MARKET DEVELOPMENT
09-07-2004
Palm Oil Industry Seeks Environment-Friendly Growt
Kuala Lumpur, July 7 (Dow Jones) - At odds for years over environmentalissues, palm oil industry players and conservation groups have joinedhands to set standards that will dictate future production and usage ofthe commodity.Teoh Cheng Hai, secretary general of the newly formed Roundtable OnSustainable Palm Oil, or RSPO, said that in recent years, the palm oilsector has been increasingly linked to global concerns about deforestationand loss of biodiversity.In what the industry is touting as a breakthrough, major palm oilplayers and non-governmental organizations agreed late last year to putaside their differences and work together.The co-operation has yielded the RSPO, an association set up in Aprilto lead the combined efforts to promote sustainable, environmentallyfriendly development of the palm oil industry."The logic of (sustainable, environmentally friendly development ofthe industry) is slowly filtering through. We hope that with thisplatform, people can see eye-to-eye on this issue," Teoh said in aninterview."Previously, the industry and the NGOs were not talking. At least now,they are talking."The RSPO, established under Swiss law but with its secretariat in theMalaysian capital, will have members representing all segments of the palmoil supply chain, including oil palm growers, processors and traders,consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, banks and environmental NGOs.A membership drive began this month, with 13 confirmed members so farand many other players expected to follow, Teoh said. Founding members ofthe RSPO include major names such as Aarhus United UK Ltd., Unilever NV,Karlshamns AB, the Worldwide Fund for Nature, or WWF, and the MalaysianPalm Oil Association.
