Manik Mehta, Bernama 27 Sep 08;
The American Palm Oil Council (APOC) announced that a Malaysian oil palm plantation has received the first ever certification as the first plantation to adopt the strictest standards of sustainability for its palm-oil production.
A US based association representing the Malaysian palm-oil industry, APOC was set up to inform the American public about the benefits of palm oil used in food applications, biofuel, soaps, candles, etc, and is also said to be the worlds only international association formed to codify sustainable industry practices
"Palm-oil producers in Malaysia, along with the Malaysian government are committed to preserving the countrys natural resources and biodiversity," said Mohd Salleh Kassim, the APOC executive director.
"We want our customers here in the US to know that palm oil purchased in Malaysia is produced in a responsible, environmentally-friendly manner … the announcement is a great step forward in providing our international consumers with the documentation to back up our commitment to sustainable practices," he said.
Malaysia-based United Plantations Bhd was awarded the "Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oils (RSPO) Certificate of Conformance to RSPO Principles and Criteria".
Dedicated to promoting the growth and use of sustainable palm oil, the RSPO defines sustainable palm oil as production "comprised of legal, economically viable, environmentally appropriate and socially beneficial management and operations".
As a qualification for the RSPO award, United Plantations participated in thorough investigations of its nine estates, six mills and conservation areas; interviews with management, staff and workers regarding management systems and social amenities; and a meeting with 150 of the company's stakeholders to ensure that the plantation fulfilled each of the RSPO criteria.
"Much emphasis has been given to developing their commitment to sustainable palm oil," observed David Ogg, an assessor, in the RSPO Assessment Report for United Plantations.
"There is a clear commitment to RSPO by top management and by the staff and workers in the field."
The assessment team also highlighted United Plantations biodiversity and environmental conservation efforts in their report which applauds the establishment of the United Plantations "Lagoon Nature Reserve", a planting project of "rare and endangered Malaysian species", as the APOC calls it.
The lagoon contains 18 tree families, 50 species and more than 2,000 trees, which will create a natural forest system and provide a seed bank for future prorogation.
The report also refers to the plantations enforcement of "zero-burn policies" --- which means that land cannot be burned for the cultivation of palm oil - and its research to improve palm-oil seeds so that they maximize the yield thereby minimising the land and plants needed.
The RSPO certification of United Plantations is a "clear statement", according to the APOC, that "Malaysia is serious about sustainability".
Several other Malaysian palm-oil plantation companies are expected to be certified in the near future, the APOC said.
-- BERNAMA
Palm oil firm becomes first to win eco-certification
mongabay.com 28 Sep 08;
United Plantations, a Malaysia-based palm oil producer, has become the first oil palm plantation firm to be certified for adopting the strictest standards of sustainability for palm oil production, according to Bernama.
After inspections across its its nine estates, six mills and conservation areas and interviews with managers and employees by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oils (RSPO), an industry-driven sustainability initiative, the firm was awarded the "Certificate of Conformance to RSPO Principles and Criteria". United Plantations has implemented "zero-burn policies" as well as measures to reduce pollution and the use of fertilizers and pesticides. The firm has also set aside areas of high conservation value, according to RSPO.
The news comes as the palm oil industry moves to improve its environmental performance in response to harsh criticism from scientists and activists who say that oil palm expansion is driving deforestation and putting endangered species at risk. A recent study showed that more than half of oil palm expansion in Malaysia and Indonesia between 1990 and 2005 occurred at the expense of forests, while other research has found that oil palm plantations contain up to 80 percent less biodiversity than logged forests and are a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions when established on peatlands and in tropical rainforests.
Now that RSPO-certification has become a reality, some expect producers to seek a pricing premium for "greener" palm oil. Consumer giant Unilever — one of the world's largest consumers of palm oil — has already committed to buying only certified palm oil by 2015.
