GFP-SPO Introduced As Reference across Palm Oil Certification Schemes

Zuraida said although GFP-SPO is developed through the palm oil lenses to measure the contribution of palm oil towards achieving sustainable development, it can actually be used as a sustainability reference for other types of vegetable oils, such as soybean, rapeseed, sunflower and others. (Photo by Mohd Suhaimi Mohamed Yusuf/The Edge)

The Global Framework of Principles for Sustainable Palm Oil (GFP-SPO) can be used as a common reference across different certification schemes applied primarily to palm oil production which anchored the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) as its base.

The GFP-SPO was introduced in a webinar on Monday (July 11) at a side event during the 2022 United Nations Economic and Social Council High-Level Political Forum (ECOSOC HLPF).

The event was conducted by the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) in cooperation with the governments of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines and the International Coconut Community.

It was graced by the presence of Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin and Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto.

Zuraida said although the GFP-SPO is developed through the palm oil lenses to measure the contribution of palm oil towards achieving sustainable development, it can actually be used as a sustainability reference for other types of vegetable oils, such as soybean, rapeseed, sunflower and others.

“Therefore, it is important for the ECOSOC HLPF to recognize the GFP-SPO as a step forward in accepting palm oil as a sustainable vegetable oil in line with the SDG principles,” she said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Airlangga said the size of the global vegetable oil market is predicted to increase from 199.1 million tons in 2020 to 258.4 million tons by 2026 by taking into account the growing global population and widespread use of vegetable oils in various industries.

“As such, it is important to ensure the continuity of enough supply of vegetable oils to the global market to prevent further price volatility and shocks to the global economy,” he said.

He said Indonesia emphasizes agriculture commodities, including vegetable oils, to meet the global sustainability standard.

“In this regard, common efforts to ensure sustainability in the global vegetable oil market should be conducted in holistic and non-discriminatory manners.

“Furthermore, such efforts should broadly take into account international agreements such as the UN SDGs 2030 as well as the Paris Agreement,” he added.

Themed “Catalyzing Actions for Sustainable Vegetable Oils in Support of Sustainable Development Goals”, the event served as an avenue to promote public awareness of emerging trends and actions in ensuring sustainability across all types of vegetable oils and identify opportunities for the next steps and joint efforts in promoting sustainable vegetable oils across both producer and consumers countries.

Executive director of CPOPC Dr Rizal Affandi Lukman said the council hopes that the framework can be globally considered as the foundation for the establishment of sustainability of the vegetable oil platform.

“The CPOPC stands ready to be engaged in realizing the commitment towards global sustainable development,” he said.

The event is also displaying a virtual exhibition (VE) from July 10 to 15, where 24 exhibitors and stakeholders from vegetable oil-producing countries showcase their best practices and experiences supporting the SDGs.

Source: www.theedgemarkets.com