16/11/2007 (The Jakarta Post) -The International Conference on Oil Palm and the Environment (ICOPE) kicked off Thursday at Nusa Dua, Bali, aimed at highlighting environmental sustainability in the palm oil industry.

The two-day event is being sponsored by the PT Sinar Mas Agro Resources and Technology (SMART) research institute, French agricultural research center CIRAD-France, and WWF-Indonesia, according to a media release sent Thursday.

The conference is expected to serve as an interactive platform for exchange of knowledge and views among those concerned with oil palm sustainability issues, including the private sector, governments, research institutes and non-governmental organizations.

"All stakeholders in the sector should commit themselves to and implement the sustainability principles set in the Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) so as to promote sustainable palm oil production," said WWF-Indonesia executive director, Mubariq Ahmad.

The RSPO, established in 2004, is an international multi-stakeholder organization dedicated to bringing sustainable palm oil principles into the marketplace.

Mubariq said that the ICOPE discussions were also expected to pave the way for the upcoming fifth annual RSPO meeting, scheduled to take place next week in Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysia is currently the world's largest producer and exporter of palm oil, providing 47 percent of the world's total palm oil supply. Indonesia, which produces about 36 percent, is in second place.