4.89m hectares of oil palm land are MSPO certified as at December 2024 — deputy minister
10/03/2025 (Bernama), Kuala Lumpur - A total of 4.89 million hectares (ha), or 86.47% of palm oil cultivation areas in Malaysia, have received certification under the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) standard as of Dec 31, 2024, demonstrating Malaysia’s commitment to sustainability.
Deputy Minister of Plantation and Commodities Datuk Chan Foong Hin said that commitment towards MSPO certification not only enhances the credibility and visibility of Malaysian sustainable palm oil in the international market, but also ensures compliance with increasingly stringent global regulations.
He elaborated that this includes the European Union Deforestation-Free Regulation (EUDR), which will take effect on Dec 30, 2025 for players in the palm oil industry, and by June 30, 2026 for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
“A gap analysis study comparing the MSPO 2.0 certification scheme with the EUDR legislation, conducted by the European Forest Institute (EFI), found that MSPO certification has the potential to facilitate European Union (EU) operators’ compliance with the EUDR.
“The results of this study also provides guidance for adjusting MSPO certification to meet the additional information requirements of the EUDR,” he said during a question-and-answer session in the Dewan Negara on Monday.
Chan was responding to Senator Datin Ros Suryani Alang’s question about the extent to which the country’s palm oil output is strong as a sustainable, high-quality product recognised globally.
Additionally, he said the MSPO certificate recognition in the International Trade Centre (ITC) Sustainability Map in 2024 further strengthens Malaysia’s commitment to producing sustainable palm oil.
“The official listing of MSPO certification in the ITC Sustainability Map not only solidifies its position as an internationally recognised sustainability certification, but also enhances the visibility of MSPO among global buyers and trade organisations,” he added.