KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is firmly committed to sustainable palm oil production, says Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.
"Malaysia's palm oil sector adopts stringent sustainability standards through our sustainability certification scheme, the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO)," Johari said in a statement today.
His statement follows the European Commission's announcement that it will not delay the implementation of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which is aimed at reducing deforestation and forest degradation.
"As a nation, Malaysia is committed to key global sustainability goals such as retaining at least 50 per cent of forest cover, achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, reducing carbon intensity against GDP by 45 per cent by 2030 and reducing global methane emission by 30 per cent by 2030, among others," said Johari.
He said the MSPO demonstrated Malaysia's commitment to transparency and traceability across the supply chain.
The initiative is also aimed at ensuring the industry in Malaysia is fully prepared for the EUDR.
"Malaysia emphasises four key focus areas in ensuring the sustainability of Malaysian palm oil products, which include the elements of traceability, deforestation-free, legitimate land title and good labour practices in line with International Labour Organization."
He said of the 5.7 million ha of palm oil planted area in Malaysia, 73 per cent were managed by large corporations, many of which comply with export regulations to the European market.
"The remaining 27 per cent of palm oil production, which comes from approximately 450,000 smallholders, face unique challenges in adapting to the evolving regulatory landscape."
He said the government, through his ministry, is actively working on capacity-building initiatives to help smallholders with EUDR compliance.
"This is important to ensure that the livelihoods of these smallholders are not affected by the implementation of the regulation.
"Malaysia remains committed to working closely with our international partners to ensure a mutually beneficial outcome and combat climate change and deforestation."