In our previous blog, we assessed the good proposals put forth in the COWI Report, commissioned by the EU. Now, we look at the bad elements of the COWI Report.
The bulk of the measures being proposed by the EU are demand-side measures. At the heart of this is shifting consumers away from palm oil and onto other alternatives, or shifting consumption to so-called sustainable products.
And this already presents … Read More
Members of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) met recently in Parma to discuss, among other items, EFSA’s recommendations for potential restrictions on 3-MCPD, a contaminant generated during processing of vegetable oils. The meeting was an important moment for Malaysian Palm Oil exporters, following over 12 months of negative media coverage in the wake of EFSA’s original report. The meeting focused on technical discussions around the impact of 3-MCPD, and … Read More
In the next of our series on the EU’s plans to reduce global deforestation, we assess the policy proposals put forward in the recent COWI Report commissioned by the EU. Which proposals can be considered good?
There are 15 measures proposed. The COWI Report splits them up into supply-side and demand-side measures.
The ‘bad’ measures, which we will look at in the next blog, are largely demand-side measures. Why are … Read More
‘No Palm Oil’ labels mislead Malaysian consumers and perpetrate an injustice against small farmers and other palm oil producers, Minister Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong has explained. The economic well-being of Malaysian small farmers is threatened by the labels.
The Minister has successfully demanded the removal of the labels from Arla Foods products in Malaysia. This is a welcome victory for Malaysian Palm Oil producers. The Government also invites the … Read More
‘Forest Risk Commodities’ (FRC), a key concept in the COWI Report, is poorly defined and is based on work previously undertaken by the Global Canopy Project. This concept has a history of use among advocacy groups opposed to Palm Oil.
The European Commission is currently attempting to construct a set of policies that will determine how the EU deals with its impact on global deforestation.
At the heart of the … Read More
No Palm Oil labels that denigrate Malaysian Palm Oil will be removed from Malaysian shelves within 60 days by Danish company, Arla Foods, in an agreement made with the Malaysian Government and orchestrated by Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong, Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities.
Importantly, Arla Foods also agreed to collaborate with the Malaysian Government on the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) scheme.
No Palm Oil labels are an … Read More
The European Commission has published a draft report assessing measures that the EU can take to combat global deforestation. The report, entitled ‘Feasibility study on options to step up EU Action against Deforestation’ was drafted by the Danish consultancy COWI.
This is the first of a series of blogs that will analyse the actions proposed within the COWI Report; and also examine the political motivations and the history behind the … Read More
The revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) contains multiple threats to the future success of Malaysian Palm Oil biofuel exports to Europe. The Oil Palm has documented specific threats in the small-print and in the most recent amendments.
It feels almost like a case of déja-vu, this being the third iteration of the RED. Those who have seen all three must surely be asking each other: do you … Read More
The Oil Palm would like to bring to your attention an op-ed by the Malaysian Minister for Plantations and Commodities, Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong, who called out European companies who openly undermine and attack Malaysian Palm Oil and millions of the country’s small farmers.
The Minister singled out Denmark’s Lurpak, an RSPO member, which has brazenly decided to launch anti-Palm Oil labels inside the borders of Malaysia. The comments … Read More
The European Commission has responded to the European Parliament’s outlandish resolution on palm oil. The Commission is the EU’s executive arm, and is responsible for proposing all EU laws: so their opinion matters.
That doesn’t mean that the Commission is all-powerful. It is just a small part of the EU and its decision-making processes. The Parliament, the European Council and member governments are the wielders of real political power at … Read More