MARKET DEVELOPMENT
RSPO Welcomes Sabah's Move to Certify All CPO
RSPO Welcomes Sabah's Move to Certify All CPO
13/11/2015 (Daily Express) - Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) Secretary General Datuk Darrel Webber on Wednesday welcomed Sabah's decision to have all Crude Palm Oil produced from Sabah to be certified sustainable palm oil or (CSPO) by 2025.
CSPO was launched under a 10-year jurisdictional programme to ensure Sabah is ahead in terms of competitiveness when oil palm markets are expected to be more challenging in the future.
This was decided at a Cabinet meeting on Oct 25 this year.
He said the State is well on the lead from other nations and is well-positioned to deliver the promise and commitment.
"CSPO goes hand in hand if the future of the commodity is to be sustainable, to respect the environment, to be the core stewards of the environment. This commodity will have a bright future," he said.
Webber said CSPO will assure Sabah's CPO will continue to get market access to countries that are critical about the commodity and also penetrate into markets that it has not entered yet.
Webber said this to reporters during the opening of the International Heart of Borneo Conference here after noting Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman's move to implement the 10-year CSPO jurisdictional programme.
Musa in reiterating Sabah's commitment on sustainable development said the government had approved the CSPO jurisdictional approach last month.
"Although a significant contributor to the economy, palm oil has a large footprint and is commonly linked with habitat loss and wildlife conflicts," he admitted.
"As a responsible government, we need to strategise and build resilience to ensure our main industry remains relevant and highly competitive in future," he said.
He said the government is prepared to work with stakeholders such as RSPO to explore ways in ensuring that palm oil produced and processed in Sabah is in compliance with the certification standards.
"This however must be done in a pragmatic, practical and implementable manner so as to provide oil palm growers, especially the smallholders, credibility and assurance in global markets," he said.
Sabah currently exports 12 per cent of the world's CPO and is the third largest producer, after Indonesia and Peninsular Malaysia.
With the expansion of oil palm plantations in other nations with suitable land to spare, Sabah's share in the commodity is expected to shrink.
CSPO was launched under a 10-year jurisdictional programme to ensure Sabah is ahead in terms of competitiveness when oil palm markets are expected to be more challenging in the future.
This was decided at a Cabinet meeting on Oct 25 this year.
He said the State is well on the lead from other nations and is well-positioned to deliver the promise and commitment.
"CSPO goes hand in hand if the future of the commodity is to be sustainable, to respect the environment, to be the core stewards of the environment. This commodity will have a bright future," he said.
Webber said CSPO will assure Sabah's CPO will continue to get market access to countries that are critical about the commodity and also penetrate into markets that it has not entered yet.
Webber said this to reporters during the opening of the International Heart of Borneo Conference here after noting Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman's move to implement the 10-year CSPO jurisdictional programme.
Musa in reiterating Sabah's commitment on sustainable development said the government had approved the CSPO jurisdictional approach last month.
"Although a significant contributor to the economy, palm oil has a large footprint and is commonly linked with habitat loss and wildlife conflicts," he admitted.
"As a responsible government, we need to strategise and build resilience to ensure our main industry remains relevant and highly competitive in future," he said.
He said the government is prepared to work with stakeholders such as RSPO to explore ways in ensuring that palm oil produced and processed in Sabah is in compliance with the certification standards.
"This however must be done in a pragmatic, practical and implementable manner so as to provide oil palm growers, especially the smallholders, credibility and assurance in global markets," he said.
Sabah currently exports 12 per cent of the world's CPO and is the third largest producer, after Indonesia and Peninsular Malaysia.
With the expansion of oil palm plantations in other nations with suitable land to spare, Sabah's share in the commodity is expected to shrink.