21/2/06 (The Edge Daily)  -  The Malaysian Palm Oil Association (MPOA) on Feb 21, signed two memoranda of understanding with WWF-Malaysia towards the sustainable development of the country’s palm oil industry.

Under the MoUs, they will develop better management practices for the Malaysian palm oil industry to safeguard high conservation value forests (HCVFs). WWF-Malaysia also formalised its technical support for MPOA to develop the “Guidelines to Better Management Practices.”

MPOA and WWF-Malaysia will formally collaborate to develop the Code of Good Agricultural Practices as part of MPOA’s Better Management Practices project.

“WWF aims to ensure that HCVFs and habitats of key species in Malaysia are no longer threatened by the expansion of oil palm plantations,” WWF-Malaysia national programme director Dr Dionysius Sharma said at the signing ceremony in Kuala Lumpur.

MPOA chief executive Azizi Meor Ngah said the association was seeking funding for its conservation and sustainable development efforts.

He said MPOA had secured 250,000 euro (RM1.1 million) from the Dutch government for its conservation programmes and was in talks with World Bank’s International Finance Corporation to tap into a US$20 million to US$30 million (RM74 million-RM111 million) fund.

Azizi said MPOA would also be seeking assistance from other local and international institutions.