Nestle has voiced support for the continued use of palm oil in the food and beverage sector amid intense debate surrounding the recently-enacted EU Deforestation Regulation, while also striving to guarantee its supply chain sustainability using advance...
The palm oil industry in Malaysia is calling for the European Union (EU) to provide more clarity over how it will define ‘high-risk’ countries under its recently-approved Deforestation Regulation, stressing that current scientific data has already demonstrated...
ASEAN consumer confidence in regional trade relations with the European Union have plummeted on the back of the latter’s recently-passed deforestation law and its impacts on various food commodities, as major palm oil producing countries in the region...
A political agreement has been reached on the European Union’s due diligence legislation, and sustainable palm oil organisation Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is supportive. Yet challenges and risks exist, explains Ruben Brunsveld, deputy director...
Ahead of this week’s trilogue negotiations on the EU’s Deforestation Regulation, the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (IPOA/GAPKI) has complained the legislation “will increase poverty, decrease sustainable development, and undermine decades of progress...
EU-proposed due-diligence legislation has been criticised for triggering unintended consequences across the supply chain, which begs the question: will such a law actually promote climate smart food?
The palm oil sector will need to emphasise how its current sustainability and development strategies are also ‘future-oriented’ beyond standards and certifications if it is to successfully penetrate new markets in the Middle East.
The Malaysian palm oil sector is calling for the implementation of better branding and consumer communication strategies to increase its marketability, saying that providing high quality and sustainable products is not enough to achieve export recognition.
An Italian supply chain expert has slated the European Union for its ‘discriminatory’ policies against palm oil, highlighting the impossibility of finding an alternative for the commodity in the short term.
The Musim Mas Group, one of the world’s largest, integrated palm oil corporations has announced a new collaboration to investigate the conditions under which supply chain sustainability initiatives can lead to reduced deforestation in the palm oil sector,...
Vietnam, the Philippines, along with Middle Eastern and North African nations have been identified as key growth opportunities for the Malaysian palm oil sector, as it seeks to open up new export channels.
Sustainable palm oil production could be one of the biggest beneficiaries of commitments made at the COP26 summit – but experts who have been assessing the fine print say that the devil lies in the detail of implementation.
The palm oil industry in Malaysia is ramping up its efforts to improve labour standards after taking several hits to its reputation and business prospects over the poor handling of human rights issues.
Palm oil industry experts have warned that the European Union’s (EU) latest proposed regulations on deforestation carry major risk of upsetting Indonesia amidst ongoing free-trade negotiations.
The European Food Information Council (EUFIC) examined the science behind the cancer study that has caused an uproar in the media recently and has cautioned not to read the headlines out of context.
The Indonesian palm oil sector has urged the European Union to ensure that its final regulatory approach to imported commodities does not discriminate against palm oil, warning that efforts to replace it as an ingredient could lead to even ‘bigger problems’...
Indonesia’s representative palm oil body GAPKI is concerned that it may not be able to produce enough of the commodity this year, given that added demand is expected as economies recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Palm oil producer Musim Mas, oil supplier AAK and branded manufacturer Nestlé are collaborating to tackle deforestation outside concession areas in Aceh, Indonesia.
There is little chance of food manufacturers covering the costs of palm oil sustainability efforts, despite new research saying it would require just a 2% increase in prices, according to an industry expert.
Palm oil and sustainability disagreements have caused ASEAN-EU trade relations to sour even further over the past year with a potential trade war on the line, even as the UK has moved to soften its stance to cement better ASEAN relations post-Brexit.
Ferrero has updated its Palm Oil Charter to ‘go beyond’ what it says is a ‘baseline’ for sustainable palm oil sourcing. This means new commitments on human rights, environmental protection and supplier transparency.
In a recently released new action plan, the global food manufacturer said workers in the palm oil industry - in particular migrant workers - are vulnerable to labour rights abuses, including forced labour.
Nutella manufacturer Ferrero has reiterated its commitment to sourcing sustainable palm oil that is 100% RSPO certified and segregated, and traceable to farms, the Italian confectionery group said in its Palm Oil Progress report for 2020.
Malaysian palm oil is expected to see a rise in demand from India and China this year as economies gradually open up and local stocks diminish, but the industry must improve logistics and digital reach to effectively capitalise, according to industry...
Experts have suggested that the palm oil industry and food firms manufacturing palm oil-containing products use the power of artificial intelligence (AI) technology to identify the right consumer segments and methods to sway sentiment back in their favour.
Germany’s confectionery industry is playing a leading role in the use of sustainable palm oil in its products, claims the main body representing its sweet manufacturers.
The palm oil industry in Malaysia needs to prepare itself for an uncertain year ahead with expected price volatility, production decrease and policy changes in the west, with the government attempting to shift to more value-added products in hopes of...
The iconic cookies sold to raise funds for the celebrated Girl Scouts of the United States of America purportedly contain palm oil that is linked to child labour practices, according to a new report.
DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences was among the 30+ case studies published by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in its push to advance the responsible production of palm oil.
The head of the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) has challenged Australian chocolate manufacturer Darrell Lea to explain its sustainability claims after the latter announced that it would be going totally palm oil-free.
Palm oil trade between Malaysia and India has moved back on track with the latter running low on local stock and the former relaxing export tariffs as both countries move to repair a trade relationship wrecked by previous political clashing.
The Federal Association of the German Confectionery Industry (BDSI) said it has welcomed its government's increased political commitment to more sustainability in the palm oil sector.
Indonesia has seen export volumes for its palm oil, its top agricultural commodity, drop drastically since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, with even bigger slumps set to come.
Growing palm oil on degraded pasture instead of deforested land can reduce net ecosystem carbon losses by 99.7% and results in a crop that is almost completely carbon neutral, according to a Colombian study.
Sustainability is undoubtedly one of the hottest topics in APAC’s food and beverage industry, but it can be hard to distinguish between greenwashing and a genuine commitment best practice. That’s why in this edition of Asia’s Food Future: Industry 4.0,...
FMCG giants Nestlé and Mondelēz have responded to the environmental watchdog’s report that claims they purchased palm oil from producers linked to Indonesia’s fire crisis.
The likes of Mondelēz, Nestlé and Unilever have joined a new scheme aiming to improve deforestation transparency. Just as well, as palm oil may be next to witness ‘the Attenborough effect’.
The Rainforest Alliance Network (RAN) has published a report alleging a raft of FMCG giants and secondary traders continue to use palm oil grown illegally in the Aceh region of Indonesia, in contravention of their own deforestation policies.
Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands are the latest countries to adopt the International Palm Oil Free Certification Trademark (POFCAP), bringing the number of countries using the label to 20.
UK researchers have found that – in addition to being healthier – low fat/sugar biscuits have the lowest environmental impact, while chocolate-coated biscuits are the least sustainable.
The Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) argues palm oil boycotts pave the way for unsustainable alternatives, but Greenpeace says that if the palm industry operates as usual, brands are left with little choice.
The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has just introduced stronger safeguards to ensure certified palm oil is not causing deforestation or human rights abuses, but is it too little too late?
The 15th annual general assembly of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) closed today, with over 850 representatives of the global palm oil and food industry agreeing to new certification standards for sustainable palm oil.
Nestlé announced it closed its joint venture with the Indofood Group last month, while PepsiCo reiterated its stance to not source palm oil – either directly or indirectly – from the company and its subsidiaries, purportedly linked to deforestation and...
