MPIC REQUESTS CPOPC TO INTENSIFY EFFORTS TO FIGHT NEGATIVE CAMPAIGNS TOWARDS PALM OIL

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 -- The Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities (MPIC) has requested the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) to intensify its efforts in providing a greater narrative to fight the negative campaigns towards palm oil.

Secretary-general Datuk Ravi Muthayah said palm oil producing countries must not be complacent and be caught off guard by competitors.

“Upholding sustainability premised on SDGs (sustainable development goals) is crucial and CPOPC would undertake more offensive approaches by comparing palm oil with other vegetable oil,” he said in a statement today in conjunction with CPOPC 22nd Senior Officials Meeting.

The meeting was co-chaired by Ravi and the Indonesian Deputy Minister for Food and Agribusiness, Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, Dr Musdhalifah Machmud.

The meeting was also attended by representatives of CPOPC observer countries, namely Colombia, Ghana, Honduras and Papua New Guinea.

Ravi said Malaysia strongly supported the adoption of the Global Framework of Principles for Sustainable Palm Oil as a guiding principle to incoming member countries and as an example to other edible oil crops.

“To make our efforts and collaboration more impactful, meaningful and effective, I renewed my call for incoming members to expedite the process of joining CPOPC,” he added.

Meanwhile, Musdhalifah said CPOPC needed to give serious attention and formulated a more effective strategy for palm oil producing countries to address challenges on the negative campaigns against sustainable palm oil.

She noted with deep concern the increasingly massive negative campaign and the issuance of various policies and regulations that hampered the production and trade of palm oil, especially in the European Union. 

“I welcome the progress made by the scientific committee as science-based studies and research should be further promoted in countering the negative campaigns against sustainable palm oil,” she said.

Musdhalifah said the growing demand for palm oil and the general upward trend of palm oil is a positive trend but producing countries anticipate the possibility of cycle crude palm oil (CPO) price through increasing domestic consumption as part of the demand management tools.

“The management of sustainable palm oil price could be attained by the implementation of biodiesel programme,” she added. 

The meeting further deliberates on some key organisational and proposed programmes and activities by CPOPC.

Most of the priority programmes that have been endorsed during the SOM are related to promoting palm oil sustainability, including efforts to build the capacity of smallholders, research projects and communication and advocacy programs.

-- BERNAMA