The Jakarta Post
February 14, 2018
By Anton Hermansyah
European alliance to help palm oil producers counter attacks
With the help of the European Palm Oil Alliance (EPOA), Indonesian palm oil producers are working on measure to counter negative campaigning against palm oil in Europe, as well as lobbying lawmakers. EPOA chairman Frans Claassen said on Tuesday his alliance would help the Indonesian Palm Oil Producers Association (GAPKI) to negotiate with relevant private supply chains, such as food producers, and educate customers on how to handle the effects of the negative campaigning.
"We imported 7.5 million tons of palm oil in 2017, around 50 percent is for food, feed and oleochemical products. But now the palm oil use for food is slowly declining in Europe because of the negative image," he said after a meeting in Jakarta.
In Europe, campaigners have stated that palm oil plantations cause forest fires, deforestation, animal extinction and the exploitation of child labor. The campaigners have also claimed palm oil plantations are unsustainable.
In order to counter this negative campaigning, the EPOA will produce publicity material through books, websites and social media underlining sustainable palm oil programs in palm oil-producing countries. The material will cover the progress toward reaching 100 percent sustainable palm oil by 2020.
In December 2015, several European countries signed a commitment, the Amsterdam Declaration, to only use fully sustainable palm oil by 2020. This document has been signed by Denmark, France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom.
Indonesia and Malaysia are now making efforts to certify their palm oil supply chains under the government-backed Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) and Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) programs, respetively.
"I have been active for 15 years in the palm oil industry and I know the story about the sustainable palm oil industry in Indonesia and the rest of the world. At the same time we have to step up efforts to explain more what palm oil is and the background of palm oil in supporting the livelihoods of ordinary people," Claassen said.
He added that the alliance would also partner with the food industry for the campaign. Some European producers such as Ferrero and Unilever are reportedly willing to contribute.
"Most of the companies in the food industry do not want to get rid of palm oil. They believe we need palm oil as a perfect ingredient of food," he said.
ISPO commission head Aziz Hidayat welcomed the EPOA initiatives as the alliance had helped Indonesia to explain about ISPO progress to the European public.
Meanwhile, GAPKI executive director Danang Girindrawardana said the countermeasures were crucial because despite having signed the commitmend to produce 100 percent sustainable palm oil by 2020, palm oil products remained the target of negative campaigning and discrimination.
He was referring to the "No Palm Oil" label in food products case in 2014 and the dumping allegations against Indonesian palm oil-based biodiesel in 2013.
"The 100 percent sustainability of palm oil industry can only be achieved in the next several years so it is unwise to 'punish' palm oil now," he said.
Biofuel Producers Association (Aprobi) chairman Paulus Tjakrawan said the campaign and lobbies had to start quickly as the European Parliament had added to pressure on palm oil by passing a new regulation restricting the import of vegetable oil-based biodiesel in 2021.
In order to fully implement the rule, the parliament has to seek approval from the European Council and European Commission.
"The trilateral meeting will start on Feb 28 and last for around two or three month. The government will lobby the European Commission and Council while we, the private sector, along with EPOA will lobby private European stakeholders," he said.
