, climate, economy and society. Evidence and research have shown that Southeast Asia has one of the highest deforestation rates and one of the most severe cases of biodiversity loss despite harboring 15 percent of the world's tropical forests and 70 percent of the global biodiversity. Asean is home to about 18 percent of the world's most endangered species, such as the Philippine eagle, the helmeted hornbill in Thailand and the saola (Asian unicorn) in Malaysia, among many diverse and rare species found only within the region. ManilaTimes |
Switzerland - How consumers in rich countries drive global deforestation
A morning coffee, a chocolate bar in the afternoon, a steak for dinner – all contribute to deforestation in tropical regions. Growing demand for certain imports in wealthy countries like Switzerland is destroying vast areas elsewhere which have a crucial role to play in containing global warming. “It’s easy to look at the farmers and foresters and countries where deforestation is happening and wish they would stop. But they are responding to the global market. We are buying their soy for our hamburgers and salmon, and their palm oil for our lipstick,” writes Daniel Moran of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, on the Carbon Brief website. Whereas forested areas are generally increasing in industrialised countries, including in SwitzerlandExternal link, deforestation is relentless in the Global South. SwissInfo |
Burundi bans Palm Oil Export
Burundi’s Ministry of Interior announced this Thursday a ban on the export of palm oil and its derived products, in particular “to neighboring countries, which creates a shortage among Burundians, the majority of whom use these products daily “. In Burundi, Oil palm cultivation is mainly practiced in Rumonge commune and somewhat in Burambi and Buyengero communes in Bururi province. Two varieties of oil palm are cultivated: Dura and Tenera. Oil palm cultivation was encouraged in the 1980s to fill the lipid deficit which was estimated at 98%. Its production is mainly consumed by the local population. But the trends can be reversed. Oil palm can become a source of foreign exchange, especially as it is an increasingly industrial crop. According to the 2016 agricultural statistics yearbook of the Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies of Burundi (ISTEEBU), industrial production of oil palm rose from 11,164 tonnes in 2007 to 12,977 tonnes in 2008. RegionWeek |
Indonesia - Final court ruling orders Indonesian government to publish plantation data
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Ghana can be a leading producer of palm oil — Paul-Kwabena-Amaning
President of the Artisanal Palm Oil Millers and Outgrowers Association of Ghana, Mr. Paul-Kwabena-Amaning, has said the oil palm industry in Ghana can feed the whole of Europe if government invests in the palm oil sector. According to him, should government invest in the palm oil sector, Ghana will be the leading producer of palm oil in the world. He further stressed that Ghana has all the raw materials to be one of the leading producers of palm oil hence government needs to invest in oil palm industry to make it lucrative to create jobs for Ghanaian youth. “The oil palm industry has the capacity to feed the whole of Europe, this can be achieved if the government invest huge sums of money in the palm oil industry,’’ ModernGhana |
India’s move towards sustainable palm oil usage
The country’s push for oil palm cultivation to achieve self-sufficiency in vegetable oils is a step in the right direction As one of the most populous countries in the world with a surging middle-class population, India’s influence on global markets is bound to increase this decade. In 2019, before the pandemic up-ended the world, India spent $480 billion on imports making it one of the most important markets for countries that sell to India. Notable within its top imports is organic chemicals for agriculture and edible oils. Recent reports on edible oils shows that the country needs 25 million tonnes of edible oils to meet the requirements of its citizens. Out of the total requirement, only 40 per cent is produced domestically from primary and secondary sources with the remaining 60 per cent is met through import. HinduBusinessLine |
India - COOIT urges Govt to ban import of refined edible oils from Nepal, Bangladesh
Local manufacturers adversely impacted by zero import duty from Nepal and Bangladesh under SAFTA Agreement The national exchequer is losing as much as ₹1,200 crore annually because of zero duty import of refined edible oils from Nepal and Bangladesh besides hurting local manufacturers, apex association of edible oil manufacturers and trade, Central Organisation for Oil Industry and Trade (COOIT), said in a statement on Tuesday. In a letter written to different ministries – Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Finance Ministry, Ministry of Commerce and Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) - COOIT said that considerable quantity of refined oils is being imported into India through road in tins, jars, bottles and pouches on zero duty from SAARC countries particularly from Nepal and Bangladesh. HinduBusinessLine |
Indonesia lifts new, renewable energy generation target
Indonesia's energy and mineral resources ministry has raised the country's target to generate electricity from new and renewable energy (EBT) from 30pc to 48pc, which includes co-firing coal with biomass. State-owned utility PLN's draft electricity generation plan for 2021-30 outlined the increase of EBT generation to 48pc or 19,899MW compared with a previous target for 2019-28 of 30pc. It also stated that the country plans to add 41GW of power generation capacity over the next 10 years. Various options to achieve this target are being discussed, director-general of electricity Rida Mulyana said. This includes the conversion of diesel-fired power plants to EBT plants, co-firing coal with biomass at power plants, retirement of ageing power plants and relocation of others. ArgusMedia |
Solidaridad to use oil palm to rescue degraded mine sites in Ghana
Solidaridad through its National Initiatives for Sustainable Climate-Smart Oil Palm Smallholders (NISCOPS) programme is helping to reclaim degraded mine sites in the Central region of Ghana with oil palm. The initiative has become necessary due to threats to the livelihoods of farmers in that part of the country as a result of the operations of illegal small-scale miners whose activities destroy arable lands and pose food security challenges to communities. Rosemary Addico, the programme manager for NISCOPS, indicated that Solidaridad is facilitating access to climate-resilient oil palm seedlings, processing equipment and soil analysis tests in communities where the reclamation activities will be carried out. She made the remarks during the annual review meeting of the programme in Accra in response to concerns raised by the district Agricultural Director of the Upper Denkyira West district, Eric Twum, on the sorry state of mined lands in the district. “Mining continues to compete with other land use activities in our communities. It is, therefore, crucial for sustainable land reclamation initiatives to be implemented to equip mining communities with skills to improve their economic activities. This will also ensure that these areas do not become ghost towns at the cessation of mining activities,” MyJoyOnline |
Indonesia - Palm oil: More than 750 ISPO certificates issued for producers as of last year
More than 750 Indonesia Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) certificates have been issued as of last year, but the vast majority are for private corporations and state-owned plantation company PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN), while smallholders remain largely uncertified. According to Didi Junaedi, the director for processing and marketing of plantation products at the Agriculture Ministry, 735 of those certificates were for corporate entities. “There are also 20 ISPO certificates for smallholders, although it was previously voluntary,” Didi said at an online discussion on Monday. Through the issuance of the certificates, the government seeks to address global concerns over deforestation in crude palm oil (CPO) production. Presidential Regulation No. 44 of 2020 requires smallholders to get ISPO certificates no later than 2025. For companies, the obligation under the presidential regulation took effect immediately after it was issued. The government has been seeking to counter what it calls a campaign against Indonesian CPO over alleged environmental damage, especially from the European Union, one of the country’s major trading partners. However, the EU does not recognize the ISPO certificate. More than one-third of the 16.38 million hectares of oil palm plantations across the country are now certified, according to Rusman Heriawan, an advisor of the National Action Plan for Sustainable Palm Oil Forum. JakartaPost |
India - Focus on oil palm cultivation in Siddipet
Being an early bird, the Siddipet district is planning to reap highest benefits from cultivating oil palm. This is being planned on about 3,500 acres and scaled up to 50,000 for which permission was already accorded by Union government about a year ago. The farmers who were already habituated for traditional crops like paddy are showing interest to divert to oil palm. Few weeks ago Finance Minister T. Harish Rao and Agriculture Minister Nirajan Reddy had a meeting with 2,000 farmers of different mandals to create awareness on cultivation of oil palm. Meanwhile, the Horticulture Department on its part organised a two-day field visit of farmers to Ashwaraopet in Khamma district. “About 240 farmers from Siddipet district went to Ashwaraopet to know more about oil palm cultivation. We interacted with farmers and their experiences are good. We are sure that oil palm will offer better remuneration than paddy. I want to go for oil palm cultivation on about five acres out of the eight acres, on which I am cultivating paddy,” TheHindu |
EU - Why I went to Jakarta and why the Indo-Pacific matters for Europe
06/06/2021 – HR/VP Blog – This week, I visited Jakarta, for talks with the leaders of Indonesia and ASEAN. A main reason of this trip was to signal EU engagement with this dynamic part of the world, towards which the global centre of gravity is shifting. My discussions proved there is clear demand in the region for more EU engagement and presence: on the pandemic, for recovery, for connectivity and in the area of security. There is an impression sometimes that Europe is self-absorbed and mainly focused on crises in our neighbourhood. However, we have big stakes in the Indo-Pacific and have been a major player there for years. Our partners look to us to work more closely together. "If we want to be a geopolitical actor, we also have to be perceived as a political and security actor in the region, not just as a development cooperation, trading or investment partner." EEAS |
EU's Borrell: Palm oil issue shouldn't hamper trade talks with Indonesia
Ongoing negotiations between the European Union and Indonesia on a trade and investment deal should not be hampered by differences over palm oil, the EU's top diplomat said, even as the bloc aims to phase out use of palm oil in fuel. Palm oil is one of the top exports from Southeast Asia's largest economy and the EU is its third biggest destination. The EU largely imports the versatile vegetable oil for fuel. But under its renewable energy directive, the European Commission decided in 2019 that palm oil cultivation results in excessive deforestation and that its use as a fuel in the EU should be reduced to zero by 2030. Reuters |
EU plans mix of mandatory and voluntary rules to tackle deforestation
The European Commission is planning to adopt a combination of mandatory and voluntary due diligence rules later this year to prevent global deforestation in its supply chains, marking a sharp turn away from its reliance on voluntary schemes. “There will be a mix of intervention between the voluntary and the mandatory approach,” said Carla Montesi director of the Green Deal and Digital Agenda at the European Commission. Speaking at a EURACTIV debate, she said Europe needs to tackle its responsibility for global deforestation with an integrated and holistic approach that promotes dialogue and takes into account its impact on producing countries. The European executive is preparing to table due diligence legislation later this year. At the moment, the Commission is currently finalising the impact assessment and ensuring it complies with World Trade Organisation rules. Euractiv |
India considers edible oil import tax cut to lower prices -sources
India is considering reducing import taxes on edible oils after cooking oil prices hit record highs last month, two government and two industry officials told Reuters, to reduce food costs in the world's biggest vegetable oil importer. While no decision has been made, the tax reduction could lower local prices and boost consumption, giving support to Malaysian palm oil , along with soy and sunflower oil prices, and dampening prices of local oilseeds such as rapeseed, soybean and groundnut. "A proposal to lower the import duty on edible oils is under review," a government official with knowledge of the matter who asked to remain unidentified said on Wednesday. Reuters |
Indonesia - Cargill plans to build new palm oil refinery in Lampung, Indonesia, to meet growing demand for sustainable, traceable edible palm oil
Wed, June 2, 2021, 11:00 PM·3 min read US$200 million project to fully integrate Cargill's palm supply chain and ensure sustainable product volumes for future growth SINGAPORE, June 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Cargill is building a new US$200 million palm oil refinery in Lampung, Indonesia, which will accelerate Cargill's efforts to develop a sustainable palm supply chain and provide verified deforestation free products to customers. The new refinery will play a key role in connecting sustainable crude palm oil production in Indonesia to demands in North America and Europe through a fully integrated supply chain from plantation to customer. With the new refinery, Cargill will be able to meet customers' evolving expectations around sustainability and transparency by guaranteeing traceability to plantation and improved product quality standards. YahooFinance |
EU/ Indonesia - EU should end discriminatory measures against Indonesia's palm oil
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi earnestly appealed to the European Union (EU) to avoid discriminating against Indonesian palm oil, as the Southeast Asian nation was endeavoring to achieve economic recovery amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "Indonesia's request is simple that fair treatment be given to Indonesian palm oil," Marsudi remarked during a virtual press statement after meeting with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell here on Wednesday. In a bid to encourage mutually beneficial economic cooperation between the two parties, the Indonesian government remains committed to producing palm oil in a sustainable manner and continues to strengthen the Indonesia Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) certification, the minister noted. "I say that fair, non-discriminatory, and open economic and trade cooperation will help accelerate economic recovery," she stressed. AntaraNews |
India/ Nepal - Indian traders seek import quota to stem influx of soybean oil
Indian traders have again complained to the Indian government that a huge influx of soybean oil from Nepal in violation of the rules of origin under the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) was hurting refineries and farmers in India. SAFTA is the free trade arrangement of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation of which Nepal and India are founding members. The Solvent Extractors’ Association of India, one of the oldest organisations of vegetable oil and trade, has asked the Indian government to fix quotas on imports, saying that soybean oil has become Nepal's top export commodity even though the country does not produce it commercially. According to Nepal’s Trade and Export Promotion Centre, soybean oil shipments reached Rs35.75 billion in the first 10 months of the current fiscal year, a year-on-year jump of more than four times. “Nepal has violated the rules of origin privilege granted under SAFTA,'' the association said. KathmanduPost |
Malaysia - Implementation of B20 biodiesel mandate in Sabah, Peninsular Malaysia delayed again
KUALA LUMPUR (June 2): The execution of the B20 biodiesel programme in Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia has been postponed, to a date to be decided upon later. Sources with knowledge on the matter said the decision was based on the rise in Covid-19 cases as well as the nationwide Movement Control Order (MCO). “The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the movement of manpower by petroleum companies in the preparation process for biodiesel blending in Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia,” they added. The sources added discussions with parties involved are being held to discuss an implementation date that is more realistic, subject to the MCO. They added the implementation of the B20 biodiesel programme is still ongoing Langkawi, Labuan and Sarawak without any changes. Some sources also attributed the delay to high crude palm oil (CPO) prices, which made blending biodiesel too expensive. TheEdgeMarkets |
EU - The EU must stop burning its forests and biodiversity
NGOs ask the European Union to stop supporting fake ‘renewable’ energy that burns forest biomass The EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED) has had a devastating effect on forests so far, but thanks to the European Green Deal, this can change. Right now, there is a major opportunity to ensure that the EU energy law contributes to, rather than undermines, the EU’s climate and biodiversity goals. The EU support for bioenergy has dramatically increased the burning of forest biomass and agricultural crops for energy, causing numerous problems for the climate, for wildlife, and for the people who rely on forests. Billions of Euros in subsidies have been spent on fake renewable solutions such as keeping old coal-burning power plants going with biomass rather than allocating the money to cleaner alternatives such as wind and solar. Burning primary woody biomass typically increases emissions for decades or even centuries compared to coal, but emissions must be reduced and removed today. Most EU biofuels used for transport not only damage food security but are worse for the climate than fossil fuels, and the growing EU demand for crops like palm oil or soy is driving deforestation. BirdLife |
Global land use changes are four times greater than previously estimated
Quantifying the dynamics of land use change is critical in tackling global societal challenges such as food security, climate change, and biodiversity loss. Here we analyse the dynamics of global land use change at an unprecedented spatial resolution by combining multiple open data streams (remote sensing, reconstructions and statistics) to create the HIstoric Land Dynamics Assessment + (HILDA +). We estimate that land use change has affected almost a third (32%) of the global land area in just six decades (1960-2019) and, thus, is around four times greater in extent than previously estimated from long-term land change assessments. We also identify geographically diverging land use change processes, with afforestation and cropland abandonment in the Global North and deforestation and agricultural expansion in the South. Here, we show that observed phases of accelerating (~1960–2005) and decelerating (2006–2019) land use change can be explained by the effects of global trade on agricultural production. Nature |
EU - Joint open letter from agri-food chain organisations regarding the future
availability and use of crop protection tools in the framework of the EU Farm to Fork Strategy The food produced in the EU is recognised for being safe, nutritious and of high quality. With the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies, the Commission has set out its ambition to position the EU as the gold standard for environmental, social, and economic sustainability at global level. The co-signing associations of the agri-food value chain support this ambition; in fact, we believe in many cases, our sectors already are the global gold standard. The co-signing organisations, which are members of the Agri-Food Chain Round Table on Plant Protection and whose logos are included at the end of this communication, call on the Commission to take into consideration the following points: Fediol |
Abu Dhabi doorstep UCO collection to begin next year
JUN 1, 2021 Abu Dhabi doorstep UCO collection to begin next year news item image Abu Dhabi's waste management centre will start recycling waste cooking oil (UCO) from homes and restaurants to produce biofuels. Abdul Mohsin Al Katheeri, acting director of projects and facilities at Tadweer, said the doorstep project is expected to start next year. Residents will be provided with secure containers to safely dispose of their used oil. A licensed recycling company will take these containers to Tadweer’s Waste to Energy Plant, which is currently under construction. The processing unit is being set up with the help of Emirates Water and Electricity Company, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Power Corporation. BiofuelsInternational |
Malaysian Covid lockdown may slash UCO supplies further
Malaysia's return to a full two-week lockdown from today may worsen the scarcity of Malaysian waste-based biodiesel feedstocks. Prices of used cooking oil (UCO) flexitank exports are already at record highs of $$1,110-1,150/t fob because of tight supplies and firm demand from renewable diesel producers. Kuala Lumpur implemented its third round of movement control orders (MCOs) last month to curb the spread of Covid-19. With no restaurant dining and limited travel, UCO collections may be cut by as much as 50pc of pre-pandemic levels as was the case during the first wave of infections and when MCOs were introduced last March. Net UCO exports slumped by 77pc to 26,000t last year from 113,000t in 2019. ArgusMedia |
India - SEA demands govt to check import of soybean oil via Nepal flouting rules of origin
Edible oil trade body SEA on Monday urged the government to check huge import of soybean oil at zero duty from Nepal flouting rules of origin, saying this may lead to an annual revenue loss of Rs 1,200 crore to the exchequer and hurt domestic refiners. Customs duty is fully exempted on goods exported to India by the five least developed SAARC countries. Taking advantage of this exemption, palm oil and soybean oil are being imported via Nepal and Bangladesh in big quantities, it said. Otherwise, import duty, including cess, on refined palmolein and refined soya oil is 49.5 per cent. FinancialExpress |
WTO sets up Malaysia-EU palm oil dispute panel
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has granted Malaysia's request for a panel to examine the EU's phasing out and eventual ban on palm oil-based biofuels. This was Malaysia's second panel request since launching the action in January after the EU blocked the first at the WTO Dispute Settlement Body meeting on 28 April. Thailand, South Korea, Brazil, Russia, the UK, the US, Singapore, Guatemala, Australia, Colombia, Indonesia, Japan, Norway, China, Ukraine, India, El Salvador and Canada reserved their rights to participate as third parties in the proceedings. ArgusMedia |
Not clear cut: Scientists and journalists pursue a nuanced perspective on palm oil
Palm oil has long been a polarizing topic in national and international media – frequently painted either as a critical source of low-cost vegetable oil and a godsend to numerous tropical economies; or as a dangerous force of deforestation, pollution, labor exploitation, cultural and biodiversity decline. But the reality of what this commodity is — and could be — for communities, countries, consumers and ecosystems, is far more nuanced than what many headlines suggest. To create more sustainable wide-scale solutions, it is critical to explore opportunities in the “grey areas” of large-scale, high-profit international supply chains such as this one, according to a recent webinar discussion. CIFOR |
Nigeria commits to forest conservation at COP26 meeting
The federal government has pledged to protecting the nation’s forests and natural habitats from destruction following the COP26 Forest, Agriculture and Commodity Trade (FACT) meeting in Glasgow, United Kingdom. The COP26 event is a global United Nations summit about climate change and how countries are planning to tackle it. It was due to take place in Glasgow from 9 – 19 November with more than 200 world leaders due to attend, but when coronavirus arrived, that all changed. COP stands for Conference of the Parties, and will be attended by countries that signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – a treaty agreed in 1994. The 2021 meeting will be the 26th meeting, which is why it’s called COP26. VanguardNGR |
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CSPO Watch. News on palm oil - June 2021