Headline News on Palm Oil. December 2021
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Read curated news that impacts the global palm oil industry.
CSPO Watch News. Making it easy for you to follow the palm oil industry
Read curated news that impacts the global palm oil industry.
CSPO Watch News. Making it easy for you to follow the palm oil industry
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Indonesia - Indonesian government sues TDM over fire at subsidiary's Kalimantan land
KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 30): The Indonesian government has filed a RM293.67 million lawsuit against TDM Bhd’s oil palm unit PT Rafi Kamajaya Abadi (RKA) for allegedly acting illegally in relation to a fire incident at the subsidiary's land in West Kalimantan province in 2019. The republic's Ministry of Environment and Forestry is claiming damages for the loss of ecology, loss of economy and compensation costs for the environment impact verification, TDM said in a filing with Bursa Malaysia. The claim also includes a compensation of RM214.29 million to make good an area of 2,560ha affected by the fire, said the company which is 59.67% owned by the Terengganu state government. TDM said it is analysing the potential financial and operational impact of the lawsuit. "As at the date of this announcement, there is no material impact on the operation of RKA and the company’s current financial year. “However, the company is consulting with its auditor on any potential impairment to be made,” said TDM. It added that based on the advise of RKA's lawyers, the company is confident that there are grounds for defending and dismissing the claims. The case has been fixed for first hearing on Jan 10. TheEdgeMarkets |
Malaysia (Opinion) ESG, sustainability compliance in palm oil industry
KUALA LUMPUR: As the world’s appetite for palm oil is seen rising along with global population, edible oil (pic) will continue to be under watchful eyes especially in the area of environmental, social and governance (ESG) to ensure that the industry remains sustainable and attractive to investors. In particular, compliance with the International Labour Organisation’s 11 indicators with respect to employment of migrant workers – their living conditions, access to healthcare during the pandemic, failure to reimburse all recruitment fees by the employer and other failings – will be under scrutiny. Besides this, the industry and its stakeholders have been constantly pressured with issues on how the crop is negatively impacting the environment. However, heightened efforts have been put in place to address environmental and social concerns through the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) and Roundtable Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification schemes. Ahead of meeting the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, big and small companies and smallholders are enhancing their sustainability compliances. TheStarMY |
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India - Edible oil prices falling consistently; better mustard seed crop to soften rates: Food Secretary
Amid high global prices, edible oil prices in India are consistently coming down after the government intervention, and further drop is expected with the arrival of a better mustard crop from the rabi season, Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey said on Thursday. In case of other essential food commodities, he said retail prices of rice and wheat are "very stable", while prices of pulses have stabilized. Retail prices of vegetables, especially onion, potato and tomato have also come down. "The prospective predictions of the crop of all the major essential vegetables which are consumed in every household indicates that the situation is going to be stable. And we don't expect any major hike in prices of these vegetables," Pandey said in a media briefing. In the case of edible oils, the Secretary said when the country is dependent for almost 60 per cent of its edible oil requirement on imports, then the domestic prices naturally are influenced by the international prices. EconomicTimes |
India - Mega palm seedling nursery and plan coming up in Khammam
Khammam: Efforts are on to set up another palm oil factory in Kunchaparthy in Vemsoor mandal. and a mega palm oil nursery at Lankapalli in Sattupalli mandal. It will be the third oil palm factory in the erstwhile Khammam district after the ones at Apparaopet in Dammapet and Aswaraopet. Though there is huge demand for edible oil, the government is unable to supply palm oil saplings to farmers interested in taking up the crop. The making of palm seedlings is a time-taking exercise and the nurseries in the district are unable to produce them to meet the demand. The government is importing palm seedlings from Indonesia, Thailand and Mexico. It became a time-taking process to shift the seedlings from these countries through ships. The farmers came forward to raise palm oil after the government conducted awareness programmes to shift them to alternative crops from paddy. The escalating prices of palm oil prices drew the attention of peasants. DeccanChronicle |
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US - Sustainable Aviation Fuel has Several High Hurdles
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack frequently mentions the growth potential for SAF. He says the industry can expect a 35-billion-gallon demand. But a Los Angeles Times article today notes several hurdles for the fledgling industry. While airlines say recycled grease could help end emissions by 2050, they ask, “Is there enough?” Earlier this month, the article notes, “a United Airlines flight from Chicago to Washington made a bit of aviation history, completing a 600-mile trip that the airline hopes will prove the first leg of a journey to a greener future.” Reaching the goal of eliminating aviation emissions — responsible for 3% to 4% of the world’s carbon emissions — won’t be easy. Some reasons, according to the article:
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Japan's biofuels focus pivots to SAF: USDA
Japan is focusing on commercialising domestically produced sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as its main transport biofuels strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Japan's trade and industry ministry (Meti) plans to use its ¥2 trillion ($17.4 bn) Green Innovation Fund to support research, development and commercialisation of environmentally innovative projects including developing e-fuels and SAF over the next 10 years, according to a report by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Meti this year has provided ¥5.58bn for bio-jet fuel technology research and development projects carried out by the state-controlled New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation. Japan currently does not commercially produce or consume any advanced biofuels, including SAF. Although there is currently no SAF mandate for either domestic or international flights, domestic airline ANA voluntarily used SAF produced by Finland-based refiner Neste for outbound flights in October 2020. ArgusMedia |
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ANALYSIS - What can world leaders do to make COP26 deforestation pledge a success?
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 29 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Global leaders who have pledged to halt deforestation by 2030 must move quickly to strengthen forest protection laws, line up funding, and include indigenous people in conservation efforts to have the best chance of success, environmentalists said. More than 100 leaders last month agreed to halt and reverse deforestation and land degradation by the end of the decade, underpinned by $19 billion in public and private funds to invest in protecting and restoring forests. The commitment - made at the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow and backed by forest-rich countries such as Brazil, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo - covers forests totalling more than 13 million square miles (33.7 million sq km). Fran Raymond Price, global forest practice lead at environmental group WWF International, said there was an urgent need to see the Glasgow forest declaration turned into meaningful action. "The political will demonstrated by the governments who signed this commitment is a welcome first step," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Trust |
India - Oil palm cultivation: Tomar assures all support to Telangana
Hyderabad: Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said Telangana has been in the forefront of oil palm cultivation and exuded confidence that the State would emerge as the leader in cultivation of the crop in the country in the coming years. Addressing the business summit on National Mission on Edible Oils- Oil Palm here on Tuesday, the Union Minister assured that the Centre would extend all support to States including Telangana on oil palm cultivation. He said the national mission was launched with the objective of increasing domestic production and reduce import of oils, besides ensuring increased income for farmers Efforts are on to increase investments in seed availability, technical support and setting up of procurement centres. Targets have been set to achieve cultivation of oil palm in 26 lakh hectares across the country by 2029- 30, he said. “State Agriculture Minister Niranjan Reddy has made a few appeals to the Centre, I assure that all support will be extended to Telangana,” Tomar said. TelanganaToday |
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India - Telangana as an emerging leader in oil palm production: Narendra Singh Tomar
The National Mission on Edible Oil- Oil Palm Business Summit for states other than North Eastern States was inaugurated in Hyderabad today by the Union Minister of Agriculture Shri Narendra Singh Tomar. Aimingto give wide spread information on newly launched centrally sponsored scheme on edible oils, the Government is organizing business summits across the country.This is the second such summit of the Mission, the first was held in Guwahati for North Eastern states in early October this year. Addressing the Business Summit, the Union Agriculture Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar assured all the state governments that there will be no shortage of resources for the successful implementation of the National Mission on Edible Oil – Oil Palm. Shri Tomar said that under the leadership of PM Shri Narendra Modi, the Government wants to make India self-reliant in the field of palm oil. "Currently about 3 lakh hectares of land is under palm oil cultivation while studies have shown that about 28 lakh hectares of land is suitable for the oil palm cultivation in the country. It is our mission to bring 28-lakh hectares of land under cultivation to make India Aatmanirbhar in edible oil", said Shri Tomar. DevDiscourse |
India - Breather for consumers as edible oil brands slash prices
New Delhi: Major edible oil companies, including Adani Wilmar and Ruchi Soya, have reduced the maximum retail price (MRP) of their products by 10-15 per cent to provide relief to consumers, industry body SEA said on Monday. The prices have been reduced by Adani Wilmar (on Fortune brands), Ruchi Soya (Mahakosh, Sunrich, Ruchi Gold and Nutrella brands), Emami (Healthy & Tasty brands), Bunge (Dalda, Gagan, Chambal brands) and Gemini (Freedom sunflower oil brands), it said. COFCO (Nutrilive brands), Frigorifico Allana (Sunny brands), Gokul Agro (Vitalife, Mahek and Zaika brands) and others have also reduced prices, it added. "We are happy to share that our leading members have responded proactively and reduced price on edible oils marketed by them, across the board by 10-15 per cent to provide relief to consumers during the festival season," Solvent Extractors Association of India (SEA) said in a statement. TheHansIndia |
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India - Oil palm to be raised in 67,000 acres in Telangana's Kamareddy district
NIZAMABAD: In line with the Centre's National Food Security Mission for Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NFSM-OOP), which aims to increase oil palm cultivation across the country, the horticulture and agriculture departments of Telangana have set the ball rolling by initiating measures to achieve the desired goals. These departments have chalked out plans to encourage farmers and to ensure the oil palm cultivation is taken up in 67,000 acres in Kamareddy district in the next six years. The government departments have been entrusted with the responsibility of implementing this programme across the country, which has been divided into different clusters, by roping in the services of private sector organisations. In Kamareddy, Vishwa Agrotech will be helping the State horticulture and agriculture departments. NewIndianExpress |
Malaysia’s 2021 biodiesel output, exports to fall: USDA
Record-high crude palm oil (CPO) prices are likely to cut Malaysian biodiesel output and exports by 16pc and 23.5pc respectively in 2021, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said. The USDA Malaysian Foreign Agricultural Service forecasts the country will produce just 1.05bn l of biodiesel this year, while exports will drop to 315mn l. CPO prices have been well above historical averages throughout this year. This has kept the palm oil-gasoil spread wide, wiping out demand from discretionary blending in China while making it more attractive to export CPO than blend it domestically for biodiesel. Only 966,000t of CPO will be used as feedstock for biodiesel production in 2021, according to the USDA, down by 16pc from 2020 and the lowest level since 2017. ArgusMedia |
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Malaysia - Five active import bans on Malaysian entities by US customs remain in force
KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 24): There are five active import bans on Malaysian entities by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as at Dec 24, 2021. The group of banned entities with the status listed as “active” is displayed on the CBP’s website. Other statuses are “partially active” and “inactive". Several Malaysian manufacturers and companies have come under intense scrutiny by labour and human rights watchdogs for alleged foreign worker abuse and forced labour issues. The bans involve three instances each of disposable gloves and two pertaining palm oil and palm oil products. GlovesThe firms listed in this category are: Maxter Glove Manufacturing Sdn Bhd, Maxwell Glove Manufacturing Bhd and Supermax Glove Manufacturing; Smart Glove; Brightway Holdings Sdn Bhd; and Brightway Holdings Sdn Bhd, Laglove (M) Sdn Bhd and Biopro (M) Sdn Bhd (collectively Brightway Group). Palm oilAffected under this list are Sime Darby Plantation Bhd and its subsidiaries and joint ventures as well as FGV Holdings Bhd and its subsidiaries and joint ventures. The CBP said the actions were taken based on "information that reasonably indicates the use of forced labour in that entity's manufacturing operations". TheEdgeMarkets |
Indonesia saves $4.54 billion in foreign exchange by using biofuel
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The utilization of 30 percent biodiesel (B30) in 2021 helped Indonesia save US$4.54 billion in foreign exchange or equivalent to Rp64.6 trillion, the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry has informed. Director of downstream oil and gas business development at the ministry, Soerjaningsih, said oil fuel business entities (BU BBM) absorbed 97.89 percent of the allocated 9.21 million kiloliters of B30. "In addition, the compliance of BU BBM is getting better as they have distributed B30 by 94.17 percent of the total distribution of diesel fuel," she informed in a written statement here on Thursday. It is hoped that the utilization of B30 in 2022 will run smoothly and its percentage utilization and distribution will increase, she added. The government has determined that 18 BU BBM will be allocated 10.151 million kiloliters of B30 in 2022, she noted. Meanwhile, assistant deputy for oil and gas, mining, and petrochemicals at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, Andi Novianto, said that President Joko Widodo is committed to using environmentally friendly energy. AntaraNews |
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Nepal - Country records 63pc rise in foreign trade
KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 23. Country's foreign trade has increased by 63 percent in the first five months of the current fiscal (mid-July to mid-December) compared to the corresponding period of last fiscal year (2020-21), The country witnessed the foreign trade worth Rs 575.55 billion in the first five months of the last fiscal year and the figure rose to Rs 941.33 billion this year.The latest data issued by the Department of Customs show that the import business also increased by 59.55 per cent this year compared to the previous year. The import in the five months of the last year was calculated at Rs 525.50 billion and it has jumped to Rs 838.41 billion till mid-December of the current fiscal. Likewise, the export surged by 105.61 per cent during the review period. Nepal's export business was worth Rs 50.05 billion till mid-December last year and it reached 102.92 billion in the corresponding period this year.According to the department, despite the data suggesting a rise in export, the country's trade deficit has further ballooned this year compared to the last year.This is because the export growth was far outpaced by the increase in imports. The nation recorded a 54.7 per cent rise in trade deficit to Rs 735.49 billion in the first five months of the current fiscal year.It was Rs 475.44 billion in the corresponding period of last year. The contribution of import in the country's total foreign trade in the first five months of the last fiscal year was 91.3 per cent and it went down by 2.45 percentage points during the same period of the current fiscal year to stand at 98.07 per cent. TheHimalayanTimes |
Indonesia Backs Out of Sukhoi Deal for US, French Warplanes
Indonesia has backed out of an agreement to purchase Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighters, narrowing its choices down to American F-15s and French-made Rafale warplanes, air force chief Fadjar Prasetyo announced Wednesday. The decision was made following recent visits to Jakarta by French and Russian defense officials. Prasetyo revealed that the southeast Asian nation is no longer interested in the Sukhoi warplanes because of a “protracted” acquisition process and fear of US sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. “Regarding the Sukhoi Su-35, with a heavy heart, yes, we have abandoned that plan,” Fadjar said, as quoted by Eurasia Review. “We can’t just keep talking about it.” Despite Indonesia’s decision to scrap the deal, a Russian envoy to Jakarta insisted that the acquisition agreement “is not dead.” Purchase of US and French Warplanes Fadjar did not provide specific details about Indonesia’s potential purchase of US and French combat jets. Still, he disclosed that a team associated with Boeing’s F-15s has assured him that the air force would receive the first units in 2027 if the agreement is signed this year. In February, Asia Times reported that Indonesia would buy eight US-made aircraft and 36 French-made fighters to bolster Indonesia’s front-line air defenses. TheDefensePost |
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US - DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AWARDS $5M GRANT TO COMBAT FORCED LABOR, CHILD LABOR ABUSES IN MALAYSIA’S PALM OIL, GARMENT INDUSTRIES
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of a $5 million cooperative agreement to Social Accountability International to prevent and reduce forced labor and child labor abuses in the Malaysian palm oil and garment industries. Administered by the Bureau of International Labor Affairs, the funding will support a project working with trade unions, civil organizations, migrant worker community leaders, government labor inspectors and recruitment agencies to raise awareness of the root causes of forced labor and child labor abuses in these industries in Malaysia. The project will also aim to prevent, identify and redress abusive practices. The world’s second largest palm oil producer, Malaysia exports much of its palm oil for use in consumer products, ranging from cookies and crackers to soap and laundry detergent. The output comes at a high cost at some plantations that force adults into debt bondage and children to work illegally. At others, workers suffer exposure to toxic chemicals during production. DOLGOV |
Malaysia - Analysis: Malaysia's labour abuse allegations a risk to export growth model
Malaysia's government and companies must address mounting allegations of workplace abuse of migrant labourers who fuel the country's economy, or face risks to its export-reliant growth model, experts warn. Malaysia has for decades banked on migrant workers to power mainstay manufacturing and agriculture, becoming an integral part of the global supply chain for products as diverse as semiconductors, iPhone components, medical gloves and palm oil. But as the reliance on foreign labour has increased, so have complaints of abusive working and living conditions for workers, who come mainly from Indonesia, Bangladesh and Nepal. Southeast Asia's third-biggest economy must reform its labour laws and improve enforcement, while companies should invest to ensure better conditions, said 11 analysts, ratings agencies, researchers, corporate consultants and activists interviewed by Reuters. |
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Indonesia to increase biodiesel efforts to meet green energy targets, official says
The bio-content of Indonesia’s palm oil-based biodiesel will need to be increased to 40% by 2024 to meet the country’s renewable energy targets, Reuters reported a senior official as saying on 1 December. Indonesia currently has a mandatory biodiesel programme with 30% palm oil content known as B30. However, plans to increase the palm content to 40% by 2021 were delayed due to cheaper fuel costs and record high palm prices, Reuters wrote. “The use of (only) B30 will not achieve the [National Energy Plan] RUEN target for 2025,” Dadan Kusdiana, the director general of the country's energy ministry, told a virtual conference. RUEN is Indonesia’s energy transition roadmap and the country is aiming to increase renewable energy use to 23% of total energy consumption by 2025. “The ministry will prepare a B40 blending mandatory regulation to ensure investment certainty,” Kusdiana said, adding that more studies and road tests were required. Indonesia's energy ministry also said it would increase its 2021 biodiesel allocation to meet higher demand for fuel. OFIMagazine |
India - Oil palm plantation by preserving, not damaging environment: Arunachal
New Delhi/Itanagar, Dec 20 (IANS): A day ahead of a national workshop on oil palm cultivation in the northeast, Arunachal Pradesh said that it will recommend taking up its cultivation in the state while preserving its environment. The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, in collaboration with the Arunachal Pradesh government, has planned a the national workshop on oil palm at Itanagar on Tuesday. "It has been made categorically clear that the plantation work will not be done by damaging the standing forests as are being done in Southeast Asian countries. The proposed workshop will recommend taking up of oil palm cultivation in the northeast, including Arunachal Pradesh, by preserving its environment," state Agriculture Secretary, Bidol Tayeng, said In Arunachal Pradesh, an area of 1.33 lakh Ha is available for taking up oil palm cultivation. The areas are mostly located in the foot-hill districts of Tirap, Changlang, Namsai, Lohit, Lower Dibang Valley, East Siang, Lower Siang, Papum Pare, Pakke Kessang and Kamle. About 4,000 Ha of land are already under oil palm cultivation in the state. DaijiWorld |
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India - Govt cuts import duty on refined palm oil to 12.5%
The government on Monday cut the basic customs duty on refined palm oil to 12.5 per cent from 17.5 per cent as part of efforts to increase domestic supplies and bring down the retail prices of the cooking oil. The revised Basic Customs Duty (BCD) will be effective till the end of March 2022. The latest move also comes on a day when the government decided to allow traders to import refined palm oil without licence for one more year till December 2022 and markets regulator banned launch of new derivative contracts of crude palm oil and a few other agricultural commodities. All these measures have been put in place at a time when inflation is ruling high. BusinessStandard |
India allows refined palm oil imports until Dec 2022
MUMBAI, Dec 21 (Reuters) - India on Monday allowed imports of refined palm oil until December 2022, the government said in a notification, as the world's biggest vegetable oil buyer tries to bring down edible oil prices. The move could reduce India's crude palm oil (CPO) imports, with buyers shifting to refined palm oil as exporting countries such as Indonesia levy higher taxes on CPO shipments than refined palm oil. The Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry issued a notification on Monday saying imports of refined palm oil would be allowed until Dec. 31, 2022. Indian buyers could import 1.5 million tonnes of refined palm oil and 7 million tonnes of CPO in the 2021/22 marketing year that started on Nov. 1, said Sandeep Bajoria, chief executive of Sunvin Group, a vegetable oil brokerage and consultancy firm. India fulfils more than two-thirds of edible oil demand through imports, and palm oil accounts for more than 60% of the total imports. Reuters |
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India - India suspends futures trading of CPO, soybean oil, other agricultural commodities
The Securities and Exchange Board of India has directed local stock exchanges to suspend trading of seven agricultural commodities, including crude palm oil and soybean oil, with immediate effect for one year, according to a release on the markets regulator's website on Dec. 20. The commodities impacted were crude palm oil, soybean and its derivatives, paddy (non-basmati), wheat, chana, or chickpeas, mustard seeds and its derivatives, and moong, or green gram, according to SEBI. Traders will be allowed to square off their positions, but new trades cannot be executed. "The decision to ban trading in these futures contracts are expected to help cool prices, especially of edible oils and the oil complex," an official with India's Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, told S&P Global Platts on Dec. 20. SPGlobal |
India - SEBI bans derivative trading in slew of agriculture commodities
This will come into force with immediate effect In a major blow, the capital and commodity market regulator SEBI has banned futures and options trading in host of agriculture commodities including chana, mustardseed, soya bean and its derivatives, crude palm oil, moong, paddy (Basmati) and wheat for a period of one year. The ban would come into effect from Monday, said SEBI Following this, MCX has banned fresh position on crude palm oil and allowed only squaring-off in the December contracts. NCDEX in a statement said no fresh positions (including intra-day) will be allowed in respect of Futures and Options contracts of Wheat, Chana, Rapeseed – Mustard Seed, Soybean, Refined Soy Oil, Soybean Meal, Crude Palm Oil, moong and NCDEX Soydex listed on the Exchange with effect Monday. Only squaring up of existing positions will be allowed and no new Futures and Options contracts will be launched till further notice in any of these commodities, it added. TheHinduBusinessLine |
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Malaysia - Satellite imagery can put an end to baseless claims of deforestation
A company called Planet operates the world's largest constellation of optical earth observation satellites, capturing more than 10 times imagery than all other providers combined, with an extensive near-daily archive of every location on earth. Planet's unique global scanning system captures the Earth's entire land mass on a near-daily basis at medium resolution. In addition, Planet offers a rapid revisit high-resolution capability, which offers 0.50m resolution between two and five revisits per day. Malaysia has also been the subject of much international criticism on deforestation. This is even though the country has been maintaining forest cover at more than 50 per cent. Oil palm cultivation has been singled out as the culprit in the cutting down of forests. As the palm oil industry shows more evidence of the untruth in such claims, the criticism has been much less. Instead, the attention is now turned to Indonesia and, to some extent, Cambodia. NewStraitsTimes |
Korea - HMM's container ship makes successful trial voyage using bio-heavy fuel
SEOUL -- A container ship run by HMM, a major shipping company in South Korea, has made a successful trial voyage using marine bio-heavy fuel. It was South Korea's first demonstration of applying bio-heavy oil used in domestic power plants to a ship as a fossil fuel substitute. During a 10-day trial voyage that began on December 1 from South Korea's southern port city of Busan to the Panama Canal, HMM said the 13,000-TEU HMM Dream tested a diesel generator powered by bio heavy fuel and obtained successful results. The twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) is an inexact unit of cargo capacity often used to describe the capacity of container ships. It was South Korea's first demonstration of applying bio-heavy oil used in domestic power plants to ships. "The successful outcome of this demonstration will play a crucial role in speed up the commercialization of bio-heavy oil for ships in the future," an unnamed HMM official was quoted as saying. AjuDaily |
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India - Hindustan Unilever swaps coal for biomass and biodiesel
Leading Indian consumer goods company Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) has replaced coal use in its operations with biomass and biodiesel, the company announced on 2 December. As part of the move, HUL said it had been working with biomass suppliers and local farmers to maintain a sustainable supply of alternative fuel and had made the necessary changes for the renewable transition in its coal-fired boilers. “This is a milestone achievement in… our commitment towards achieving zero emissions in our operations by 2030,” HUL chairman and managing director Sanjiv Mehta said. HUL said the shift from coal to renewable energy had also led to financial savings for the company. OFIMagazine |
Effects of demand-side restrictions on high-deforestation palm oil in Europe on deforestation and emissions in Indonesia
(Study) Demand-side restrictions on high-deforestation commodities are expanding as a climate policy, but their impact on reducing tropical deforestation and emissions has yet to be quantified. Impacts of a ban are small because: 52% of Europe's imports of high-deforestation palm oil would have shifted to non-participating countries; the price elasticity of supply of high-deforestation oil palm cropland is small (0.13); and conversion to oil palm was responsible for only 32% of deforestation in Indonesia. If demand-side restrictions succeed in substantially reducing deforestation, it is likely to be through non-price pathways. IOPScience |
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Indonesia - Musim Mas Supports Over 1,200 Independent Smallholders to Gain Certification Under the New ISPO 2020 Standard- Minister of Agriculture Decree No.38
MEDAN, Indonesia, December 17, 2021 /3BL Media/ - More than 1,200 independent smallholder farmers from Musim Mas’ Smallholders Program have become the first in Indonesia to be certified under the Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) Minister of Agriculture Decree No.38 of 2020 (ISPO 38/2020) standard. These smallholders’ estates collectively cover over 2,700 hectares of land, representing more than 20% of the total 12,600 hectare of ISPO-certified land under the new regulation. This represents the largest group of independent smallholders to gain certification under the new standard. The smallholders are part of three farmers associations - Asosiasi Pekebun Swadaya Kelapa Sawit Labuhanbatu (APSKS LB), Perkumpulan Pekebun Swadaya Kelapa Sawit Rokan Hulu (PPSKS Rohul) and Asosiasi Pekebun Swadaya Kelapa Sawit Pelalawan Siak (APSKS PS), located across North Sumatra and Riau provinces. Musim Mas plays a facilitator role in the farmers associations. Established in 2011, the Indonesian ISPO standard ensures that Indonesian palm oil products can access the global markets and support the achievement of Indonesia’s smallholder commitments. Certification also benefits farmers by encouraging sustainable practices, ensuring the legality of owned land, and compliance with local laws and regulations. Since then, the certification scheme has been enhanced through the Ministry of Agriculture Decree No.11 of 2015 and more recently with Decree No.38 of 2020 (ISPO 38/2020), which aims to expand certified areas and continually improve the quality of certification. YahooFinance |
The first flight in Malaysia to use Sustainable Aviation Fuel from Neste
Neste (HEL: NESTE), the world’s leading provider of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel and the 4th most sustainable company in the world, has announced that its sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) has been used by Malaysia Airlines, the national carrier of Malaysia, on inaugural flight. PETRONAS, Malaysia’s fully integrated oil and gas company, and Neste collaborate with the airline to mark a major milestone in Malaysia’s aviation industry. The flight represents a major step for the Malaysia Airlines’ commitment to make SAF the cleaner and more viable energy option for regular flights by 2025. The historic flight MH7979 utilizing the Airbus 330-200 aircraft departed Amsterdam Airport Schiphol at 12:55 pm local time using a blend mixture of approximately 38% SAF made e.g. from used cooking oil, and conventional jet fuel, and arrived in Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 09.00 am local time. This successful operation was a result of the supply deal between PETCO Trading (UK) Ltd, which is PETRONAS’ marketing and trading arm in Europe, and Neste, the world’s leading producer of renewable diesel and SAF refined from waste and residues. EuropaWire |
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EU Publishes Draft Legislation to Address Imports of Commodities Linked to Deforestation and Forest Degradation
On 17 November 2021 the EU published a draft Regulation seeking to introduce new due diligence requirements aimed at tackling deforestation and forest degradation (see press release here). As set out in the proposal, deforestation and forest degradation impacts climate change and the loss of biodiversity and, as a consumer of commodities connected with this issue, the EU contributes to the problem. The proposal forms part of the EU Green Deal initiative and is intended to complement the EU’s Sustainable Corporate Governance initiative, under which horizontal due diligence requirements are expected in respect of adverse human rights and environmental impacts in businesses’ value chains more generally. See previous client alerts on this topic here and here. The aim of the proposal is to “minimise consumption of products coming from supply chains associated with deforestation or forest degradation and increase EU demand for and trade in legal and ‘deforestation free’ commodities and products”. The draft legislation notes that the main driver of deforestation and forest degradation is the expansion of agricultural land to produce commodities such as cattle, wood, palm oil, soy, cocoa and coffee. GlobalComplianceNews |
Global - HVO capacity growth to test feedstock supply
Decarbonisation pledges have increased during a landmark year for global climate diplomacy with the UN's Cop 26 climate conference, with investment in biofuels positioned centre stage of many transition plans. Asia-Pacific in 2022 will see an intensifying scramble to buttress feedstock supply chains ahead of several hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) capacity additions the following year, although shifting regulations may constrict supplies. Shell has announced plans for a 550,000 t/yr HVO and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant as part of its rebranded Pulau Bukom site in Singapore. The facility, if the investment is finalised, will join a host of others in the vicinity vying for regional waste feedstocks. The plant will share a gateway with HVO indicator Finnish biofuels refiner Neste, which is on track to double its Singapore capacity to 2.6mn t/yr in the first quarter of 2023. South Korean biodiesel producer Dansuk is seeking a partner to invest in a second 300,000 t/yr domestic HVO and SAF plant in Gusan, on top of a similar 300,000 t/yr Daesan project already under way for a 2025 start-up. ArgusMedia |
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Singapore - Traceability essential to ensuring sustainable palm oil production at scale
Achieving 95% traceability to the plantation key to Golden Agri-Resources' efforts to support a sustainable palm oil industry SINGAPORE, Dec. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- After four (4) years of investment, and despite the constraints imposed by the global pandemic, Golden Agri-Resources (GAR) has achieved 95 percent traceability to the plantation for its entire supply chain. The company's commitment to a fully traceable supply chain is based on its belief that traceability – knowing its supply chain – creates the necessary foundation to support industry level adoption of sustainable production practices. "Traceability helps us to build stronger relationships and trust with suppliers. The information traceability provides also enables us to scale up and be realistically ambitious in our interventions, especially with smallholders," said Anita Neville, Chief Sustainability and Communications, GAR, in the Company's online panel discussion themed Leading to Sustainable Palm Oil Industry through Supply Chain Transformation. YahooFinance |
Korea - SK Group makes strategic investment in U.S. waste-to-fuel specialist Fulcrum
SEOUL -- SK Inc., the strategic investment arm of South Korea's third-largest conglomerate SK Group, teamed up with a domestic private equity fund to jointly invest $50 million in Fulcrum Bioenergy, a U.S. waste-to-fuel specialist that converts household garbage into low-carbon transportation fuels, including jet fuel, diesel, and ethanol. Fulcrum has built a commercial-scale facility that will convert household waste into sustainable aviation fuel, renewable diesel and renewable gasoline in Reno, Nevada. The investment comes on the heels of SK Inc.'s efforts to expand investments in green businesses and technologies to achieve its goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. "Fulcrum’s novel process of biofuel production can make a meaningful contribution to tackling environmental challenges by significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and addressing landfill capacity shortages," SK Inc.'s executive vice president Kim Moo-hwan said in a statement on December 16. AjuDaily |
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India - Govt pushes for Palm oil plantation in Mahabubnagar
Mahabubanagar: Giving a big boost to the Horticulture sector across Palamuru region, the district administrations in all the 5 districts of erstwhile Mahabubanagar district are giving wide publicity and taking all necessary measures to promote the Palm oil plantation among the farmers. As part of this, district Collector S Venkat Rao held a meeting with the representatives of Pre Unique India Limited (PUIL) and sought necessary suggestions and guidance from them to make the Palm oil plantation programme a big success in the district. According to the Collector, an action plan is being prepared to plant Palm oil plantation over an extent of 2,163 acres in the district for which about 446 interested farmers have been selected for providing proper training and guidance. "As per the government's directions, the district administration has decided to promote the Palm oil plantation in the district in a big way. Already about 446 farmers have been selected for taking up Palm oil plantation over an extent of 2,163 acres in the district. We have also selected about 36 interested farmers for visiting Palm oil plantation in Aswaraopet in Bhadradri- Kottaguden district. These farmers will be given an exposure on the Palm oil plantation programme and its advantages and gains. These farmers will gain awareness by visiting the Palm oil plantation at field level and understand the pros and cons and accordingly they can also implement the suggestions and ideas in Palm oil plantation practice in the district," observed the district Collector S Venkat Rao. TheHansIndia |
Malaysia palm oil growers group pledges to abolish forced labour
THE Malaysian Palm Oil Association (MPOA) launched a charter that outlines its members’ commitments to respect labour rights, adopt responsible recruitment practices and provide good working and living conditions for workers, the growers’ group said yesterday. The “Responsible Employment Charter” is based on international guidelines on human and workers’ rights outlined by the United Nations, International Labour Organisation and International Recruitment Integrity System. Commitments outlined in the charter includes elimination of all forms of forced labour and child labour, facilitate communication between workers and national worker organisations. “Compliance with Malaysian labour laws including those relating to worker housing and living conditions, gender discrimination and sexual harassment, compliance with Malaysian sustainable palm oil certification criteria related to labour rights and practices, prohibition of recruitment fees to job seekers and respect for freedom of movement and no retention of personal documents,” the charter noted. Growers will “ensure clear visibility of labour rights risk” throughout their operations and commit to remedy any infringement by taking corrective action that is transparent. MPOA has over 120 members that make up 1.8 million ha of planted land in Malaysia, the world’s second-biggest oil palm producer. TheMalaysianReserve |
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Malaysia - Nestle Malaysia, SD Plantation to ramp up reforestration efforts
KUALA LUMPUR: Nestlé (Malaysia) Bhd has partnered with Sime Darby Plantation Bhd (SD Plantation) to ramp up reforestation efforts to plant three million trees in Malaysia by 2023 via Project RELeaf. In a statement today, Nestle Malaysia said it had inked a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with Sd Plantation, the world's largest producer of certified sustainable palm oil. Under the MOA, over one million trees are slated to be planted across 1,200 hectares of riparian zones and steep slope areas within SD Plantation's oil palm operation areas. Project RELeaf was launched in 2020 by Nestlé Malaysia, which aimed at restoring riparian and forest ecosystems across the Kinabatangan Wetlands and Merisuli Forest Restoration Areas in Sabah. The project was also help to restore forest reserves along the Central Forest Spine in Peninsular Malaysia. The initiative was also part of Nestlé's global efforts to fight climate change and reduce the company's carbon footprint. Through the MoA, Nestlé Malaysia said the company would produce and supply over one million seedlings and conducting planting activities at the sites. Planting sites will be located at selected SD Plantation estates in both Peninsular Malaysia as well as Sabah and Sarawak. NewStraitsTimes |
New Zealand - Calls to include aviation in biofuel mandate this week
New Zealand forestry waste is the bright hope of biofuels, as the heat goes on overseas use of corn and palm oil crops Sami Jauhiainen flew 9,270km from Helsinki to Singapore this weekend. The renewable aviation vice president for Neste, the world's biggest renewable fuels company, is relocating to the tropics next month to expand the company's plant there to meet surging global demand for sustainable aviation fuel. He's also responsible for growing the company's market in countries including New Zealand, which will this week announce a requirement that a growing proportion of biofuel be blended into the country's road fuels, but not its jet fuel. Neste is one of Finland's biggest businesses but, ironically, its home country is lagging in setting in place a biofuel mandate for planes fuelling up at its airports. Jauhiainen says it was probably 100 percent traditional jet fuel in the tanks of the Finnair jet that carried him to Singapore. So Neste has begun providing hundreds of tonnes of its sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to big airlines, to cover the emissions from its employees' business travel. "Because it is very important to do as you preach," he says, "we are calculating our carbon footprint and then every year, we are making deliveries to certain airlines." NewsroomNZ |
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World Grains Focus on Indonesia
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, US – Indonesia is entirely dependent on imports of raw material to satisfy its growing consumption of wheat-based products and keep its growing flour milling sector supplied. In its September Grain Market Report, the International Grains Council (IGC) put Indonesia’s total 2021-22 grains production (not including rice) at 12.4 million tonnes, a figure unchanged from its estimate of a month earlier. It put 2020-21 grains output at 11.8 million tonnes. The figure consists entirely of corn in both cases. The Council forecasts Indonesia’s total grains imports, not including rice, in 2021-22 at 11.2 million tonnes, down from 11.7 million the year before. The figure includes 10.4 million tonnes of wheat, down from 10.6 million in 2020-21. WorldGrain |
Ecuador - OPINION: Look to Ecuador – not just Glasgow – to protect tropical forests
While delegates and lawmakers from around the world converged on Glasgow for COP26, I chose instead to head to Ecuador, where I spent a week working on sustainable solutions to the deforestation problem in the tropics. In Ecuador, where 75% of land area is natural forests and the biggest exports are agriculture related, the country is ripe for the carbon markets. They just need the right support. The irony is that while we attempted to solve the climate crisis in Glasgow, it can’t be done without the buy-in and the work of smallholder farmers whose land is key to achieving the net zero outcomes we’re all chasing. Trust |
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Keep your exports close: Why palm oil sector should not neglect ASEAN as it seeks to diversify exports
The palm oil sector needs to prioritise growth in South East Asian countries alongside its efforts to diversify export destinations, with one industry expert predicting that regional demand will boom in the near future. FoodNavigator Pakistan - The unchecked surge in Pakistan’s import bill
KARACHI: The rising import bill is the most important economic issue in the country right now as it adversely impacts the current account deficit. The spillover effect of widening current account deficit is weaker currency which leads to rise in inflationary pressures. The resulting price hikes have become the talk of streets these days. These pressures may decide the choice for the corridors of power in the next election. So let’s look at this issue closely and try to understand what we can and cannot do about this. The total imports of Pakistan increased to $23,484 million during July-October FY22 against $14,119 million in July-October FY21. This reflects an absolute increase of $9,365 million and translates into 66% rise in imports on free on board (FOB) basis. The largest contribution, of almost 29%, in this increase came from the petroleum group. Imports of items belonging to this group increased from $2,744 million in July-October 2020 to $5,475 million in July-October 2021, a meteoric rise of almost 100%. TribunePK |
Malaysia views anti palm oil campaigns as detrimental to trade relations
PUTRAJAYA: As a country committed to enhancing trade liberalisation through a multilateral trading system centred on the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Malaysia viewed anti-palm oil campaigns and resolutions as damaging to trade relations and contradictory to the principles of free trade. Speaking at the Asean-G7 meeting held in conjunction with the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers’ Meetings on Sunday, Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah (pix) emphasised that Malaysia has maintained 55.3 per cent of its land area under forest cover, which exceeds Malaysia’s commitment at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. During the meeting that was held in hybrid form, Saifuddin also encouraged cooperation on climate change between Asean and the G7 to support the implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and Paris Agreement, in accordance with the principles of equity, and “common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.” Foreign Ministry (Wisma Putra) said in a statement regarding the meeting, here on Monday, the Asean-G7 meeting was the first engagement between Asean and the G7, which comprised of the United Kingdom (current Chair of G7), Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States. Various issues of mutual interest were discussed during the meeting including trade and investment, digital technology, cyber security, sustainable infrastructure development, public health and regional security. TheSunDaily |
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Malaysia, Chinese firm sign deal on 2nd-generation biodiesel, biojet fuel
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Malaysia and China's state-owned Shanxi Construction Investment Group on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the production of second-generation biodiesel and biojet fuel. Shanxi Construction plans to invest in a hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) plant, also known as second-generation biofuel, in Malaysia's southern state of Johor, Malaysia's Commodities Ministry said. "The HVO plant has the potential to produce Sustainable Aviation Fuels which is also known commonly as biojet fuels," the ministry said, adding there was increasing demand for HVO including from Europe. Each HVO plant is expected to bring foreign investment worth 3 billion ringgit ($712.25 million) and create nearly 800 jobs, it said. Reuters |
Malaysia - Ministry teams up with palm oil think tank to present thorough case to EU
KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 9): The Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities is engaging with a think tank in the palm oil industry to present a thorough case to the European Union (EU) in January next year to address the anti-palm oil campaign and forced labour allegations. Minister Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin has stressed that she wants to present the case from the scientific point of view that palm oil is a productive commodity and does not harm the environment. “Palm oil is the highest oil-yielding crop globally and a crop and industry that supports 650,000 smallholders and over two million people who rely on the oil palm industry as their source of work,” she told Bernama at the launch of the Malaysian Oil Scientists and Technologists Association (MOSTA) e-platform recently. “It is both economically and environmentally sustainable, versatile and healthy,” she said. TheEdgeMarkets |
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Fuji Oil : Establishment of new company to expand vegetable oil business in North America
Fuji Oil Holdings Inc (Head office: Osaka, President: Mikio Sakai: hereinafter referred to as the "Fuji Oil Group") has reached an agreement with Fuji Specialties, Inc (Delaware, USA: hereinafter referred to as "FSI"), a consolidated subsidiary of the Company, and ITOCHU International Inc (Hereinafter referred to as "III"), a ITOCHU corporation (Head Office: Tokyo; President & COO: Keita Ishii: hereinafter "ITOCHU") group company headquartered in New York, to establish a new joint venture company, Fuji Oil International Inc (Hereinafter referred to as "FII") in March 2022 (planned), subject to certain conditions, including the completion of necessary procedures and actions under the Competition Law. The new company, FII, will leverage the strengths of both Fuji Oil Group and ITOCHU Group to expand sales channels, develop new customers and create synergies, and will work to increase its presence in the North American market. Fuji Vegetable Oil, Inc. (Hereinafter referred to as "FVO"), a subsidiary of FSI, has been developing, manufacturing, and selling oils and fats for confectionery and baking, using tropical fats such as palm oil and coconut oil as raw materials in North American markets. In response to the growing demand for non-trans fatty acid oils and fats. MarketScreener |
POSCO International sets up holding company in Singapore to bolster palm oil biz
SEOUL, Dec. 8 (Yonhap) -- POSCO International Corp., the trading arm of South Korean steel giant POSCO, said Wednesday it has set up a holding company in Singapore to further expand its palm oil business overseas. The holding firm, named AGPA, was established last month in the city state and process is under way to transfer to the holding company 85 percent of the stake it owns in the palm plantation in Indonesia, POSCO International said. It will complete the transfer by the end of this year and plans to push for new investments and business expansion from next year, the company added. The establishment of the Singapore-based holding firm came as POSCO International seeks to take advantage of the location as a financial and logistics hub where many international palm oil companies, like Wilmar International Ltd., are based, according to the company. YonhapNewsAgency |
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Cargill poised to eliminate trans fat from global edible oils portfolio
7 Dec 2021 --- Cargill plans to remove industrially-produced trans-fatty acids (iTFAs) from its entire global edible oils portfolio. This helps both Cargill and its customers comply with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended standard of a maximum of two grams of iTFA per 100 grams fats/oils by the end of 2023. Cargill estimates that it has already contributed to removing more than one billion pounds of iTFAs from consumers’ diets globally. Currently, approximately 89% of Cargill’s global edible oils portfolio meets WHO’s iTFA best practice. This new move to eliminate iTFAs will see Cargill reformulating its global portfolio and significantly investing in upgrades and processing changes at several oil manufacturing facilities. FoodIngredientsFirst |
Indonesian court delivers victory for Indigenous rights in Papua
An Indonesian court has delivered a landmark victory for Indigenous rights in a case that pitted West Papuan activists against several palm oil companies. The Jayapura Administrative Court in West Papua Province on Tuesday ruled in favour of a district head who had revoked permits allowing more than a dozen palm oil companies to operate in Indigenous forest areas and turn them into plantations. Johny Kamuru, head of Sorong Regency, cancelled the permits after Indigenous groups said they had not consented to the conversion of their ancestral lands into palm oil concessions and a review by the provincial government recommended they be revoked in February 2021. Three of the companies affected took legal action against Kamaru, including PT Papua Lestari Abadi and PT Sorong Agro Sawitindo, whose bid to have their permits reinstated was rejected by the court. AlJazeera |
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Malaysian palm oil sustainably produced, does not involve permanent forest reserves — ministry
KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 7): Malaysia remains committed to ensuring that oil palm plantations are operated in a sustainable manner, including measures such as banning them in permanent forest reserves and limiting the size of planted areas to 6.5 million hectares nationwide. Deputy Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister I Datuk Seri Dr Wee Jeck Seng said the regulations are aimed at ensuring the quality of palm oil and countering discrimination against the commodity by European countries. “We cannot allow oil palm plantations in permanent forest reserves. This is a condition under the Forestry Department and one of the conditions for Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification. The MSPO certificate is to ensure quality and the standard and can be used nationwide,” he told Parliament on Tuesday (Dec 7). TheEdgeMarkets |
Four countries set to join CPOPC as full members in May, says executive director
JAKARTA (Dec 5): Colombia, Ghana, Honduras, and Papua New Guinea are set to become full members of the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) by May next year amid growing claims that palm oil negatively impacts the environment. These countries will automatically become full members once they ratify the CPOPC Charter and the Protocol to Amend the Charter, according to CPOPC's executive director Tan Sri Dr Yusof Basiron. "I expect within six months they should be able to rectify," he told Bernama. He said the new members will strengthen the collective voice to protest about the European Union's unfair treatment of the industry. "By having them as members of CPOPC, the voice is bigger and, hopefully, more impactful," said Yusof, who was in Jakarta, Indonesia for the ninth Ministerial Meeting of CPOPC held on Saturday. TheEdgeMarkets |
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UK Govt is seeking consultations on due diligence requirements
Overview We are consulting on the implementation of world-leading due diligence provisions in the Environment Act to help tackle illegal deforestation in UK supply chains. The UK Government introduced these provisions in November 2020 following widespread support to our previous public consultation. The due diligence provisions will make it illegal for larger businesses operating in the UK to use key forest risk commodities produced on land illegally occupied or used. Businesses in scope will also be required to undertake a due diligence exercise on their supply chains and to report on this exercise annually. To ensure transparency, information about businesses' due diligence exercises will be published. Businesses in scope that do not comply with these requirements may be subject to fines and other civil sanctions. GOVUK |
German oil lobby seeks net zero CO2 emissions by 2045
FRANKFURT, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Germany's oil industry will aim for net zero carbon emissions by 2045, moving away from fossil fuel to low carbon products such as biofuels and renewable energy-derived hydrogen, the industry's lobby group en2x said on Wednesday. "At the end of the process the mineral oil industry will no longer be a mineral oil industry," Fabian Ziegler, chairman of en2x and chief executive of Shell Deutschland GmbH (RDSa.L), said at a virtual press conference. Oil from fossil fuel met 32% of German primary energy demand with the rest met by natural gas, coal, nuclear and renewable energies, data from industry group AGEB showed. read more The en2x target comes after ambitious plans presented last week by the incoming Berlin government to step up climate protection efforts entailing far-reaching reforms for the utility sector - which accounts for nearly a third of total carbon pollution - and across manufacturing industries, buildings, transport and agriculture. Reuters |
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Swiss commodity traders control 2.7 million hectares of land worldwide
Research by investigative non-profit Public Eye has revealed that trading companies with a Swiss presence – or their subsidiaries – own over 550 plantations covering over 2.7 million hectares. These companies buy and sell commodities like sugar, soy and palm oil from trading offices in Geneva or Zug and include big players like Cargill, LDC and ADM. The agricultural land they own is equivalent to six times the arable land available in Switzerland. More than half of the land controlled by Swiss traders is used for sugarcane production and a quarter for palm oil cultivation. Other important crops grown on these landholdings include citrus fruits, rubber, coffee, bananas and rice. Public Eye was not able to find any significant Swiss stake cocoa or cotton. The trading companies mentioned exercise control over agricultural land in a variety of ways. These include user rights, long-term leases or beneficial ownership depending on what the law of the land allows, and which form of ownership is more profitable. SwissInfo |
Indonesia to ramp up biodiesel efforts to meet green energy targets, official says
AKARTA, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Indonesia will need to increase the bio-content of its palm oil-based biodiesel to 40% by 2024 or risk missing its renewable energy targets, a senior official said on Wednesday. Indonesia has a mandatory biodiesel programme with 30% palm oil content known as B30. Longstanding plans to increase the palm content to 40% by 2021 were delayed due to cheaper fuel costs and record high palm prices. "The use of (only) B30 will not achieve the RUEN target for 2025," Dadan Kusdiana, the director general of the country's energy ministry, told a virtual conference. He was referring to Indonesia's goal to increase renewable energy use to 23% of its total energy consumption by 2025, which required biodiesel consumption of 13.9 kilolitres that year. Nasdaq/ Reuters |
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Philippines - DOE clarification on the Federation of Philippine Industries’ proposal to include palm oil in the country’s fuel mix
The Department of Energy (DOE) would like to clarify that it has not approved the proposal of the Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) allowing the use of palm oil in the country’s fuel mix, contrary to what has been published in a couple of news articles over the weekend. In a letter to the DOE dated 4 October 2021, the FPI recommended exporting coconut oil so that local farmers could reap the corresponding benefits of its current high price in the world market. They likewise proposed for the country to use the cheaper palm oil as an alternative for biodiesel production. The Department set up a virtual meeting with the FPI to discuss their proposal in detail. During the meeting, the FPI suggested using cheaper palm oil as feedstock for a lower biodiesel price, and asked that the Philippine National Standards be prepared to accommodate palm oil as biodiesel feedstock. For its part, the DOE emphasized that a thorough technical study should first be conducted, particularly on the development of standard specifications for biodiesel from palm oil. The DOE also informed the FPI that under Republic Act 9367 or the Biofuels Act of 2006, only locally-sourced biofuel components shall be used in the biodiesel-blend mandate. PTVNews |
Ireland - Energy firms urge rapid rise in biofuels for vehicles
Energy firms are calling for supports for a home-grown biofuels industry to rapidly cut transport emissions and reduce reliance on imports. Ireland imports more than 200 million litres of biofuels every year, including almost 80 million litres of used cooking oil from China and palm oil and other products from 58 other countries. Fuel suppliers are obliged by law to mix the biofuels with petrol and diesel to reduce carbon emissions from the traditional motoring fuels. That currently prevents about half-a-million tonnes of carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere each year. Transport is responsible for about 12 million tonnes of emissions annually. The Government aims to gradually double the proportion of biofuels up to a 10pc mix for petrol and a 20pc mix for diesel by 2030. But the Irish Bioenergy Association (IrBEA) says the increase could be almost immediate, with instant reductions in emissions. IndependentIE |
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Hundreds of Companies Promised to Help Save Forests. Did They?
Cargill, Nestle, Carrefour and others pledged to reach net-zero deforestation in their supply chains by 2020. Ten years ago, some of the world’s largest companies, including Coca-Cola, Kellogg’s, Walmart and Mars, pledged to change their practices to help end deforestation by 2020. Some, like Nestle and Carrefour, went even further, saying they would eliminate deforestation from their supply chains altogether. NewYorkTimes |
Consumer watchdog weighs in on debate that palm oil increases cancer risk
The European Food Information Council (EUFIC) examined the science behind the cancer study that has caused an uproar in the media recently and has cautioned not to read the headlines out of context. BakeryAndSnacks |
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