By Rupa Damodaran

UNITED Plantations Bhd has been awarded as the world’s first certified producer of sustainable palm oil by The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).

The RSPO is a business-to business-initiative and not mandatory, but many Malaysian companies have proactively pursued to take up this challenge, as the certification could give them easier access to markets.

“This clearly demonstrates the industries’ commitment towards attaining the strictest standards of sustainability, unmatched by any other agricultural crop,” Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Peter Chin said at the RSPO certification ceremony in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.

Other companies that have implemented RSPO and are awaiting registration include Sime Darby, IOI Corporation, PPB Oil Palm, Kulim (M) Bhd and KL Kepong.

“For the initial stage, the total oil palm planted area applying for certification covers 160,000ha with production of about one million tonnes of crude palm oil in 2008.

“Once the certification is completed in stages for these major Malaysian companies, it is estimated that the RSPO certification will cover about 700,000ha with production of 3.0 million tonnes of crude palm oil,” Chin said.

Chin said in Europe, the requirement for sustainability only focuses on the environment, and not economic and social aspects of sustainability.

“I am glad that when I go to Europe in September this year, I can tell them that Malaysia has kept its promise and that sustainably-produced palm oil is available to the European consumers,” he added.

United Plantations Bhd vice chairman Datuk Carl Bek-Nielsen said the certificate was a sign of the Malaysian plantations’ commitment and ability to comply with the strictest standards on sustainability.

“We all have one common goal, namely, to let the world know that certified sustainable palm oil is now available and that this initial certification is the tip of the iceberg and that other companies will soon follow suit.

“No other agricultural crop - be it coffee, cocoa, wheat, soyabean or rapeseed - have so strict guidelines in terms of sustainability,” said Bek-Nielsen.

“The palm oil industry has been proactive and taken up this enormous challenge. It has not been easy and has required an enormous amount of resources, both human as well as capital,” he added.

Share The Story :

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 28th, 2008 at 10:57 am and is filed under Malaysia. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.