Diverse ways to improve the environmental footprint and equitability of the palm oil trade took center stage at an online policy dialogue on 22 March, 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The event was hosted by CIFOR-ICRAF as part of GCRF TRADE Hub activities in Indonesia, which is funded by the\u00a0UK Research and Innovation Global Challenges Research Fund<\/a>\u00a0and led by the\u00a0UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC)<\/a>. It gathered representatives from government, academia, the private sector, and civil society to tease out some of the knotty issues associated with the palm oil trade, ahead of the 17th<\/sup>\u00a0leaders\u2019 summit for the G20, a multilateral cooperation forum that represents the world\u2019s major developed and emerging economies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Indonesia has been awarded the G20 Presidency for 2022 and will host its annual summit at the close of this year, on the theme \u2018Recover together, recover stronger\u2019. This title offers an important opportunity for the country to set the discussion agenda for global economic recovery and transformation \u2013 including taking the lead on discussions to advance a sustainable and equitable palm oil trade that will bring benefits to Indonesia\u2019s economy, environment, and people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe issue of palm oil can be very divisive,\u201d acknowledged Robert Nasi, Director-General of the\u00a0Center for International Forestry Research<\/a>\u00a0(CIFOR) in his keynote speech about the commodity. \u201cIt\u2019s a bit of a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde situation [in terms of how it\u2019s often portrayed in the media]. Fundamentally, however, it\u2019s a very productive plant that yields very good oil with great properties for industries and businesses; it\u2019s a very important source of livelihood for local people; and at the same time, it\u2019s often associated with tropical deforestation. So, how can we trade it more sustainably?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n TV news anchor Sara Wayne then facilitated a \u2018talk show\u2019 that delved into this issue, exploring opportunities, barriers, and progress in implementing global green deals for palm oil trade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Neil Burgess, Chief Scientist of UNEP-WCMC and Principal Investigator of\u00a0TRADE Hub,<\/a>\u00a0explained how growing awareness about deforestation and its link to climate change has created demand in the EU and UK for \u2018greener\u2019 and deforestation-free supply chains. \u201cThe population has become well-informed,\u201d he said \u2013 \u201cthere was genuine interest coming not only from the world\u2019s governments, but also from its citizens.\u201d However, he also cautioned that measures to this end could negatively impact on smallholder farmers who are currently benefitting from oil palm production and may struggle with increased regulations and compliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ahmad Maryudi, a professor in the Faculty of Forestry at\u00a0Gadjah Mada University<\/a>, described how initiatives so far have failed to fully eradicate deforestation from palm oil supply chains, and that governing bodies in the EU are interested in tightening the legislation. \u201cThere may be issues with enforcement; gaps in terms of [importing] countries\u2019 willingness to achieve sustainable commodities; and suppliers that do not really guarantee the conservation environment,\u201d he said. \u201cSo we\u2019d like to have a process that applies across all countries, big and small.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n