Latest news with #MSPO
Focus Malaysia
6 days ago
- Health
- Focus Malaysia
Sarawakian NGO: Need to clear health confusion of Malaysians associating palm oil with high cholesterol
A NATIONAL survey commissioned by Pertubuhan Transformasi Dayak (TRADA) has confirmed that Malaysians strongly support sustainably produced palm oil while placing high trust in the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification scheme. The findings further highlighted a persistent health misconception that should be addressed, particularly among younger Malaysians who will shape the future of the industry. Conducted in 2024 by independent research firm, Green Zebras (GZ), the survey engaged 1,000 respondents aged 18 to 50 across Peninsular and East Malaysia. The results showed 62% of Malaysians believe palm oil is produced in an environmentally-friendly manner. Among those who were aware of the MSPO certification, 96% agreed that independent certification is essential. Additionally, 99% believe MSPO supports fair labour practices, while 75% believe that the government is prioritising sustainability. In welcomed the findings, TRADA president Joseph Janting noted the growing public trust in sustainable palm oil with Malaysia's leadership in responsible production. 'This survey shows that Malaysians understand the importance of sustainability and that MSPO plays a key role in building trust. It is encouraging to see continued public support for strengthening industry standards,' he contended. However, Janting expressed concern over lingering health misconceptions. While 54% consider palm oil to be healthy, 37% still associate it with high cholesterol. 'It is surprising that although most Malaysians use palm oil in their everyday cooking, many are still unsure whether it is good for their health. This shows that more needs to be done to help people understand the real facts,' he justified. Janting went on to stress the importance of involving youth in public education efforts, particularly in regions like Sarawak where many young people are directly connected to agricultural communities. For the unanimated, TRADA's key focus has been on preparing and assisting the Dayak community in facing the modern challenges. 'Young Malaysians, especially those in East Malaysia, have a personal stake in the future of the palm oil industry,' enthused Janting. 'They're the next generation of consumers, communicators and producers. It is crucial that they are equipped with accurate, science-based knowledge so they can speak with confidence about what this industry truly represents,' he added. – July 24, 2025
The Sun
6 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Malaysia engages EU, FAO to address EUDR standard risk classification
KUALA LUMPUR: The government will continue to hold engagement sessions with the European Union (EU) and global organisations to remove Malaysia from 'standard risk' status under the benchmarking system of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Deputy Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Chan Foong Hin said that among the matters discussed was the accuracy of the country's latest forest data, which will be submitted to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) for the Global Forest Resources Assessment report, for Malaysia's classification process under the EUDR. 'The government will continue to pursue this engagement method or approach until we are removed from the standard risk (status),' he said during today's Dewan Rakyat sitting. Chan was responding to a supplementary question from Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (MUDA-Muar) regarding the diplomatic, technical, and policy approaches the government has undertaken to negotiate with the EU and mitigate the impact of non-tariff barriers on Malaysia's smallholders. He said the 'standard risk' classification by the EUDR does not reflect the actual progress made by Malaysia. The country's sustainable palm oil certification (MSPO) has already reached 85 per cent, while its forest coverage is also over 54 per cent compared to the EU's, which is only around 39 per cent, he said. Meanwhile, Chan said that to mitigate the impact on smallholders, further efforts have been made via the establishment of a special committee for implementing the EUDR at the national level, which involves several ministries and related agencies. He said additional efforts include the establishment of an ad-hoc joint task force involving the participation of the Indonesian and EU governments to discuss the best implementation methods for meeting the requirements of the EUDR. Additionally, he stated that Malaysia has discussed the impact of implementing the EUDR among commodity-producing countries through cooperation platforms, specifically the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries, the International Tripartite Rubber Council, and the International Cocoa Organisation. Chan also said the government is enhancing the competitiveness of the agricommodity (agricultural commodity) industry, including expanding the use of agricommodity products among consumers in importing countries through bilateral, multilateral or regional free trade agreements. 'These programmes are implemented to strengthen sustainable agricultural practices and ensure that smallholders are not left out of the supply chain for the European market. 'The Ministry of Plantation and Commodities will continue to carry out consultations with all affected stakeholders to ensure that the implementation of the EUDR will not have a negative impact on the country's agricommodity sector. In addition, he said new market potential will continue to be explored while strengthening the country's share in existing traditional markets. - Bernama
Euractiv
22-07-2025
- Business
- Euractiv
Can palm oil go net zero? Inside the push to cut climate impact
Palm oil is one of the most ubiquitous substances in the goods we consume, found in everything from chocolate to cosmetics. It's in nearly 50% of the packaged products we see in supermarkets, and it's also used in animal feed and as a biofuel in many parts of the world. The reason is that it's an extremely versatile oil with numerous properties and functions. It is semi-solid at room temperature, making it suitable for use in food, and it's resistant to oxidation, which can extend the shelf life of products. It's also odourless and colourless, so it doesn't alter the look or smell of food products. It would therefore be very difficult to replace with another ingredient. But palm oil has long been linked to deforestation, fires and greenhouse gas emissions. The forest loss, together with the conversion of carbon-rich peat soils, has caused millions of tonnes of greenhouse gases to escape into the atmosphere. Still, could there be a way to reap the benefits of palm oil without contributing to climate change? Today, producing countries, major brands, and local farmers are betting that new technology and rules can rewrite that story - and even push palm oil toward net-zero emissions. The biggest challenge is stopping indirect land use change (ILUC), the hidden climate cost when forests are cleared elsewhere to make room for crops that have been displaced by palm oil cultivation. For Indonesia and Malaysia, the two biggest producers of palm oil, these efforts have been particularly important. 'In Malaysia, palm oil is produced in accordance with sustainable principles and criteria under the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification scheme, which has been implemented on a mandatory basis from January 2020,' says Dr. Ahmad Parveez Ghulam Kadir, Director-General of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board. 'The MPSO certification has a deforestation cut-off date of 31 December 2019, which strengthened the requirements for new planting.' Satellite eyes in the sky Over the past two decades, pressure from consumers and regulators has motivated palm oil giants to clean up their supply chains. At the heart of this effort is traceability - proving exactly where each tonne of palm oil comes from. Multinational companies like Unilever, Ferrero, Nestlé, and Kao now monitor vast plantations with high-resolution satellite imagery and AI detection tools. Ferrero, for example, has tracked 100% of its palm oil to the plantation level since 2016 and uses Starling satellite monitoring to flag forest loss in real time. Unilever's NDPE (No Deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation) dashboard tracks 20 million hectares globally. Meanwhile, producing countries are tightening the rules. Indonesia has launched its e-STDB traceability platform, which requires farmers and companies to register their palm plantations on a national blockchain-based database. Malaysia is developing the National Oil Palm Traceability System, to establish full traceability across the supply chain. 'This system is anchored by the Sawit Intelligent Management System (SIMS) for traceability data and will be integrated with GeoSawit and e-MSPO, two important platforms that support geospatial mapping and sustainability certification, respectively,' says Ahmad Parveez. He said, 'The integrated approach enables the tracking of the origin of palm products along the supply chain from the plantation and smallholders. The traceability system is crucial in the context of sustainability and climate commitments, including monitoring, management and reporting of emissions, among others.' These advances are being supercharged by technology. New satellite monitoring systems - like Earthqualizer, and Global Forest Watch - use AI to spot illegal land clearing, even under cloud cover. This surveillance is giving companies and governments near real-time alerts when new plantations appear on high-carbon peatlands or primary forests. Changes on the ground Palm oil emissions don't just come from clearing forests, but also from methane leaking from palm oil mills. Malaysia's Sustainable Palm Oil Roadmap encourages mills to capture methane and turn it into biogas, cutting emissions by nearly 40% per tonne of crude palm oil, according to a 2023 industry report. Meanwhile, projects like PALMSTEP in Central Kalimantan, funded by the European Union, help smallholder farmers get certified and access digital tools for traceability and regenerative farming, reducing the pressure to expand into forests. Palm oil mills emit methane from wastewater and CO₂ from energy use. Methane-capture biogas systems, together with switching to renewable energy, can reduce mill CO₂e intensity by around 40%, according to experts. Energy-efficient mills coupled with zero-burning policies can also help combat both direct emissions and ILUC pressures. 'The cooperation among countries in Southeast Asia has continued to ensure conservation of forest and biodiversity as well as reduce impact on the environment and contribute to climate action,' says Parveez. 'One of the examples is the Heart of Borneo, a trilateral cooperation between Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia covering an area of over 20 million hectares that help to strengthen the world's resilience to climate change by conserving carbon sinks and creating a huge green lung for the world, and at the same time protecting the livelihoods of the forest dependent communities.' He noted that in addition, Malaysia has the Central Forest Spine initiative that covers 5.3 million hectares in Peninsular Malaysia as part of the conservation efforts at the national level. Is it working? So far, there has been progress, but not as much as campaigners would have liked to see. The NGO WWF has said that it is better to stick with palm oil rather than alternatives like soybeans, coconut or sunflower oil because they require between four to ten times more land. But they say that while progress is being made on reducing palm oil's climate and environmental impact, change isn't coming fast enough. Studies show deforestation rates linked to palm oil have fallen in Indonesia and Malaysia since the destructive haze years of 2015, when fires raged across peatlands, releasing over 500 million tonnes of CO₂. The World Resources Institute reports that palm-related deforestation dropped by more than 40% between 2012 and 2022, thanks in part to corporate 'zero deforestation' pledges and tighter land laws. 'Palm oil presents a positive example of decoupling commodity production from deforestation,' says Anita Neville, Chief Sustainability and Communications Officer at the Singapore-based palm oil company Golden Agri-Resources. Neville remarked that forest loss linked to palm oil production in Indonesia, the world's largest palm oil producer, fell by more than 90% from its peak in 2012 to 2022, while palm oil production continued to increase. But scientists warn that indirect land use change remains a threat if demand keeps rising. If plantations expand into untouched forests or displace other crops to new frontiers, the climate gains vanish. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), formed in 2004, has been working to ensure that climate gains are maintained. RSPO has production standards for growers that set best practices for producing and sourcing palm oil, and it has the buy-in of most of the global industry. Companies can certify their products with the RSPO label to demonstrate to consumers they are part of these efforts. Nearly 20% of global palm oil is RSPO-certified. The world's top palm oil producers have big climate promises. Indonesia aims for net-zero emissions by 2060, while Malaysia wants to get there by 2050, leaning heavily on transforming its palm sector. Major buyers like Unilever, Nestlé, and Ferrero have pledged to buy 100% sustainably sourced palm oil within the next two years. Still, critics argue that global demand and enforcement gaps could undermine these ambitions. [Edited By Brian Maguire | Euractiv's Advocacy Lab ]
The Star
19-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
HELP FOR SMALLHOLDERS
Towards cleaner fuel: Johari launching SD Guthrie's B30 biodiesel pilot project in Carey Island. Also present are Nik Norzrul (left) and SD Guthrie's group managing director Datuk Mohamad Helmy Othman Basha (fourth from right). Ministry to step in as high costs stall land conversion for 50,000 BANTING: Some 50,000 smallholders have yet to convert their land status from rubber to oil palm plantations because of the high costs involved, says Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani. The Plantation and Commodities Minister said his ministry was currently discussing with state governments to help the smallholders convert the status of their lands. 'I want state governments to re-evaluate some of the land planted with oil palm, which is still classified as rubber plantation land,' Johari told reporters after launching SD Guthrie Bhd's B30 biodiesel pilot project in Carey Island yesterday. Johari said it was crucial to aptly convert the land status according to what was being cultivated in order to obtain the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification in line with the European Union Deforestation Regulation standards. 'The smallholders have to pay the state governments a premium sometimes ranging from RM30,000 to RM40,000 and this does not include penalties for the delay in converting the land status,' Johari explained. One for the album: Johari (fourth from right) taking a group photo with Nik Norzrul (fourth from left) and SD Guthrie's group managing director Datuk Mohamad Helmy Othman Basha (third from left) after the launch of SD Guthrie's B30 biodiesel pilot project (below) in Carey Island. — KK SHAM/The Star In order to help the smallholders to overcome the stumbling block, Johari said negotiations would be held with the state governments involved seeking financial solutions as well as possible penalty waivers. 'Perhaps I can negotiate a waiver of the penalty charges given that the palm oil industry is very important,' said Johari, adding that a list was being compiled to identify smallholders who have yet to convert their land status. On another matter, Johari, who is also acting Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister, said amendments were being made to the National Climate Change Bill. 'It is still in draft form and I have not brought it to the Cabinet yet,' he said, adding that it is expected to be tabled in Parliament this year. According to Johari, the Bill will include every aspect of climate change. Johari said the proposed Bill will include incentives for companies that complied with climate change efforts. 'Companies will receive incentives such as carbon credits if they can prove that they are able to reduce carbon emissions,' the minister added. He said there will also be legally binding provisions in the Bill to boost encouragement among public listed companies to actively partake in efforts to attain net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. On the pilot project, Johari said it was an important move towards achieving the nation's commitment towards the global sustainability agenda. 'I welcome SD Guthrie's initiative that is part of the country's commitment to initiate sustainable energy use and the carbon reduction agenda of achieving net-zero emission by 2050,' reiterated Johari. He said biodiesel usage would reduce dependence on fossil fuels and empower smallholders. Meanwhile, SD Guthrie Bhd chairman Tan Sri Nik Norzrul Thani Nik Hassan Thani said the B30 biodiesel project was not merely the conglomerate's effort to make a switch to cleaner fuel. 'It is part of a larger Guthrie carbon reduction plan in line with the commitment to achieve net-zero goals by 2050,'' said Nik Norzrul in his speech. He added Guthrie was the very first palm oil company globally to receive the 'net-zero' target validation from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) which was a significant achievement in tandem with the company's efforts. 'Hence, the launch of the B30 pilot project is reflective of our strong commitment towards contributing solutions for the climate change problems affecting the world,'' he said.
New Straits Times
18-07-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Govt in talks to ease oil palm land conversion for smallholders
BANTING: The Plantation and Commodities Ministry is in talks with state governments to help smallholder farmers convert the land status of their plots from rubber to palm oil cultivation, enabling them to qualify for Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification. Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said one of the key prerequisites for MSPO certification, particularly in meeting European Union Deforestation Regulation standards, is having a legitimate land title that reflects the actual crop being cultivated. "If the land is planted with palm oil, the title must indicate it as palm oil land," he told reporters at the launch of SD Guthrie Bhd's B30 biodiesel pilot project in Carey Island here today. "However, in many cases, smallholders are farming palm oil on land officially titled for rubber, which complicates the certification process," he said. He noted that the cost of converting land titles, including premiums and penalties, can be prohibitively high, often between RM30,000 and RM40,000, making it unaffordable for many smallholders. "This is the challenge. Some cannot afford the premium, and when penalties for late conversion are included, the burden becomes even heavier," Johari added. The ministry estimates that around 50,000 smallholders may be affected by these mismatched titles. To address this, Johari said a comprehensive list of affected farmers is being compiled, with the aim of negotiating financial solutions or possible penalty waivers with state governments.
