CPOPC to team up with other vegetable oil producers to address sustainability issues
11.01.2024 (New Straits Times) - KUALA LUMPUR: The Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) plans to collaborate with other vegetable oil producers to address sustainability issues via a strategy called the triple-track approach, said its secretary-general Rizal Affandi Lukman.
Rizal said the triple-track approach aims to enhance the global perception of palm oil as a sustainable product by highlighting its sustainability standards and its role in assisting developing countries to achieve the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals.
He said the triple-track approach comprises the utilisation of existing palm oil platforms, collaboration with other vegetable oils, and engagement with the United Nations platform to reshape the palm oil narrative.
"(As such), we are organising the 2024 Sustainable Vegetable Oils Conference (SVOC) which serves as a central multi-stakeholder forum, inclusive of various oils like soybean, sunflower, and rapeseed.
"This would address collective sustainability issues with aims to deepen understanding of sustainability challenges and solutions within the vegetable oil sector, aligning with global initiatives against climate change," he said during the CPOPC Roadmap in Enhancing Sustainability of Palm Oil and Combating Negative Campaigns session here today (January 11).
The session was held in conjunction with the Palm Oil Economic Review and Outlook Seminar 2024 organised by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board.
Rizal stressed that the council is committed to sustainability and collaboration beyond its primary commodity, offering an opportunity for reputation enhancement and global influence.
He said that to counter negative perceptions of palm oil, the council would utilise its observer status in the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) to participate in this year's key activities, including the ECOSOC Partnership Forum and the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
CPOPC also intends to broaden its UN involvement via events such as the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific's (UN ESCAP) Asia-Pacific Forum, the 2024 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 29), and a joint event with the Food and Agriculture Organisation, he said.
Rizal added that these engagements would involve coordinated efforts to engage with various stakeholders, presenting evidence of palm oil's sustainability contributions, and building a support network through collaboration with partners for a positive global impact.
"The overarching goal is to position palm oil as a responsible and sustainable contributor to the international sustainability agenda," he added.
Additionally, he said CPOPC plans to expand memberships by conducting visits to Thailand, Africa, and Latin America, along with joint missions to China and South Asia countries to boost its engagement. --BERNAMA