2/12/2017 (The Borneo Post) - KUALA LUMPUR: The Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) ,in a reply to Netherland’s flag carrier KLM’s sustainable catering policy, is suggesting that the airline also consider supporting Indonesia’s effort in replanting high-yielding oil palm plants for smallholder farmers.

The move is to preserve the ‘land bank’ of Indonesia while meet the growing demand for vegetable oil in the global economy, said CPOPC executive director Mahendra Siregar in the letter.

 “This is fully in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and please do not hesitate to contact our services should you require more information on the sustainability efforts being undertaken in Indonesia and Malaysia in the palm oil sector,” he said in reply to an article published in KLM’s inflight magazine which demanded that all its suppliers avoid using palm oil in their products.

Malaysia and Indonesia produce 85 per cent of global palm oil supply.

On Nov 23, CPOPC rebutted the KLM’s article amid its misguided information on palm oil.

KLM, in replying to the rebuttal, said it was part of the airline’s sustainable mission to contribute to the global ambition of reaching SDGs.

“At KLM, offering responsible products and services is part of our CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) approach. We are serving around forty million meals a year to our passengers, which gives us the responsibility to make our catering as sustainable as possible.

“We choose where possible, for products and partners that share our sustainable mission, in order to contribute to the global ambition of reaching the sustainable development goals,” said KLM Director for CSR & Environmental Strategy I.R Pieter.

Mahendra said while KLM’s commitment towards SDGs was commendable, the airline should also make informed decisions. — Bernama