People in France, a country known for its iconic fields of rapeseed, sunflowers and vineyards, heard a lot about palm oil last week. Following an advertising campaign by Systeme U, a French retailer, that misrepresents the sustainability and health benefits of palm oil, palm oil producers from the Cote d’Ivoire descended on the country’s capital to advance a complaint before a business tribunal for false advertising. At the same time, … Read More

During US President Barak Obama’s inaugural address, the president declared that confronting the challenge of climate change would be a priority in his second and last term. While this is a welcome commitment to tackling one of the world’s greatest challenges, ongoing efforts to exclude palm biofuels from the US energy market will significantly undermine President Obama’s ambition.

In January 2012, the US Environmental Protection Agency issued a preliminary ruling … Read More

Experts and industry officials throughout Europe are speaking out in support of Malaysian palm oil amid a visit by Malaysian officials including Minister for Plantation Industries and Commodities Tan Sri Bernard Dompok and representatives of the Malaysian palm oil industry. Minister Dompok and a delegation of Malaysian government and industry officials are visiting key European markets to meet with counterparts to highlight Malaysian businesses and exports.

In Bucharest, a leading … Read More

The Malaysian model for growing palm oil is going global. There has been prominent news coverage of large-scale investments by Malaysian palm oil companies such as Sime Darby in African countries such as Liberia, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Sime Darby, for example, secured a 220,000 ha lease in Liberia in 2009  which was its first major palm oil investment in Africa. Other companies such as Singapore’s … Read More

Vegetable oil demand is expected to reach 230 million tonnes by 2022, driven by a world population that is projected to reach 7.7 billion by that time. Palm oil, the world’s most land efficient oilseed, is expected to contribute 100 million tonnes by that time, from a total supply of 52 million tonnes today. Amid these forecasts issued by Asia Plantation and the US Department of Agriculture, environmental activists present … Read More

According the Ministry of Health, exports of palm-based pharmaceuticals totaled more than RM600 million in 2011, buoyed in part by ongoing research into the nutritional benefits of palm oil and its by-products. “Malaysia produces medicinal products, like pain killers, vitamin C, anti-oxidants,” Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said.

These efforts reflect a coordinated approach to maintaining the value and resilience of Malaysia’s palm oil sector. As palm … Read More

Malaysian biochemical company Emery Oleochemicals is investing €20 million (US$25million) in its Loxstedt, Germany site, expanding manufacturing and adding Technical Development Centre (TDC) for its biobased additives, Loxiol and Edenol.

“Through our Loxstedt expansion projects, Emery Oleochemicals looks to extend its existing technical know-how in developing high-performance plastic additives and growing its portfolio in additives, including those for the coatings and lubricant industries,” an Emery spokesperson told PlasticsToday. The company’s … Read More

Half a century after the Cobbold Commission marked the first step towards the union of Malaysia and Sabah, Prime Minister Najib has reiterated Sabah’s important contribution to the Malaysian economy and the Government’s commitment to the state’s welfare.

Through tourism and the palm oil industry, Sabah continues to play a central role in Malaysia’s economic growth. In turn, the government has prioritized the state’s development by investing RM 3 billion … Read More

In recent weeks a campaign aimed at the Malaysian palm oil industry has spread misinformation with respect to the industry’s record on wildlife preservation and protection. The anti-industry campaign was timed to coincide with the Sabah Wildlife Conservation Colloquium (SWCC 2012).

It is worth noting that the industry is a strong supporter of existing Malaysian conservation laws and supports strengthening those laws when appropriate. Malaysian law rightly recognizes the orang-utan … Read More

The world is becoming increasingly worried about the effects on food prices caused by the drought that has plagued the United States over recent months. Experts are suggesting that the corn harvest could be reduced by between 20-30 percent and because corn is used to feed livestock, price hikes for dairy and meat products are expected to follow suit.

Unfortunately, the agricultural development necessary to ensure that the world has … Read More