The need for sustainable packing materials with performance like petroleum-based polymers is growing. This study attempts to develop a biodegradable ternary biopolymer composite by reinforcing starch with nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC), and nanolignin (NL). Both NCC and NL were synthesized from oil palm waste, i.e., empty fruit bunch (EFB), which is biodegradable in nature; doing this improves the overall sustainability of the product. The developed composites were characterized for optical, thermal, mechanical and UV barrier properties. UV-vis spectrometry results revealed a synergistic effect between NL and NCC in improving the transparency and UV light barrier of the composites. The glass transition temperature (Tg) of the film with 4 wt% of NL and 4 wt% of NCC increased from 40 oC to 61 oC compared to the neat film. In addition, the tensile strength was found to be approximately 150% higher than the neat film. This work suggested that incorporating NL and NCC into the starch composites could be a promising alternative to current packaging material with improved mechanical strength, thermal stability, water, and UV light barrier performance.
The agrochemical business places a high priority on the development of ecologically friendly pesticides for sustainable agriculture. The main hurdles in developing new pesticides are identifying novel active ingredients and optimising the delivery system of a pesticide are the main challenges in developing new pesticides. Currently, it appears that the use of renewable resources, particularly plant oils as pyrolyzed bio-oil has the potential to replace the traditional petroleum-based solvents in liquid pesticide formulations. The palm kernel shellderived bio-oil contains high concentrations of oil esters compounds (methyl esters) which can effectively encapsulate or bind the pesticide’s active ingredients in the material’s matrix. These properties drive the selection of this materials to be utilised as carrier (inert ingredients) in the pesticide formulations. This study aims to investigate the viability of using bio-oil to substitute petroleum-based oil as carrier in bio-pesticide formulation against insect pest such as Metisa plana bagworm. Prior to formulation, the ternary phase diagram was used to assess the compatibility between bio-oil and surfactants such as Tween 20 and Tween 80 as bio-pesticide ingredients. According to the compatibility results, the best formulation contains 20% surfactant. Based on these circumstances, the experiment was designed with an active ingredient extracted from neem seeds, azadirachtin. The results showed that the formulated bio-pesticide could repel 50% of the bagworm population, with a lethal concentration (LC50) of 22.1 g/ml. As a result, this study contributes to our knowledge of waste management and brings us closer to a zero-waste strategy for a cleaner environment.
With the increasing demand in oils and fats worldwide, the palm oil industry in Malaysia has been growing over the past decades. Malaysia is the second-largest producer of palm oil products in the world, producing more than 19 million tonnes of crude palm oil (CPO) annually. This has resulted a high volume of palm oil mill effluent (POME) being generated, as a by-product of CPO extraction from the fresh fruit bunches. POME consists of high organic pollutants, which has to be treated via anaerobic and aerobic systems prior to its discharge to the watercourse. In the anaerobic system, biogas contains mainly methane and carbon dioxide gas. Hence, POME has been identified as a potential resource for bio-energy production in the palm oil mills. In order to recover such resource, biogas has to be captured and converted into bioelectricity via gas engine after the removal of its hydrogen sulphide content. The generated power can then be supplied to the national grid under the feed-in-tariff scheme. However, only limited palm oil mills in Malaysia are eligible for such scheme due to their geographical locations. Thus, in order to further explore the recovery opportunities of biogas, a techno-economic evaluation to upgrade the generated biogas into compressed bio-methane is performed. A mixed-integer linear programming model is formulated to screen the upgrading process based on economic performance. To illustrate the proposed approach, a case study based on a typical Malaysian palm oil mill is presented.
Palm oil is the most produced and consumed vegetable oil worldwide. Recently, the palm oil industry has received attention from food safety authorities due to the presence of 3-monochloro-1, 2-propanediol esters (3-MCPDE) in the refined oil. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) proposed to limit the presence of 3-MCPDE by 2.5 ppm in palm oil from year 2021 onwards. Various studies showed that the 3-MCPDE is a process contaminant induced by heat during the refining stage, in the presence of its precursors, such as diacylglycerol (DAG) and chlorine in palm oil. Research works have been conducted to mitigate 3-MCPDE formation. This paper provides an overview of the 3-MCPDE formation, mitigation initiatives and industrial practices in addressing the 3-MCPDE issue.
According to Energy Outlook 2019 published by the US Energy information administration, aviation fuel consumption is expected to be more than double by the year 2050 as compared to the current usage. The increased cost of petroleum fuels and growing environmental concerns have made the aviation industry rely on biofuel in their fuel usage. Non-edible crops and algae are mainly used as feedstock for jet fuel production. There are many technologies such as blending Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME), lipid hydroprocessing, Fischer–Tropsch synthesis, upgrading pyrolysis oils, Hydrothermal Liquefaction for jet biofuel production. However, sustainable production of jet biofuel is still under research. The current paper discusses the opportunities and challenges with these technologies.
A pilot plant installed for the UKM-YSD Zero Waste Technology project at the Sime Darby’s Palm Oil Tennamaram mill, Bestari Jaya, Selangor features various technologies for sustainable development. It transforms a regular mill into a green technology factory. Seven strategic thrust areas were identified to address the sustainability challenges of palm oil processing, namely the discharge of a large amount of highly polluting effluent, emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs), and generation of a large amount of solid waste. The approaches adopted in this research programme generated renewable energy from palm oil mill effluent (POME) and pre-treated empty fruit bunches (EFB) hydrolysate in biohydrogen production. POME from biohydrogen and biomethane two-stage fermenter was then subjected to integrated algae wastewater treatment and CO2 sequestration and integrated membrane filtration treatment processes in recovering treated water for boiler feed application. On the other hand, EFB and POME, along with residual solids and algae biomass produced from these zero waste technologies, were used to produce organic fertiliser. The results of the pilot plant operation showed that POME and solid biomass could be used to generate additional 20% renewable energy compared to the technologies practised in existing mills at 1,020 t/d of POME discharge. Organic fertiliser was produced at a lower cost and in a shorter duration, as well as water being recovered to be used as boiler feed water. The UKM-YSD Zero Waste pilot plant serves as a pioneering technology with the possibility of changing perceptions, especially among foreign importers, that palm oil production can be environmentally friendly
The palm oil industry extensively utilizes palm biomass from the mills as a source of fuel for generating steam and power. However, the use of palm biomass presents several problems. The high moisture content (in excess of 50%) requires more fuel to be consumed and limits the distance from which the fuel may be collected, as transportation costs are generally higher than the cost of fuel, making it uneconomical to transport it over long distances. The fibrous nature of palm biomass makes it easy to knot-up, which causes bridging and associated handling problems. Palm biomass-fuelled boilers must operate below 900°C to avoid fusion and adhesion of the fuel onto the tube surfaces, which can lead to severe damage to the tubes. This paper aims to share the lesson learnt from a biomass power plant and how it has addressed some of the common problems faced by biomass-fuelled boilers.
MALAYSIAN PALM OIL – FORGING FORWARD IN THE NEW NORM (5 – 8 JANUARY 2021) The Palm Oil Trade Fair & Seminar (POTS) flagship programme of MPOC was launched in 2006 with an objective to enhance the development and growth of the Malaysian palm oil industry in local and international markets. To date, MPOC has organized more than 50 POTS in over 25 countries and it has become a benchmark and highly anticipated event in the annual calendar of the global oils and fats trade. Considering the on-going developments restricting physical events, MPOC launched POTS Digital 2021, a fully online virtual conference bringing together world-renowned oils and fats industry leaders and experts. 15 world-renowned oils and fats industry leaders and experts delivered four insightful talks in the Current Issues session, followed by five presentations in the Innovation & Applications in Palm Oil Industry session. This was followed by the highly anticipated Market Updates & Price Forecast session with conference delegates logging in from all over the globe to hear from world-renowned experts giving their views on the oils and fats industry outlook for the upcoming year. The complete set of POTS Digital 2021’s Marketing Conference presentations and videos can be accessed at the website, www.mpoc.org.my
SUSTAINING HEALTHY LIFESTYLES FROM FATS AND BIOACTIVES (6 – 8 January 2021) After more than three decades of concerted research, aimed at better understanding of palm oil and its components for their effects on human health, there is still significant misinformation about palm oil. Misinformation has often resulted in mistrust and confusion despite a battery of credible scientific evidence that systematically exposes positive outcomes from these research projects conducted at some of the most renowned biomedical centres around the world. PINC 2021 is therefore a key scientific platform aimed at deliberating these issues and providing the most updated and correct science-based nutritional outputs. This event hosted some of the best expertise in palm oil and health. The voices of these experts should go a long way to resolve many issues about dietary fats, palm oil and healthy lifestyle management. PINC 2021 aspires to highlight the positive roles of palm oil and its known bioactives including tocotrienols, carotenoids and phenolics on human health and nutrition.
Integrated anaerobic-aerobic bioreactor (IAAB) is a bioreactor technology which operates as a single treatment unit for the removal of organic matter and generation of biogas from Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME). It is a single reactor configuration with compartmentalization in which the first, second and last compartments are designed for anaerobic, aerobic and settling processes respectively. A pre-commercialized IAAB (3000 m3) was built at Havys Oil Mill Sdn Bhd which is located at Palong, Malaysia, with the objective of investigating its long-term performance under variable organic loads and environmental conditions with respect to effluent quality and methane yield. The pre-commercialized IAAB system was directly fed with raw POME from the palm oil mill. Based on the results, at the steady state operation of over five months, the IAAB achieved a total removal efficiency which was up to 99% for chemical oxygen demand (COD), and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and methane yield up to 0.26 L CH4/g COD at organic loading rate (OLR) of 2.0 – 20.0 kg COD/m3 day. The achievement of BOD <100 mg/L throughout the 150 operational days with 45% of compliance was reported. The system could significantly reduce 70% of footprint and 78% of hydraulic retention time (HRT) compared with current conventional treatment systems. Further work on optimization for the recirculation flow rate in the anaerobic zone with consideration of fluid dynamics and microbiology is required to achieve 100% compliance of BOD <100 mg/L.
Refineries play a vital role in the supply chain for processing crude palm oil, and palm kernel into refined products which are ready for consumption. They need to continuously improve operational efficiencies and strive to reduce carbon footprint. These improvements in our referenced refinery were achieved through installation of new equipment, process changes, heat recovery and water recycling. Installation of inverters and LED lights yielded electrical energy savings of 2.5%. Process change implemented in the effluent treatment plant and heat recovery resulted in electrical energy savings and fuel reduction of 40% and 30%, respectively. Condensate recovery and capture of steam vapor emissions resulted in the reduction of steam usage by 50% in the palm kernel dry fractionation plant and 20% in the dry fractionation plant. The refinery has stopped relying on fuel oil and started using liquified natural gas, resulting in lower carbon footprint. In addition, it reduces resource exploitation by implementing water recovery within the complex and has achieved 85% recovery of its treated effluent water. Some of the additional benefit of implementing these changes are better product quality, less chemicals consumption, and cleaner working environment.
The International Palm Oil Sustainability Conference 2020 (IPOSC 2020) is MPOC’s biannual conference that highlights the sustainability challenges and opportunities in the Malaysian palm oil industry to all stakeholders. This year, the 6th IPOSC 2020 will be hosted by MPOC on a virtual platform, comprising two modules, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic affecting us globally. Virtual IPOSC 2020’s Module 2 will feature presentations from experts from the agricultural research and palm oil sectors who will share their views on the recent development, challenges and possible solutions on renewable energy, climate change and food security how the recent COVID-19 has impacted these efforts, will be included. The topics include: • Land Use Change and Indirect Land Use Change (iLUC) risk across vegetable oil crops • Methane Avoidance • Renewable Energy Policy • Palm Oil & Deforestation • Food Security The complete set of IPOSC 2020 Module 2 presentations and videos can be accessed at the event website, www.iposc.org.my
MODULE 1: AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES AND SUSTAINABILITY CERTIFICATION (14 - 22 SEPTEMBER 2020) The International Palm Oil Sustainability Conference 2020 (IPOSC 2020) is MPOC’s biannual conference that highlights the sustainability challenges and opportunities in the Malaysian palm oil industry to all stakeholders. This year, the 6th IPOSC 2020 will be hosted by MPOC on a virtual platform, comprising two modules, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic affecting us globally. Virtual IPOSC 2020’s Module 1 will feature presentations from sustainability experts from the agriculture, research and palm oil sectors who will share their views on efforts by global agricultural commodities towards achieving sustainability and carbon neutrality. How the recent COVID-19 has impacted these efforts, will be included. The topics include: The International Palm Oil Sustainability Conference 2020 (IPOSC 2020) is MPOC’s biannual conference that highlights the sustainability challenges and opportunities in the Malaysian palm oil industry to all stakeholders. This year, the 6th IPOSC 2020 will be hosted by MPOC on a virtual platform, comprising two modules, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic affecting us globally. Virtual IPOSC 2020’s Module 1 will feature presentations from sustainability experts from the agriculture, research and palm oil sectors who will share their views on efforts by global agricultural commodities towards achieving sustainability and carbon neutrality. How the recent COVID-19 has impacted these efforts, will be included. The topics include: • Agricultural Commodities and Sustainability – What Lies Ahead Post COVID-19 • European Green Deal, Agricultural Commodities and Sustainability • Integrating Sustainability and Carbon Neutrality in Palm Oil’s Supply Chain • Increasing the Demand for Sustainable Certified Palm Oil – What is the Missing Link? The complete set of IPOSC 2020 Module 1 presentations and videos can be accessed at the event website, www.iposc.org.my
While palm oil milling has evolved over the years with mechanization and technology development, the method of treating palm oil mill effluent (POME) has remained unchanged for many years. There are inherent challenges associated to POME and issues in existing treatment process. Solutions to advance POME treatment should fulfil the 3’E’s criteria – Efficient, Ease of operability and Economically Feasible. This article introduces some approaches which were developed and tested in the laboratory to advanced POME treatment – (i) automating high-rate anaerobic digester with remote monitoring and control capabilities; (ii) thermal pre-treatment of POME with dewatering device and (iii) post-treatment of anaerobically treated POME with coagulant assisted microbubble flotation. These approaches improve the treated effluent quality significantly and can be integrated into existing plants. It is imperative that academics work closely with the industry to translate work in the laboratory to the field to benefit the palm oil mills and improve sustainability of the whole of oil palm industry.
As part of the European Green Deal initiative, on 20 May 2020, the European Commission presented the Communication on a Farm to Fork Strategy for a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system (F2F Strategy), which aims at making “the entire food chain from production to consumption more sustainable and neutral in its impact on the environment”. Together with the F2F Strategy, the Commission presented the Communication on a EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 - Bringing nature back into our lives (Biodiversity Strategy), in which the Commission proposes a far-reaching EU Nature Restoration Plan to increase the share of protected areas to 30% of the EU’s lands and seas by 2030, including 10% under an enhanced strict protection status. This article analyses the EU’s F2F and Biodiversity Strategies and the possible implications that specific measures under both strategies are poised to have on palm oil, as well as on food products containing palm oil.
Malaysia has fully nurtured oil palm cultivation since its first commercial planting in 1917 till it became the most important economic crop. Located in the most suitable climate zone for oil palm, significant expansion of its cultivation was recorded, including replacing other less competitive existing crops such as rubber, cocoa and coconut. However, its expansion was limited due to availability of arable land as well as its commitment to the pledge at the Earth Summit in 1992, to keep at least 50 per cent of its land as forest cover. Being one of the mega biodiversity countries, the protection of Malaysia’s forestland cannot be compromised. Increasing the productivity within the existing available land, through planting of DNA-tested high yielding breeds and clonal materials, as well as accelerating replanting of unproductive palms, could be an alternative to overcome this limitation. Another option is to convert managed peatlands, which have already been converted for use by other cash crops. However, oil palm cultivation on managed peatlands needs to adhere to strict drainage management in order to mitigate negative environmental and climate impacts, given that peatlands contain vulnerable soils that can function as net carbon sinks. By ensuring that water tables are maintained within MPOB best-practice guidelines, growers can ensure that oil palm plants are able to reach their maximum potential yield while minimising peat carbon loss and soil subsidence. Furthermore, drainage can also stimulate GHG emissions, particularly enhanced emissions of soil carbon dioxide (CO2); careful water table management within MPOB guidelines can reduce this efflux. Even though soil CO2 emissions during earlier stages of plantation establishment may be high, net emissions decline as plantations reach maturity. A collaborative study between MPOB and UK partners on peatlands issue related to drainage and conversion in this complex ecosystem have been carried out. Preliminary results show that CO2 emission over a newly drained and planted oil palm estate was indeed releasing CO2 emission. These CO2 emissions progressively reduced over the year following planting. Responsible use of existing managed peatlands for oil palm requires growers to follow more stringent water table management, in order to minimise environmental and climate impacts, as stipulated in industry best practice guidelines and the National Action Plan for Peatlands.
The risk of large indirect land-use change (iLUC) induced by the increasing demand for biofuel feedstocks is at the centre of the debate about the sustainability of first-generation biofuels. The Greenhouse Gas balance of biofuels is strongly affected by the amount of iLUC. Currently, the strongest focus and the highest iLUC risk is given to palm oil-based biodiesel. However, these accounts have a shaky informational base since iLUC is induced by complex market reactions to increased biofuel demand. These accounts can not be observed, but they can only be roughly approximated with economic simulation models. What can be done to move towards low iLUC risk biofuel feedstocks? Two options are obvious. First, if biofuel feedstocks do not replace food products, there is no iLUC. Hence, increasing productivity on the plantations will lead to a supply of low or even zero iLUC risk. Secondly, if the conversion of forests is better regulated, iLUC risks will automatically reduce. Companies and governments can thus contribute to the move from high- to low-risk iLUC biofuels.
The oil palm sector in Malaysia is one of the main pillars of the Malaysian economy, contributing close to 43% of the agriculture GDP and earning on an average of USD16 billion in annual exports. The oil palm sector also provides direct and indirect employment to over 2 million people in Malaysia, apart from raising the income of small farmers, who on the average own or manage farms less than 4 hectares. In total, independent small farmers, own 979,758 hectares of oil palm areas accounting for 17% of the total oil palm planted area in Malaysia. The success story of this industry over the last century, has been negated by implications that the oil palm sector is a direct cause of deforestation, contributing to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through fires and planting on drained peat lands, harbouring exploitative human rights practices in the workforce, and lack of good governance and transparency. One tool to demonstrate implementation of good practices is through third party independent certification systems. Currently, at the global level, voluntary certification schemes have coverage of approximately 30% of the oil palm cultivated area. As such, the footprint of voluntary certification schemes will never be able to completely reach 100% of the users of the certification system. With the ambitious move for the implementation of a mandatory national certification system, Malaysia aims to cover the entire oil palm planted area through Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) Certification Scheme. The MSPO Certification Scheme is the national scheme in Malaysia for oil palm plantations, independent and organised smallholdings, and palm oil processing facilities to be certified against the requirements of the MSPO Standards. The MSPO Certification Scheme allows for oil palm management certification and supply chain certification and provides for development of certification standards; accreditation requirements and notification of certification bodies; application by potential clients for certification audits; supply chain traceability requirements; guidelines for auditing; peer reviewing of audit reports; issuance of logo usage licenses and procedures for handling of complaints. The fundamental enabling measures that are needed to make MSPO Certification successfully implemented in Malaysia is described in this paper.
Bray-2 test has been widely used to evaluate available P in acid soils treated with different phosphate rock (PR) sources for oil palm plantations in Malaysia and Indonesia. The review shows that Bray-2 test, which is a strong acid reagent, often overestimates available P in the soil compared with the actual P in soil solution from the dissolution of PR. Consequently, none or poor correlations between fresh fruit bunch (FFB) yield of oil palm and Bray-2 P have often been obtained. This problem occurs when comparing Bray-2 P from PR with that from water-soluble P (WSP) fertilizer such as TSP or comparing highly reactive PR with low-reactive PR. A new mixed cation-anion resin has been proven effective for evaluating available P from different types of P sources including PRs of varying reactivity and WSP for field crops. The resin method should be studied to test if it can be used to replace the current Bray-2 test to evaluate available P for oil palm.
Osteoporosis is an emerging degenerative bone disorder threatening the ageing population worldwide. Palm vitamin E has been proven effective in preventing bone loss, but the interaction between vitamin E isomers of varying efficacy may hamper its therapeutic potential. This study aimed to determine the most biologically active palm vitamin E isomers on bone using an innovative 3D bone cell culture model. Palm vitamin E mixture containing 22.0% α-tocopherol, 26.7% α-tocotrienol, 4.0% β-tocotrienol, 31.3% γ-tocotrienol and 15.6% δ-tocotrienol (60 mg/kg/day) was first tested on adrenalectomized male rats given dexamethasone (120 μg/kg/day), an in vivo model of secondary osteoporosis, for two months. It was effective in preventing bone loss in these rats. Human osteoblasts per se or co-cultures of human osteoblasts and osteoclast-like cells were incubated with each individual isomer (α-tocopherol, α, β, γ and δ-tocotrienol; 100 nM) using an in vitro 3D culture model for 28 days. It was observed that γ- and δ-tocotrienols showed the best results in improving the trabecular structure and biomechanical strength of the bone scaffold. As a conclusion, palm vitamin E possesses anti-osteoporotic effects and γ- and δ-tocotrienol may be the most active isomers acting on bone.
Wilmar is a leading player in edible oils production with an extensive presence in various countries such as China, India, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Russia, Ukraine and South Africa. It is one of world’s largest oil palm plantation owners and is the world’s largest processor and merchandiser of palm and lauric oils, as well as palm kernel cake and copra. Consequently, it is imperative for Wilmar to constantly improve and to monitor the quality of vegetable oils including palm oil products. Hence, Wilmar has established its own global R&D centres in China, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Russia, India, Australia and New Zealand. Furthermore, it has formed collaborations with renowned universities and institutes around the world. Research on palm oil (PO) concentrates broadly on two major fields: I. Research on 3-MCPD in Palm Oil a. Determine the toxicity of 3-MCPD esters in animal models. b. Mitigation of 3-MCPD ester formation during vegetable oil refining. II. Research on the Nutritional Value of Palm Oil a. Effects of palm oil on lipid metabolism, oxidative stress and endothelial function
This paper is born out of the desire to put into perspective the resolution on “Palm oil and the Deforestation of Rain Forests” the European Parliament (EP) passed by an overwhelming majority in April 2017 (henceforth: “the Resolution”). What to make of the Resolution? It calls for EU policy measures to combat deforestation in the tropics as well as the associated effects on climate change and biodiversity. The two main recommendations contained in the Resolution are the phasing out of palm oil as feedstock for biodiesel and to switch to 100% certified sustainable palm oil, both by 2020. Malaysia is acutely aware of the environmental challenges planet earth is facing. It considers itself part of the international community that strives to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, protect natural habitats and pursue patterns of sustainable production and consumption. In that same spirit, Malaysia welcomes the debate the Resolution has set in motion. As the second largest palm oil producing nation worldwide we understand the need for supplying palm oil to the international markets that has been sustainably produced. We are ready to continue the considerable efforts we have taken in that regard and even reinforce those. We are ready and willing to align with the overarching goal to work towards more sustainable modes of conducting the palm oil business. It is here where we see common ground with the EP Resolution. However, we differ in some important respects with several of the Resolution´s assumptions and implications. This paper explains in detail which those are. By way of summary: First, as a newly industrialized country we stress the importance of rural and economic development enshrined in the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of United Nations. Palm oil is vital to the Malaysian economy. For a more detailed discussion of this, turn to Section 2.3. Secondly, we do not accept some of the fundamental premises on which the Resolution rests. They contain several key errors, mainly for two reasons: 1) The parliamentary committees that drafted the Resolution in the process misquoted or misinterpreted parts of the research they drew upon 2) Some of the original research itself is flawed (see Section 4.2 and 4.3). We insist that policy measures that have far-reaching consequences for the Malaysian economy (and palm oil producing countries elsewhere) must be based on objective evidence and not a limitless application of the precautionary principle, which runs counter to Article 191 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Therefore, Malaysia wishes to express its views regarding the two primary goals of the Resolution mentioned above. Those are: Sustainability Certification: we emphasize that the realities of palm oil production and trade on the ground are far too complex to be covered by a single European certification scheme. In our view certification standards must be set and enforced on a national level. That is why we choose to invest heavily in building the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil standard (MSPO). On the other hand, we see the concerns the European Parliament has regarding transparency and clarity of different certification standards vis-a-vis the consumer. We, therefore, propose to look for ways to make standards comparable. (see Section 5.2) Biofuels: The debate over the implications of the so-called “Globiom Report” which applied the concept of indirect land use change (ILUC) to the calculation of the overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of biofuels has been going on for years without having been settled. In our view, to phase out biofuels on that basis in fact amounts to a violation of the precautionary principle. Considering that the internal combustion engine running on fossil fuels will remain the central pillar of transport for at least another 15 to 20 years, the environmental implications of fossil fuels versus biofuels should be explored further. It must be remembered that the overall GHG footprint of fossil fuels must consider all activities like traditional petroleum exploration and fracking as well as shale oil and gas production (the former mainly used for kerosene and diesel fuel). A full evaluation of these factors (incidentally, oil palms undeniably have a non-trivial carbon sink potential) might lead to the conclusion that the alleged cure of abandoning biofuels is worse than the disease. Likewise, alternative technologies like the electric motor have problems of their own. Electrical power - unlike palm oil - does not grow on trees. Instead, it is often generated by – absurdly - burning fossil fuels like coal. To summarize: we support the environmental goals laid out in several of the international treaties Malaysia is party to, like the Paris Agreement. However, we are concerned that the European Parliament and Commission have been misled by false assumptions to pursue a path towards these goals that leads somewhere else: to an outcome that will leave consumer and producer countries as well as the global environment worse off. To avoid such a result Malaysia is keen to bring its century-long experience, and extensive expertise in all things palm oil to the table. Only working together will make solutions possible that are better for all stakeholders involved, including the earth's ecosystem.
The Malaysian palm oil industry has been actively involved in the country’s conservation efforts, through MPOC’s Malaysian Palm Oil Wildlife Conservation Fund (MPOWCF). The funding has also enabled MPOC to spearhead numerous conservation initiatives in Sabah since 2008, ranging from the formation and funding of Sabah Wildlife Department’s Wildlife Rescue Unit (WRU), the orangutan population aerial survey, to the establishment of the Bornean Elephant Sanctuary. In addition to MPOC’s efforts, Malaysian plantation companies are also equally active in these conservation endeavours. For example, Yayasan Sime Darby has contributed RM3.96 million for the research on the Sunda clouded leopard, proboscis monkey and Bornean banteng in Sabah. This funding has enabled the Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC) and Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) to conduct a detailed research on the Sunda clouded leopard, which led to the organisation of the Sunda clouded leopard conservation workshop in mid-June 2017. Yayasan Sime Darby has also funded a conservation project on the proboscis monkey in Sabah, which led to the drafting of the State Action Plan for the Proboscis Monkey.
On April 4, 2017, the European Parliament (EP) approved a Resolution by 640 votes to 18, with 28 abstentions. The adopted text carries the title: “Palm Oil and Deforestation of Rainforests” (henceforth “the Resolution”). The purported overall goal of the Resolution is new regulation on the importation and use of palm oil in the European Union (EU) to avoid deforestation in the tropics. To achieve this, various measures are proposed, most importantly the ban of palm oil in biofuels, switching to a single EU-wide sustainability certification and allowing only palm oil thus certified to be imported after the year 2020. Despite its declared goal to better protect the earth´s natural patrimony, the Resolution disregards the needs and well-being of dependent communities in the producer countries. By adopting it - with an overwhelming majority - European MPs have decided they must show their hands in the heart of palm producer nations. With their vote, they have driven out truth and objective facts and instead rubber stamped an action that promises to revert small oil palm farmers to abject poverty while denying them Europe as a marketplace.
Vegetable oils and fats as well as their blends are important ingredients in manufacturing infant formula or infant food (IF). Oil blends constitute ca. 30% of the ingredients content of IF. Nutritional value, quality and shelf-life of IF greatly depends on essential composition and quality factors as well as oxidative stability of the oil blend used. Eight oil blends were prepared from palm oil, palm kernel oil, soybean oil and sunflower oil at different ratios for IF formula liars. The prepared oil blends were investigated and evaluated for their essential composition and quality factors, oxidative stability and shelf-life, taking into consideration that oil blends used should comply with Codex Standard for infant formula (72-1981), especially its prescribed ratio of linoleic/α-linolenic acids. The induction period (IP) in hrs was taken as an index of the oxidative stability of the oil blends investigated. Moreover, the ratio of linoleic/α-linolenic acid of oil blends was also calculated. The results showed that oil blends No. 3 and 8 were found to have the highest oxidative stability (IP 24.1, 24.4 hrs. respectively), followed by oil blends No. 2, 4, 1, 7, 5 and 6 which had IP of 21.0, 20.4, 19.8, 18.4, 17.8 and 15.1 hrs, respectively. It could be concluded that using palm oil and palm kernel oil in preparing oil blends resulted in significantly improved oxidative stability. The IP of refined palm kernel oil, palm oil, sunflower oil and soybean oil were found to be 29.6, 26.4, 3.88 and 3.72 hours respectively. The results showed that for ratio of linoleic/α-linolenic acid only oil blends No. 1, 2 and 3 complied with the Codex Standard on infant formula (72-1981). Taken into consideration the highest oxidation stability and ratio of C18:2/C18:3 reported in Codex Standard on IF, oil blend sample No. 3 (palm oil 75%, palm kernel oil 10% and soybean oil 15%, ascorpyl palmitate 0.027%, citric acid 0.003% and mono, diglyceride 0.05%) was judged the most suitable and recommended for use in manufacturing of IF.
Dense haze, caused by the smoke from peat fire in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia from September to October 2015, resulted in low oil extraction rates (OER) in the palm oil mills. The reduced total sunshine hours due to haze affected the OER four weeks after, even though the crop was harvested at the minimum harvesting standard of 5 loose fruits on the ground. The haze resulted in low OER in October and November 2015. Bunch sampling and analysis indicated that the inner fruits were pale yellowish in colour with correspondingly low oil content. The possible emission of ethylene gas from the burning forest and its role in the early abscission of fruits of the fresh fruit bunches (FFB) are discussed in this paper.
The study shows that subjecting the total production of Malaysian palm oil to RSPO certification can place a heavy toll on the palm oil industry. By using 2014 as the base year of the study, it costs RM 851 million annually to undergo and to maintain RSPO certification. This amount is equivalent to 4.3% of the total Malaysian government’s expenditure on healthcare. It is also equivalent to 1.6% of that spent on education and manpower training for the whole country in that year. With a lukewarm uptake of certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) by the consumers at only 45% of that produced, the study shows that the extra revenue obtained from sales of CSPO and certified sustainable palm kernel oil (CSPKO) cannot cover the expenditure incurred for certification. As a result, the Malaysian palm oil industry will have to bear a total loss of RM758 million annually. The certification of palm oil using RSPO is only a means to justify that the palm oil is, indeed, sustainably produced. It is also to be noted that not all oils and fats used for food in the world need to be certified for their sustainability. Thus, it is felt that since the sales of CSPO and CSPKO do not derive economic benefits, the money that would be used to certify the entire palm oil production of Malaysia could, instead, be channelled for use in much needed, important and beneficial national social activities such as the provision of better healthcare, education and manpower training for the people. The money could also be diverted to carry out activities that significantly lower the carbon footprint of the Malaysian palm oil industry. One such activity is to capture methane in the palm oil mills. In addition, it is also known that the activities and travel needed to carry out RSPO certification will result in an additional carbon footprint for certified palm oil. As such, certified palm oil has a higher carbon footprint than non-certified palm oil. By using a very simplistic model here, the amount of RM 851 million needed for RSPO certification, if sourced from sales of petroleum, has a carbon footprint, on an annual basis, amounting to 1.6 million tonnes CO2 equivalent. One tonne of certified palm oil carries an extra 81.3 kg CO2 carbon footprint more than non-certified palm oil. As such, users of certified palm oil will, of course, have higher carbon footprints.
Availability of natural resources is instrumental in ensuring both growth and survival of a sovereign state’s economy and its population’s livelihood. As such, it is essential that natural resources, both renewable and non-renewable be managed sustainably. Natural resources can be found in a variety of forms and functions – including mining of rare earth and minerals, crude oil, forests and arable land for livestocks and agriculture. Peatlands are one such resource and historically they have been excavated and exploited for fuel and used as arable land for agriculture and forestry. Peatlands also have vital ecological functions, such as supporting biodiversity and functions as a depository for carbon stocks. The focus of this review is to look at how peat, especially in Europe has been exploited; literally fuelling its economy in certain cases. In addition to this, peat also played an important role in providing arable land for Europe’s forestry, agriculture and horticulture sectors. Some of these sectors have remained key pillars in Europe’s economy. For example, the Dutch horticulture sector is a €4 billion industry. In Sweden and Finland, peat is a vital cog in their energy supply chain. However, in the process of exploiting any natural resources, it is inevitable that land use change and other environmental impacts would arise, especially if it is poorly managed. Thus, this begs the questions of its sustainability. It is especially critical now, as a growing body of scientific evidence, for example the IPCC (in 2007), have pointed towards land use change as one of the major contributors towards global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, thereby accelerating the detrimental effects of climate change. In this review we estimate the amount of peat loss in this transition (when it was developed for the European countries’ economic wealth creation), as well as the GHG emitted during this period (which is still continuing to do so). A comparison is also drawn with the utilization of peatlands in developing countries, where it is driven primarily by the need to increase population living standards, and to eradicate poverty. The review shows evidence that Europe has also significantly contributed towards global GHG emissions as a result of its peatland development, and created better standards of living that currently may not necessitate further exploitation of its peatlands, compared to scenarios in developing countries.
The future of palm oil as a primary vegetable oil is promising as global demand for food increases. Consequently, it is foreseen that the conflict between agriculture and conservation will intensify. Consumers and environmentalist particularly in the West are concerned about the environmental impacts of oil palm cultivation, particularly its suggested role in deforestation, climate change and biodiversity loss. In order to continue promoting palm oil, particularly to the concerned Western consumers, an alternative approach is suggested – by linking market incentives with conservation. This paper focuses on tapping into one such method of creating a premium market for the wildlife-friendly eco-labelled products using flagship species such as the orang-utan or tiger. Consumers’ willingness to pay for wildlife-friendly palm oil products provides for industry involvement of conservation and sustainability. The challenges and opportunities of implementing such eco-labels on palm oil products are discussed.
The EU strategy regarding food information to the consumer, formulated under the leadership of DG SANTE, calls for transparency, verifiability, and truthfulness. The ultimate goal is to protect the consumer from making the wrong purchasing decisions. In pursuit of this goal, comprehensive new legislation came into force last December. The spirit of this regulation as well as its concrete procedures question the current practice of putting “No Palm Oil” (NPO) labels on food products. Such labels imply that consumers´ interest is best served if products containing palm oil are avoided. This claim rests on the assumption that palm oil has negative effects on consumer health and the environment. Scientific evidence and market realities do not confirm these claims. Therefore, NPO labels are in all likelihood illegal under current EU legislation and should be banned. However, the current lack of enforcement within the EU on such practices could jeopardize the very principles that govern food labeling legislations.
The increased global demand for land calls for difficult trade-off among competing needs at the global, national and local levels. Recognition of the potentially adverse environmental effects of land conversion has resulted in worldwide political efforts to implement sustainable land use strategies. In the past, however, land use has generally been considered a local environmental issue whose decision-making is under the purview of local and national authorities. This article unpacks key misconceptions in relation to the application of land use policies for sustainable development. It argues that although reshaping the spatial organization of land is essential to ensure the functioning of ecosystems, the decision on the optimal use of lands should respect the subsidiarity principle. This essentially means that the nation states – instead of external authoritarian pressure groups – decide on what is best for their bottom-billion citizens. The international pattern of land use change and the international campaign against the palm oil industry provide a telling example of the misrepresentation of the original spirit of sustainable development. With Malaysia as an example of a country striving for sustainable agriculture practices, the article concludes by proposing a generic formula for sustainable land use with equal emphasis on development and environment.
The paper focuses on land cultivated with oil palm prior to 1st January 2008 and the production pathways of biofuel or bio liquid, based on current production practices. The rationale and guideline for the calculation of greenhouse gas emission given in this paper may benefit oil palm growers who planted oil palm prior to 1st January 2008. This could assist in the subsequent sale of palm oil to the European market. A case study carried out from the supplying estate, palm oil milling and effluent treatment under open pond system as well as refining; up to the biofuel production stage indicates that the GHG saving in palm oil biofuel for transportation is 43.95%. With methane capture and flaring, the GHG savings can increase to 66.95%.
The palm oil plantation industry in Malaysia has been striving to make production sustainable and the industry stakeholders have set-up various sustainability certification schemes for palm oil. Perception of the industry from the media, Non-government Organizations (NGOs) and social groups seem to indicate that palm oil is generally not sustainable, and the industry thus should reduce any expansion policies it may harbour. This study reviewed perception trends with regards to oil palm plantations in Malaysia, and analysed the related variables that are important for palm oil production in the country. A perception survey of 742 stakeholders was carried out and the analysis shows stakeholders regard different issues as important for their respective groups. The perception for the growers and traders/manufactures indicated that their actual behaviour does not tally with the views of environmental NGOs and media. Although the industry has established its principles and criteria which are the backbone of the certification schemes, stakeholders still differ in their perception towards palm oil. The perception issues are linked with a lack of measurable variables for sustainability, which were considered not important previously. The overall conclusion shows that sustainable science is an important element for oil palm management. However it is still perceived that a number of additional measurable variables could be adopted by the industry, to assist in properly quantifying sustainability.
Livestock and palm oil industries are both vital agricultural farming systems providing food to the world. The activities of these industries require land for production. Between them, the livestock industry requires extensive land and is, thus, found to be the primary cause of deforestation in the world. In 2012, it used nearly 300 times more land area than oil palm. As very large areas need to be cleared, a very large non-recurrent carbon stock loss and carbon debt are incurred by the livestock industry. This debt is 612 times larger than that of the palm oil industry. As time progresses, the carbon debt of the livestock industry deepens since it is a recurrent carbon source. On the contrary, the relatively smaller carbon debt of the palm oil industry decreases with time since it is a net carbon sink.
The impacts of forest fragmentation on biodiversity, such as population isolation, edge effect and ecosystem weakening, are summarized. Two basic approaches to mitigation of these impacts in palm oil landscapes are outlined: Land-sparing and Land-sharing. The Land-sparing approach argues that forest fragments in most oil palm landscapes are of negligible conservation value, and that, instead of trying to increase the biodiversity value of these, money and effort would be better spent investing in protection and management of large contiguous areas of forest offsite, such as are available in biobank projects. Arguments for adopting a Land-sharing approach include protection of ecosystem functions, benefits to local communities, and protection of extant high conservation value species populations. An example of the latter approach is showcased – that of the Kinabatangan Corridor of Life Project in Sabah. Which of these two approaches individual companies should adopt will depend on consideration of local and landscape-level factors, and these can be determined by a thorough biodiversity assessment of the plantation and surrounding ecosystem.
In the past, the norm to determine the competitiveness of palm oil is by conducting a direct economic comparison with other vegetable oils. However, with increasing attention on sustainable development, the environmental and social relevance of palm oil production are now defining issues in trade. In 2012, the Environmental Protection agency (EPA) of USA, under the Renewable Fuels Standard 2 (RFS2), published the Notice of Data Availability (NODA) ruling that oil palm biofuel does not meet the GHG threshold requirements when compared to fossil fuel. In their calculations they assumedthat only 10% of the palm oil mills in Malaysia and Indonesia will have biogas capture facilities by 2020. A comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) study of Malaysian oil palm products from mineral soils was carried out by MPOB. One of the outcomes of this study was the identification of methane emissions from the POME treatment to be a significant contributor to the GHG emissions along the supply chain. Following this, the National Key Economic Areas (NKEA), included biogas trapping as one of the eight Entry Point Projects of the palm oil sector; that targets that all palm oil mills will capture their biogas by the year 2020. The objective of this study was to compare the national GHG emissions if palm oil mills do not capture their biogas and savings that the oil palm industry will contribute if all the palm oil mills capture biogas. This study has a cradle to gate system boundary which starts at the oil palm nurseries followed by the plantations up to the palm oil mills. The land use scenario used in this study at the plantation was the continued land usechange from oil palm to oil palm. Allocation is carried out at the palm oil mill with the by products. Three scenarios were considered: annual GHG emissions in Malaysia from the biogas and the production of CPO ( with allocation) with no biogas capture facilities; annual GHG emissions and savings in Malaysia from the biogas and the production of CPO ( with allocation) with 10% of the palm oil mills having biogas capture facilities and annual GHG emissions and savings in Malaysia from the biogas and the production of CPO ( with allocation) with 100% of the palm oil mills having biogas capture facilities. Using the 2013 production figures for Malaysia, the GHG emissions from the biogas alone was 18.36 million t CO2eq/year while the total GHG emissions for CPO was 18.66 million t CO2eq/year. With 10% of the palm oil mills capturing the biogas; the GHG emissions from biogas reduced to 16.74 million t CO2eq/year with total savings of 0.99 million t CO2eq/year while the total GHG emissions for CPO was 17.66 million t CO2eq/year. With 100% of the mills having biogas capture the GHG emissions reduces drastically to 2.07 million t CO2eq/year with total savings of 16.30 million t CO2eq/year while the total GHG emissions for CPO was 8.67 million t CO2eq/year.
Some plant-based bioactives are known to possess multiple health benefits, and polyphenols represent the largest group of these. The presence of multifunctional (antioxidant, anti-lipid peroxidative and metal chelating) properties within the same molecule enables polyphenols to confer pleiotropism, akin to several therapeutic agents. With such emerging positive scientific evidence, novel polyphenols are actively being pursued by the food and supplement industries as a natural, safe and cost-effective means of delivering health benefits to consumers. Several naturally occurring polyphenol compounds (e.g. tea, grape, wine) have been shown to afford cardiovascular protection through their actions on the vasculature. The palm oil industry is a global provider of several natural antioxidants. Palm carotenes rich in -carotenes, and palm vitamin E enriched in tocotrienols reside in the fruit mesocarp, and are recovered from extracted crude palm oil. In addition, a novel water-soluble antioxidant complex enriched in polyphenols (oil palm phenolics; OPP) has been isolated from the large aqueous biomass generated during the milling process. In the present study we evaluated the potential cardiovascular outcomes of OPP via a series of in vitro and in vivo studies following both acute administration and long-term feeding in rats. OPP dose-dependently relaxed isolated blood vessel preparations, and lowered blood pressure (BP) in the nitric oxide deficient model of hypertension as well as in the spontaneously hypertensive rat following acute administration. OPP afforded protection against cardiac arrhythmia following induction of myocardial ischemia by coronary artery ligation in a whole animal model of sudden cardiac death. The results thus implicate OPP as a potential bioactive ingredient effective in promoting cardiovascular health.
From December 2014, EU Regulation 1169/2011 will require products containing palm oil to be labelled explicitly mentioning the same. It is a move that has been welcomed by NGOs, who were previously calling for a boycott, but widely criticised by producers, manufacturers, and those NGOs, which favour greater engagement with the palm oil industry. As with much of the confusion that surrounds consumers’ understanding of food labelling, shoppers can only act upon the information that they are given. In the case of palm oil, that information ranges from the unnecessarily scientific to the deliberately misleading. Smartphone apps designed by single-issue campaigns often fail to take into account the needs of multiple stakeholders. The new labelling, having identified that a product contains palm oil, requires the consumer to make an ‘ethical’ decision based on this inadequate information. Ethical consumers want to know that their choices are part of the solution and don’t have unintended consequences. In a debate dominated by sensational images which appeal to the emotions but don’t inform, more (and more reliable) information would be of benefit both to the consumer and the palm oil industry. Ethical consumers want to know that their choices are part of the solution and don’t have unintended consequences. In a debate dominated by sensational images which appeal to the emotions but don’t inform, more (and more reliable) information would be of benefit both to the consumer and the palm oil industry.
Met is a receptor tyrosine kinase. Dysregulation of Met signaling is associated with aggressive cancer phenotypes characterized by highly invasive and metastatic growth. Low dose treatment of γ-tocotrienol, a rare form of vitamin E, has previously been shown to inhibit Met receptor activation and mammary tumor cell proliferation when combined with the Met inhibitor, SU11274. Experiments were conducted to determine the intracellular mechanisms involved in mediating the anticancer effects of combined γ- tocotrienol and SU11274 treatment in mammary cancer cell lines. Mouse (+SA) and human (MCF-7, and MDA-MB-231) mammary cancer cell lines, and CL-S1 (mouse) and MCF10A (human) immortalized normal mammary epithelial cell lines were compared. Cell proliferation and survival were determined by MTT assay and Ki-67 staining. Protein expression was determined by Western blotting. Immunofluorescent staining was used to characterize expression and localization of multiple epithelial and mesenchymal markers. Cell migration was determined using the wound healing assay. Combined treatment of subeffective concentrations of γ- tocotrienol and SU11274 resulted in a synergistic growth inhibition in +SA, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-231 cells, but had no effect on CL-S1 and MCF10A viability. Additional studies showed that combined treatment caused a large reduction in phosphorylated-Akt (active) levels and suppressed HGF-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in +SA cells, as indicated by a characteristic increase in epithelial markers E-cadherin, membrane-bound β- catenin, and cytokeratins 8/18, and a corresponding decrease in mesenchymal marker vimentin expression, as compared to vehicle-treated controls. Combined treatment with γ-tocotrienol and SU11274 blocked HGF-induced +SA and MDA-MB-231 cell motility. These results demonstrate that the anticancer effects of combined γ-tocotrienol and SU11274 treatment aremediated by a suppression in hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)-induced mitogenic signaling, EMT, and cell motility, and suggest that the use of these agents may provide significant benefits in the treatment of breast cancers characterized by aberrant Met activity. This work was supported, in part, by grants from First Tec International Ltd. (Hong Kong), the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC), and the Louisiana Cancer Foundation.
The SPAD chlorophyll meter is a useful tool to assess Nitrogen (N) fertilizer requirement for many field crops with the advantages of rapid and in-field crop N status measurement. The objective of this study was to provide a direct comparison between SPAD meter readings versus leaf N concentrations in oil palm seedlings. Nine genotypes of oil palm were subjected to N stress conditions and then followed by N recovery. SPAD readings and the leaf N concentrations were measured to monitor the oil palm recovery responses induced by the stress condition. Based on this study, all oil palm genotypes, except Genotype I, demonstrated 9 days of lag period before the SPAD readings and leaf N concentrations began to increase. Genotype A showed the fastest recovery ability compared to the other genotypes. Genotypes A and E, which inherited more genetic diversity, showed better N response on recovery as compared to the other genotypes. SPAD readings of the oil palm also showed significant (p < 0.0001) and high positive association (r = 0.7337) with leaf N concentrations. This study showed that SPAD chlorophyll meter could be used as a reliable tool to determine the N status of the oil palm seedlings.
In recent years, sustainability has emerged as a focal area of cross-disciplinary inquiry and has tended to be problem-driven. These developments are supported by a number of economic theories that include the Neo- Malthusian theory, Kuznet’s Hypothesis and Hardin’s Tragedy of the Commons. Two frameworks: theoretical and conceptual were created by assessing correlations based on the above mentioned economic theories. Study frameworks were designed and validated as “economy tools’ for quantitative analysis of variables that are deemed important for sustainable management. These frameworks were applied to the palm oil industry and its sustainability challenges. Stakeholders’ perceptions and their management were incorporated in the overall palm oil economic analysis for sustainability management. This paper discusses the various existing economic theories and how each of it relates to sustainability, and the development of sustainable palm oil industry. Two frameworks were designed: the theoretical framework capturing the analysis of the existing economic theories and their relevance to sustainability and the palm oil industry. In the second framework, a conceptual design was developed as a tool depicting linkages to all important parameters that required evaluation, when measuring sustainability. Overall, despite these framework developments and their application, we conclude that sustainability and existing economic theories do not completely resolve the issue of sustainable production with regards to land management or sustainable land development in the agricultural sector.
The sustainability of a biofuel feedstock must be viewed holistically on three aspectseconomic, environment and social. A single biofuel which satisfies all these aspects completely does not exist. Based on this study, among the first generation biofuels which support today's biofuel programmes, palm oil biodiesel is seen to be a very highly sustainable biofuel feedstock, exceeding the other biofuel feedstocks, including corn, rapeseed and soya. In addition, palm oil production for food also leaves behind a large source of biomass wastes which can potentially be used to produce second generation biofuels and avert the food-fuel quandary.
The palm oil industry has brought great economic benefits to Malaysia. The current production of 19 million metric tons (Mmtons) of crude palm oil (CPO) adds 8% to the country’s gross national income (GNI). In
addition, the oil palm estates produce an estimated 80 Mmtons of dry weight biomass. This includes trunks, fronds, empty fruit bunches and other biomass fractions. These resources present attractive raw materials for the newly emerging and potentially profitable renewable energy and biobased chemicals markets1. The perennial nature of the oil palm biomass supply base and the available volumes are strong assets to tap into these new markets. This paper describes the potential of the biomass markets and highlights some of the answers to the challenges these markets currently present to the oil palm biomass industry.
The palm oil industry has brought great economic benefits to Malaysia. The current production of 19 million metric tons (Mmtons) of crude palm oil (CPO) adds 8% to the country’s gross national income (GNI). In addition, the oil palm estates produce an estimated 80 Mmtons of dry weight biomass. This includes trunks, fronds, empty fruit bunches and other biomass fractions. These resources present attractive raw materials for the newly emerging and potentially profitable renewable energy and biobased chemicals markets. The perennial nature of the oil palm biomass supply base and the available volumes are strong assets to tap into these new markets. This paper describes the potential of the biomass markets and highlights some of the answers to the challenges these markets currently present to the oil palm biomass industry.
A total of 338 faecal samples are collected from 16 semi-captive orang utans (5 adults,5 sub-adults,6 juveniles) from December 2010 to October 2011. They are screened for gastrointestinal parasites using method of direct smear, faecal flotation, faecal sedimentation, faecal culture and McMaster technique. The aimed are to study the gastrointestinal parasites prevalence for semicaptive orang utans and the parasitic infection with the seasonal trend. For the nematodes, Strongyloides spp. prevalence was significantly higher throughout the study period compared to trichostrongylids and Trichuris spp. One protozoan found and classified as cysts and trophozoites of Balantidium spp. Sub-adult orang utans gave the highest prevalence for Strongyloides spp. larvae, while juveniles gave the highest for Strongyloides spp. eggs. However, the occurences of trichostrongylids
and Trichuris spp. were at low prevalence throughout the study. For the protozoa, subadults gave the highest prevalence for Balantidium spp. cysts and juveniles for the trophozoites. The seasonal difference occurred only in juvenile orang utans where the number of total eggs per gram was significantly higher during the wet season compared to the dry season. Anthelmintics efficacy test was also done to the parasitic infections of the orang utans. The percent efficacy tested that Ivermectin with 98.9%, Albendazole with 99.3% and Mebendazole with 23.2% of
percent eggs reduction. However, orang utans tested with Ivermectin had the lowest mean epg at 25 eggs per gram until the fourth week. Also, two species of nematodes are identified until the species level using the 18s rDNA for Strongyloides spp. and ITS-
2 rDNA for Oesophagostomum spp. Sequencing results revealed that the larvae culture had 100% similarity of Strongyloides fuelleborni and 99% similarity of Oesophagostomum cf. aculeatum.
The production of renewable fuels worldwide continues to expand as a consequence of volatility in petroleum prices, commitments to greenhouse gas reduction by governments and the need for future energy security,especially in regions with high dependence on fossil fuel imports. Renewable hydrocarbon diesel and jet fuels can be produced using the UOP/ENI Ecofining™ and UOP Renewable Jet processes. Unlike conventional fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) based bio-diesel, the deoxygenated hydrocarbons produced in these UOP processes have fuel quality attributes that are very similar to the corresponding petroleum derived fuels. Biomass such as agricultural and forestry wastes are emerging as promising sources of renewable liquid, gaseous and solid fuels. The RTP™ process converts biomass to RTP green fuel, a pyrolysis oil that can be used as process fuel in boilers, furnaces and kilns or for power generation. Use of RTP green fuel can also significantly reduce the energy cost, greenhouse gas impact and carbon footprint of user industries. Conversion of RTP green fuel to hydrocarbon transportation fuels has been demonstrated While palm oil is primarily used for edible purposes, the technologies described above offer significant potential for conversion of byproducts from the palm plantation and downstream processing sectors – such as palm stearin and expended palm fruit bunch – into second-generation hydrocarbon fuels. It is important that appropriate sustainability criteria be applied to selection and utilization of byproducts and residues from the palm sector for production of such fuels.
At the close of the Rio+20 Earth Summit, heads of state and ministers from more than 190 nations agreed to set global sustainable development goals (SDGs) and other measures to strengthen global environmental
management, tighten protection of the oceans, improve food security and promote a ‘green economy’.
Integrating forest into sustainable development objectives is inevitable. The palm oil industry can play an important role in fulfilling the SDGs and promoting the green economy. This paper will highlight some of the potential areas where both forest and the palm oil industry contribute to the SDGs.
There are a number of problematic soils in the Tropics. They are soils on steep terrain, soils of the dry regions,highly weathered soils, lateritic soils, acid sulfate soils, saline soils, sandy soils, organic soils and soils after specific land use change.
This paper discusses the various problems that each of these groups of soils have and the various management practices that can be taken to overcome these problems so that they can produce oil palms on a sustainable basis. Each of these problem soil groups have their own limitations, some of which are difficult or costly to overcome. Sometimes oil palm may not be the best crop for the area. However, economic and labour considerations will determine the final decision.
In the last decade, concern about the negative impacts of large scale agricultural expansion has led to increasing efforts to promote sustainability across a range of agricultural supply chains, including oil palm. Often
improvements in sustainability are implemented through the establishment of an international certification system that sets voluntary standards for producers and provides assurances to consumers, such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).
This paper outlines the current knowledge of the processes controlling nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) fluxes, methods of measurement, mitigation options and models designed to simulate N2O and CH4 fluxes.
Natural and managed soils are globally important sources and sinks of the main non- CO2 greenhouse gases (GHG) N2O and CH4. Compared to CO2 their global warming potential over a 100 year period is 298 and 23 times, respectively, larger than that of CO2.
The aim of this paper is to illustrate why an increasing biomass demand is of major importance when trying to achieve international climate protection goals. It shows that development goals can be reached by more climate friendly agriculture. The increasing demand for agricultural land is often
answered by the conversion of natural land with a high carbon stock. This conversion is hence connected to a great carbon loss causing high greenhouse gas emissions. This increase in production has therefore to be
examined critically. As such land use changes can occur not only direct but also indirect (indirect land use change, iLUC) and legal regulations and instruments are necessary to reduce iLUC and support climate friendly
agriculture.
The analysis shows that the currently used and developed regulation instruments in Europe and the USA are highly speculative and doubtful. These countries work with global iLUC-factors, that are determined based on mathematical models for global future predictions. The paper presents alternative regulation approaches, which base on national level and the respective land use policies of the past.
High yielding ability ensures the sustainability of a crop through improved resource (land, light, water, fertilizers, labour) use efficiencies besides profitability. Traditionallyperennial tree crop improvement is achieved/expedited through clonal (vegetative) propagation. This prompted the research and development into the tissue culture clonal propagation of oil palm which has no natural means of vegetative propagation in the early 1970s. Oil palm clonal propagation has now become a technology with commercial output of clonal plantlets constituting 5-10% of the annual oil palm planting material requirement in Malaysia. Nevertheless, with the inefficiencies of the tissue culture technique in terms of low amenability and risk of somaclonal variation extant, strategies in clonal propagation have to remain as adjuncts to hybrid breeding programs and strategies. With the lower genetic variability and heritability for oil yield confirmed in advanced DxP hybrids, cloning (and recloning) from such populations is inefficient and runs the risk of concurrent new generations of improved hybrids closing the yield advantage gap of clones. Cloning ortets from the early/recombinant phases of hybrid breeding programmes would be more efficient with the broader genetic variability and higher heritability for yield and other desirable traits. Perhaps the biggest advantage of cloning would be in the early commercial exploitation of new genetic materials from introgression programmes of wide intra or inter-specific crosses which would also broaden the genetic base of the commercial plantings to reduce risk of genetic vulnerability to pest, disease and environmental stress debilitation, ensuring sustainability. These considerations would also apply to the alternative cloning strategies of cloning the best parents for clonal hybrid seed production and cloning the progeny embryos or seedlings of the best progenies.. These alternative strategies are gaining interest especially the former. Clones are unlikely to supersede hybrid seeds as the dominant oil palm planting material until the amenability and fidelity deficiencies in the tissue culture have been resolved or circumvented and their field performance advantage over concurrent improved hybrids clearly demonstrated.
The dichotomy between conservation and development has been instrumental in the inception of a pioneering conservation initiative for Malua Forest Reserve (MFR) as the main stakeholders of wildlife conservation have recognised the need not only to identify a common vision but more crucially, to nurture a symbiotic relationship through collaborative management. Building the bridges of trust and collaboration has been vital in the whole process which ultimately culminated in the drafting and the development of the Malua Partnership Wildlife Conservation Agreement (MPWCA). Research outcomes of the 'Oil Palm Plantations, Communities and Forest Use Study (Malua II) in July 2011 formed the foundation for the MPWCA. The main objective of the Agreement is to create a conservation partnership between the public sector and the oil palm plantations based on a common vision, focusing on mutuallybeneficial solutions. The MPWCA also takes into account the principles and requirements of
internationally-recognised accreditation bodies such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil
(RSPO) in order to ensure compliance to good governance. After several successive revisions and stakeholder consultations, the
Agreement was formally endorsed by the Sabah Forestry and Wildlife Departments and oil palm companies in November 2012. To this end, an Implementation Committee for the MPWCA was established prior to the signing with its pending progress to be documented in Article 3 - The Art of Collaboration: Collaborative Management and the Implementation of the Malua Partnership Wildlife Conservation Agreement.
This contribution deals with sustainability of palm oil. What does sustainability mean and what are the challenges for palm oil in Malaysia? Which partnerships have been developed to further improve sustainability? Three partnerships for sustainable development will be analyzed, one government initiated partnership between the Malaysian, Indonesian and Netherlands government and two partnerships initiated by the private sector, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and one between private companies. The tool of partnerships was used to deal with sustainability issues and thereby improve access to the European market and to implement standards for sustainability. Malaysia has made great progress, but is still facing the risk of trade barriers for the export of its palm oil. Important factors that affect the effectiveness of partnerships are the governance mechanisms put in place to deal with sustainability of palm oil, the existence of an enabling environment for public-private collaboration and sector specific characteristics.
This presentation deals with sustainability, fair play and free trade and what this means for the development of a sustainable palm oil sector in Malaysia. Special attention will be given to partnerships for sustainable development’ and whether they have reached their goals and contributed to sustainable development of the palm oil sectors in Malaysia. The concepts of efficiency and effectiveness will be used to assess to the actual dynamism of the partnership process. The contribution is based on research undertaken in the framework of a comparative review of a public-private partnership programme implemented by the Dutch and Malaysian governments with the private sector in both countries since 2005 to address bottlenecks in the export-oriented palm oil, shrimp and fruits and vegetables sector in Malaysia. The tool of partnerships was used to build local capacity and thereby improve access to the European market. It will be shown that Malaysia has made great progress, but is still facing trade barriers for the export of its palm oil (which will be analyzed), whether produced in more sustainable way or not. The review demonstrated different degrees of upgrading of the export oriented activities in the respective partnerships; of capacity built up to facilitate policy reforms and to deal with sustainability issues; and of spin-off of the partners in terms of the resulting social and economic development. Important factors that affect the effectiveness of partnerships are the governance mechanisms put in place (including the level of ownership, the level of transparency, the vertical and horizontal accountability), the situational context of the partnerships, the existence of an enabling environment for public-private collaboration and sector specific characteristics.
In this paper, we present an update on the current wildlife research undertaken by the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) and its partners. For the last ten years, SWD has been extremely active in developing research programmes on all Sabah's flagship species including the Bornean orangutan, the proboscis monkey, the Sumatran rhinoceros, the Bornean elephant, the Bornean banteng, the Malayan sun bear, and the Sunda clouded leopard. This has been facilitated by: (1) the setting up of their own field research centre located in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, the Danau Girang Field Centre, in collaboration with Cardiff University; (2) the development of strong collaborations with different overseas institutions such as Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, University of Indiana, Kyoto University, Oxford WildCRU, EcoHealth Alliance, Houston Zoo, and many others; and (3) the collaboration with several NGOs such as HUTAN-Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Programme, Borneo Conservation Trust (BCT), WWF-Malaysia, Borneo Rhino Alliance (BORA), UK Appeal, and many others. Recently, some of the research carried out by SWD and partners has received funding from the palm oil industry through the Malaysian Palm Oil Council, Sime Darby Foundation, and others. The main aim of the research carried out by SWD and partners is to contribute to the conservation and management of the species and ecosystems, which are under their responsibility.
A preliminary survey of bird diversity carried out in an oil palm plantation near Bintulu, Sarawak found that there could be a positive correlation between numbers of birds and proximity to secondary forest. The study also suggested that the presence of riparian buffer zones in the plantation had a positive effect on bird diversity. These findings support what practitioners have been advocating in plantations; namely, more natural habitats, enhanced connectivity amongst riparian and other natural habitats and the protection of remnant tall trees. These preliminary results provide a useful starting point for further research.
For the past twenty years environmental nongovernment organizations (ENGOs) have sought to influence the global supply chain of commodities from production and extraction through to their retail sale. Traditionally their attempts to control trade have been thinly veiled through ‘voluntary’ certification schemes. Based on their own recent gloating, their attempts are now naked in their attempt to transform markets based on their and environmental, social and economic values.
The conference in Durban South Africa showed that the UN climate talks remain hopelessly stalled. To circumvent this impasse, advocates of greenhouse gas controls seek to curb forest loss. As part of this effort, some activists focus on emissions from palm oil plantations; others push broader plans to conserve all tropical forests. Yet emissions from palm oil production are too small a part of the global total to make much difference. And both ‘leakage’ and governance problems will greatly hobble programs to preserve tropical forests. Frustrated, the World Bank and others are trying to use market power to induce palm oil plantations to adopt more ‘sustainable’ practices. But limits on their market power imply that such efforts are more likely to segment the world palm oil market than to cause large changes in production practices.
Greenhouse gas emissions contribute to harmful climate change. Yet curbing emissions is not the only way to limit harm from climate change and it may not even be the best way. Much of the risk from climate change arises from its effects on less developed countries. Growth of the palm oil sector has proven to be a potent engine for economic progress. It has conferred gains on both producers and consumers. Policy-makers should assess palm oil as both a source of emissions and a source of development. Instead, U.S. and EU climate policy has viewed the palm oil sector almost entirely within the narrow framework of their biofuels programs. Their policies stand on weak data, flawed theories, hidden motives, and subjective standards.
Soil pH, organic C and total N decreased with time in the oil palm agro-ecosystem. However, the decline in soil pH was slight whereas those related to organic C and total N corresponded to the period when the oil palm biomass was burnt or partially burnt at replanting. The large increases in soil organic C obtained with the zero burn replanting technique were favorable. There were large positive changes in soil P and exchangeable K, which might be attributed to the applications of higher rates of phosphate rocks and K fertilizers especially from the 1990s following the results of fertilizer response trials. Exchangeable Mg were lower in burn or partial burn areas but were higher in zero burn areas. This study by Mitra Usaha Pertanian shows that the soil fertility status of the Ultisols under oil palm in Johor has been enhanced through current fertilizer management practices and zero burn replanting technique.
The LCA GHG emission in the production and combustion of palm oil biodiesel at 1,601 kg CO2/ tonne of biodiesel is 2.6 times lower than that for fossil diesel. The LCA GHG emission reduction savings is, thus, 62% and exceeds the threshold value of 35% needed by EU for renewable sources to qualify for use as biofuels. Palm biodiesel has a great potential to improve its carbon balance further, exceeding 62% savings, by utilizing its waste products arising from oil palm cultivation and during palm biodiesel production.
The arguments typically presented against the use of food-crops to manufacture fuel in the so-called food-fuel debate are evaluated here and shown to be unsatisfactory. Whilst the price of food-crops could potentially be driven up by such usage, it is argued that this effect can readily be attenuated by imposing an environmental tax on fossil-fuels, which are currently substantially under-priced, primarily because their ecological and social costs are not reflected in the selling price of these fuels. It is further argued that in this menacing age of global warming, it is imperative that an environmental tax be imposed upon fossil-fuels, and that these environmental tax revenues be used to directly mitigate the ecologically deleterious effects of burning fossil-fuels. The energy implications of our burgeoning human population, and our exploding energy demands, as well as the pressing need to find effective and viable solutions are also examined, as are alternative energies. The potentially disastrous consequences of nuclear energy use by irresponsible governments like that of the former Soviet Union are also examined, particularly with regard to the issue of the wanton dumping of spent nuclear cores into the oceans.
One of the most challenging corporate social responsibility (CSR) aspects faced by members of the palm oil industry is responding to persistent criticisms on the sweeping environmental externalities it contributes. Continued pressure has changed the industry's environmental CSR behaviour; from low commitment, to steadfastly getting into the heart of conservation action. Here we showcase a host of commendable conservation efforts developed with deep commitment and a new sense of urgency. And how the industry is learning and working alongside multidisciplinary communities to address the information gap, thus effectively resulting in innovative projects. We also highlighted areas where more needs to be done to sustain the momentum.
Four clonal oil palm materials namely AVROS, Yangambi, La Me and NIFOR and two DxP hybrid Yangambi, grown on terraced and unterraced fields were subjected to irrigated and non-irrigated conditions. There were significant differences in all leaf nutrient concentrations for all the planting materials for both terrain and irrigation conditions. For non-irrigated palms, most of the leaf nutrients were higher than the irrigated palms, especially K and Mg concentrations. Most of the leaf nutrient concentrations in palms grown on undulating area were also high, especially for leaf Mg and K concentrations. Leaf K concentration for DxP hybrid Yangambi-DQ8 was consistently lower than AVROS-A122 by almost 15-20% in all the growing conditions. In contrast, the leaf K contents for Yangambi-DQ8 and Yangambi-Y103 were comparable to that of AVROS-A122 and these three planting materials produced the highest oil yields. In view of future high current fertilizer cost, selecting oil palm genotypes that are able to produce good oil yields on low fertilizer inputs and giving consistent leaf nutrition need to be given consideration.
Governments and large agribusinesses are increasingly using the environmentalist movement and its policy arm of green nongovernmental organizations to justify imposing protectionist non-tariff barriers on developing countries. Wrong-headed environmental policies and ―green‖ protectionism are contributing to a resurgence of malaria in some countries and endangering millions of jobs in developing countries. Even the World Bank‘s mandate to foster economic development is being subverted to serve environmentalist and protectionist objectives. The EU and the U.S. need to eliminate protectionist policies and regulations that are masquerading as environmental safeguards and refocus the World Bank on promoting economic development to alleviate poverty
A LCI study is carried out on rape seed, canola, palm oil, soy bean and sunflower for their potential to be used as feedstocks for biodiesel. Biodiesels made from them are shown to be produced with lower CO2eq emissions relative to fossil diesel. As such, the CO2eq emission reduction savings, using the carbon balance approach, ranges from 67% for soy to 53% for sunflower biodiesel. Using the energy balance approach, the energy use savings ranges from 79% for palm oil to 62% for sunflower. In all cases, they are above EU RED’s threshold value of 35% savings, needed for a feedstock to qualify as an acceptable biofuel feedstock in EU.
Escalating world population requires more food. Planet Earth is already burdened to meet this challenge due to the omnipresent scarcity of arable land and increasing cumulative pollution loads. In order to obtain maximum yield output, limited land resource must be used rationally by cultivating crops of choice with the highest yield per hectare. An example in the oils and fats sector is oil palm. In addition, the introduction of unfair trade practices and regulations applied to the oils and fats trade, disguised in the form of environmental requirements such as limiting deforestation, can lead to lower food production and consequently drive up food prices; thus, threatening food security.
Renewable energy has been identified globally as a key driver to achieve economic growth while ensuring minimal environmental harm. Simultaneously, the current development of green technology and its related policies have enhanced the growth of renewable energy in the country. The Malaysian palm oil industry, with 4.69 million hectares of planted land has a tremendous opportunity in supplying renewable energy in the form of biomass-based bioenergy and biogas from methane capture of palm oil mill effluent (POME). It is estimated that these palm based materials could generate up to 1260 MW of energy. This amounts to nearly 10% of the maximum energy demand of electricity in Malaysia. Therefore, oil palm-based biomass can be expected to play a prominent role in the future when the demand for renewable energy is expected to increase rapidly.
This paper examines the four major ecological threats confronting us as a species, viz.: the exploding human population; accelerating demands for energy; increasing, and increasingly sophisticated (and thus resource-intense) demands for food; and mushrooming garbage production. It analyses population by looking at population pyramids, examines the concept of overshoot, outlines how and in what ways our energy demands have gown, linking this with greenhouse gas emissions and with global warming and with the confusion tactics employed by the fossil-fuel industry, looks at the issue of food production in the light of the exploding population, including an exposition of the Malthusian Trap, and examines the garbage production and disposal scenario, whilst paying special attention to the garbage gyres which now fill large tracts of the oceans. The conclusion is that we are on the brink of fundamentally altering the human-carrying capacity of the planet, whilst setting this into the context of earlier extinction events which have altered the course of life and of evolution on the planet.
Drainage for agricultural use on peat soils in the temperate regions of the world releases 3.5 times more CO2 than similar activities carried out in the tropics, disregarding the use of peat for forestry and for mining purposes. An estimated 4,209 Mt of CO2 is emitted into the atmosphere in the temperate and boreal regions annually while 1,188 Mt are released in the tropics. Oil palm cultivation on peat in South East Asia accounts for 5.3% of this emission in the tropics or 1.2% of total CO2 emission from agriculture on peat globally. The study also found that current reports on CO2 emission on tropical peat has grossly overestimated its emission due to the lack of studies and the lack of knowledge of tropical peat characteristics.
The need for sustainable packing materials with performance like petroleum-based polymers is growing. This study attempts to develop a biodegradable ternary biopolymer composite by reinforcing starch with nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC), and nanolignin (NL). Both NCC and NL were synthesized from oil palm waste, i.e., empty fruit bunch (EFB), which is biodegradable in nature; doing this improves the overall sustainability of the product. The developed composites were characterized for optical, thermal, mechanical and UV barrier properties. UV-vis spectrometry results revealed a synergistic effect between NL and NCC in improving the transparency and UV light barrier of the composites. The glass transition temperature (Tg) of the film with 4 wt% of NL and 4 wt% of NCC increased from 40 oC to 61 oC compared to the neat film. In addition, the tensile strength was found to be approximately 150% higher than the neat film. This work suggested that incorporating NL and NCC into the starch composites could be a promising alternative to current packaging material with improved mechanical strength, thermal stability, water, and UV light barrier performance.
The agrochemical business places a high priority on the development of ecologically friendly pesticides for sustainable agriculture. The main hurdles in developing new pesticides are identifying novel active ingredients and optimising the delivery system of a pesticide are the main challenges in developing new pesticides. Currently, it appears that the use of renewable resources, particularly plant oils as pyrolyzed bio-oil has the potential to replace the traditional petroleum-based solvents in liquid pesticide formulations. The palm kernel shellderived bio-oil contains high concentrations of oil esters compounds (methyl esters) which can effectively encapsulate or bind the pesticide’s active ingredients in the material’s matrix. These properties drive the selection of this materials to be utilised as carrier (inert ingredients) in the pesticide formulations. This study aims to investigate the viability of using bio-oil to substitute petroleum-based oil as carrier in bio-pesticide formulation against insect pest such as Metisa plana bagworm. Prior to formulation, the ternary phase diagram was used to assess the compatibility between bio-oil and surfactants such as Tween 20 and Tween 80 as bio-pesticide ingredients. According to the compatibility results, the best formulation contains 20% surfactant. Based on these circumstances, the experiment was designed with an active ingredient extracted from neem seeds, azadirachtin. The results showed that the formulated bio-pesticide could repel 50% of the bagworm population, with a lethal concentration (LC50) of 22.1 g/ml. As a result, this study contributes to our knowledge of waste management and brings us closer to a zero-waste strategy for a cleaner environment.
With the increasing demand in oils and fats worldwide, the palm oil industry in Malaysia has been growing over the past decades. Malaysia is the second-largest producer of palm oil products in the world, producing more than 19 million tonnes of crude palm oil (CPO) annually. This has resulted a high volume of palm oil mill effluent (POME) being generated, as a by-product of CPO extraction from the fresh fruit bunches. POME consists of high organic pollutants, which has to be treated via anaerobic and aerobic systems prior to its discharge to the watercourse. In the anaerobic system, biogas contains mainly methane and carbon dioxide gas. Hence, POME has been identified as a potential resource for bio-energy production in the palm oil mills. In order to recover such resource, biogas has to be captured and converted into bioelectricity via gas engine after the removal of its hydrogen sulphide content. The generated power can then be supplied to the national grid under the feed-in-tariff scheme. However, only limited palm oil mills in Malaysia are eligible for such scheme due to their geographical locations. Thus, in order to further explore the recovery opportunities of biogas, a techno-economic evaluation to upgrade the generated biogas into compressed bio-methane is performed. A mixed-integer linear programming model is formulated to screen the upgrading process based on economic performance. To illustrate the proposed approach, a case study based on a typical Malaysian palm oil mill is presented.
Palm oil is the most produced and consumed vegetable oil worldwide. Recently, the palm oil industry has received attention from food safety authorities due to the presence of 3-monochloro-1, 2-propanediol esters (3-MCPDE) in the refined oil. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) proposed to limit the presence of 3-MCPDE by 2.5 ppm in palm oil from year 2021 onwards. Various studies showed that the 3-MCPDE is a process contaminant induced by heat during the refining stage, in the presence of its precursors, such as diacylglycerol (DAG) and chlorine in palm oil. Research works have been conducted to mitigate 3-MCPDE formation. This paper provides an overview of the 3-MCPDE formation, mitigation initiatives and industrial practices in addressing the 3-MCPDE issue.
According to Energy Outlook 2019 published by the US Energy information administration, aviation fuel consumption is expected to be more than double by the year 2050 as compared to the current usage. The increased cost of petroleum fuels and growing environmental concerns have made the aviation industry rely on biofuel in their fuel usage. Non-edible crops and algae are mainly used as feedstock for jet fuel production. There are many technologies such as blending Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME), lipid hydroprocessing, Fischer–Tropsch synthesis, upgrading pyrolysis oils, Hydrothermal Liquefaction for jet biofuel production. However, sustainable production of jet biofuel is still under research. The current paper discusses the opportunities and challenges with these technologies.
A pilot plant installed for the UKM-YSD Zero Waste Technology project at the Sime Darby’s Palm Oil Tennamaram mill, Bestari Jaya, Selangor features various technologies for sustainable development. It transforms a regular mill into a green technology factory. Seven strategic thrust areas were identified to address the sustainability challenges of palm oil processing, namely the discharge of a large amount of highly polluting effluent, emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs), and generation of a large amount of solid waste. The approaches adopted in this research programme generated renewable energy from palm oil mill effluent (POME) and pre-treated empty fruit bunches (EFB) hydrolysate in biohydrogen production. POME from biohydrogen and biomethane two-stage fermenter was then subjected to integrated algae wastewater treatment and CO2 sequestration and integrated membrane filtration treatment processes in recovering treated water for boiler feed application. On the other hand, EFB and POME, along with residual solids and algae biomass produced from these zero waste technologies, were used to produce organic fertiliser. The results of the pilot plant operation showed that POME and solid biomass could be used to generate additional 20% renewable energy compared to the technologies practised in existing mills at 1,020 t/d of POME discharge. Organic fertiliser was produced at a lower cost and in a shorter duration, as well as water being recovered to be used as boiler feed water. The UKM-YSD Zero Waste pilot plant serves as a pioneering technology with the possibility of changing perceptions, especially among foreign importers, that palm oil production can be environmentally friendly
The palm oil industry extensively utilizes palm biomass from the mills as a source of fuel for generating steam and power. However, the use of palm biomass presents several problems. The high moisture content (in excess of 50%) requires more fuel to be consumed and limits the distance from which the fuel may be collected, as transportation costs are generally higher than the cost of fuel, making it uneconomical to transport it over long distances. The fibrous nature of palm biomass makes it easy to knot-up, which causes bridging and associated handling problems. Palm biomass-fuelled boilers must operate below 900°C to avoid fusion and adhesion of the fuel onto the tube surfaces, which can lead to severe damage to the tubes. This paper aims to share the lesson learnt from a biomass power plant and how it has addressed some of the common problems faced by biomass-fuelled boilers.
MALAYSIAN PALM OIL – FORGING FORWARD IN THE NEW NORM (5 – 8 JANUARY 2021) The Palm Oil Trade Fair & Seminar (POTS) flagship programme of MPOC was launched in 2006 with an objective to enhance the development and growth of the Malaysian palm oil industry in local and international markets. To date, MPOC has organized more than 50 POTS in over 25 countries and it has become a benchmark and highly anticipated event in the annual calendar of the global oils and fats trade. Considering the on-going developments restricting physical events, MPOC launched POTS Digital 2021, a fully online virtual conference bringing together world-renowned oils and fats industry leaders and experts. 15 world-renowned oils and fats industry leaders and experts delivered four insightful talks in the Current Issues session, followed by five presentations in the Innovation & Applications in Palm Oil Industry session. This was followed by the highly anticipated Market Updates & Price Forecast session with conference delegates logging in from all over the globe to hear from world-renowned experts giving their views on the oils and fats industry outlook for the upcoming year. The complete set of POTS Digital 2021’s Marketing Conference presentations and videos can be accessed at the website, www.mpoc.org.my
SUSTAINING HEALTHY LIFESTYLES FROM FATS AND BIOACTIVES (6 – 8 January 2021) After more than three decades of concerted research, aimed at better understanding of palm oil and its components for their effects on human health, there is still significant misinformation about palm oil. Misinformation has often resulted in mistrust and confusion despite a battery of credible scientific evidence that systematically exposes positive outcomes from these research projects conducted at some of the most renowned biomedical centres around the world. PINC 2021 is therefore a key scientific platform aimed at deliberating these issues and providing the most updated and correct science-based nutritional outputs. This event hosted some of the best expertise in palm oil and health. The voices of these experts should go a long way to resolve many issues about dietary fats, palm oil and healthy lifestyle management. PINC 2021 aspires to highlight the positive roles of palm oil and its known bioactives including tocotrienols, carotenoids and phenolics on human health and nutrition.
Integrated anaerobic-aerobic bioreactor (IAAB) is a bioreactor technology which operates as a single treatment unit for the removal of organic matter and generation of biogas from Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME). It is a single reactor configuration with compartmentalization in which the first, second and last compartments are designed for anaerobic, aerobic and settling processes respectively. A pre-commercialized IAAB (3000 m3) was built at Havys Oil Mill Sdn Bhd which is located at Palong, Malaysia, with the objective of investigating its long-term performance under variable organic loads and environmental conditions with respect to effluent quality and methane yield. The pre-commercialized IAAB system was directly fed with raw POME from the palm oil mill. Based on the results, at the steady state operation of over five months, the IAAB achieved a total removal efficiency which was up to 99% for chemical oxygen demand (COD), and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and methane yield up to 0.26 L CH4/g COD at organic loading rate (OLR) of 2.0 – 20.0 kg COD/m3 day. The achievement of BOD <100 mg/L throughout the 150 operational days with 45% of compliance was reported. The system could significantly reduce 70% of footprint and 78% of hydraulic retention time (HRT) compared with current conventional treatment systems. Further work on optimization for the recirculation flow rate in the anaerobic zone with consideration of fluid dynamics and microbiology is required to achieve 100% compliance of BOD <100 mg/L.
Refineries play a vital role in the supply chain for processing crude palm oil, and palm kernel into refined products which are ready for consumption. They need to continuously improve operational efficiencies and strive to reduce carbon footprint. These improvements in our referenced refinery were achieved through installation of new equipment, process changes, heat recovery and water recycling. Installation of inverters and LED lights yielded electrical energy savings of 2.5%. Process change implemented in the effluent treatment plant and heat recovery resulted in electrical energy savings and fuel reduction of 40% and 30%, respectively. Condensate recovery and capture of steam vapor emissions resulted in the reduction of steam usage by 50% in the palm kernel dry fractionation plant and 20% in the dry fractionation plant. The refinery has stopped relying on fuel oil and started using liquified natural gas, resulting in lower carbon footprint. In addition, it reduces resource exploitation by implementing water recovery within the complex and has achieved 85% recovery of its treated effluent water. Some of the additional benefit of implementing these changes are better product quality, less chemicals consumption, and cleaner working environment.
The International Palm Oil Sustainability Conference 2020 (IPOSC 2020) is MPOC’s biannual conference that highlights the sustainability challenges and opportunities in the Malaysian palm oil industry to all stakeholders. This year, the 6th IPOSC 2020 will be hosted by MPOC on a virtual platform, comprising two modules, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic affecting us globally. Virtual IPOSC 2020’s Module 2 will feature presentations from experts from the agricultural research and palm oil sectors who will share their views on the recent development, challenges and possible solutions on renewable energy, climate change and food security how the recent COVID-19 has impacted these efforts, will be included. The topics include: • Land Use Change and Indirect Land Use Change (iLUC) risk across vegetable oil crops • Methane Avoidance • Renewable Energy Policy • Palm Oil & Deforestation • Food Security The complete set of IPOSC 2020 Module 2 presentations and videos can be accessed at the event website, www.iposc.org.my
MODULE 1: AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES AND SUSTAINABILITY CERTIFICATION (14 - 22 SEPTEMBER 2020) The International Palm Oil Sustainability Conference 2020 (IPOSC 2020) is MPOC’s biannual conference that highlights the sustainability challenges and opportunities in the Malaysian palm oil industry to all stakeholders. This year, the 6th IPOSC 2020 will be hosted by MPOC on a virtual platform, comprising two modules, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic affecting us globally. Virtual IPOSC 2020’s Module 1 will feature presentations from sustainability experts from the agriculture, research and palm oil sectors who will share their views on efforts by global agricultural commodities towards achieving sustainability and carbon neutrality. How the recent COVID-19 has impacted these efforts, will be included. The topics include: The International Palm Oil Sustainability Conference 2020 (IPOSC 2020) is MPOC’s biannual conference that highlights the sustainability challenges and opportunities in the Malaysian palm oil industry to all stakeholders. This year, the 6th IPOSC 2020 will be hosted by MPOC on a virtual platform, comprising two modules, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic affecting us globally. Virtual IPOSC 2020’s Module 1 will feature presentations from sustainability experts from the agriculture, research and palm oil sectors who will share their views on efforts by global agricultural commodities towards achieving sustainability and carbon neutrality. How the recent COVID-19 has impacted these efforts, will be included. The topics include: • Agricultural Commodities and Sustainability – What Lies Ahead Post COVID-19 • European Green Deal, Agricultural Commodities and Sustainability • Integrating Sustainability and Carbon Neutrality in Palm Oil’s Supply Chain • Increasing the Demand for Sustainable Certified Palm Oil – What is the Missing Link? The complete set of IPOSC 2020 Module 1 presentations and videos can be accessed at the event website, www.iposc.org.my
While palm oil milling has evolved over the years with mechanization and technology development, the method of treating palm oil mill effluent (POME) has remained unchanged for many years. There are inherent challenges associated to POME and issues in existing treatment process. Solutions to advance POME treatment should fulfil the 3’E’s criteria – Efficient, Ease of operability and Economically Feasible. This article introduces some approaches which were developed and tested in the laboratory to advanced POME treatment – (i) automating high-rate anaerobic digester with remote monitoring and control capabilities; (ii) thermal pre-treatment of POME with dewatering device and (iii) post-treatment of anaerobically treated POME with coagulant assisted microbubble flotation. These approaches improve the treated effluent quality significantly and can be integrated into existing plants. It is imperative that academics work closely with the industry to translate work in the laboratory to the field to benefit the palm oil mills and improve sustainability of the whole of oil palm industry.
As part of the European Green Deal initiative, on 20 May 2020, the European Commission presented the Communication on a Farm to Fork Strategy for a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system (F2F Strategy), which aims at making “the entire food chain from production to consumption more sustainable and neutral in its impact on the environment”. Together with the F2F Strategy, the Commission presented the Communication on a EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 - Bringing nature back into our lives (Biodiversity Strategy), in which the Commission proposes a far-reaching EU Nature Restoration Plan to increase the share of protected areas to 30% of the EU’s lands and seas by 2030, including 10% under an enhanced strict protection status. This article analyses the EU’s F2F and Biodiversity Strategies and the possible implications that specific measures under both strategies are poised to have on palm oil, as well as on food products containing palm oil.
Malaysia has fully nurtured oil palm cultivation since its first commercial planting in 1917 till it became the most important economic crop. Located in the most suitable climate zone for oil palm, significant expansion of its cultivation was recorded, including replacing other less competitive existing crops such as rubber, cocoa and coconut. However, its expansion was limited due to availability of arable land as well as its commitment to the pledge at the Earth Summit in 1992, to keep at least 50 per cent of its land as forest cover. Being one of the mega biodiversity countries, the protection of Malaysia’s forestland cannot be compromised. Increasing the productivity within the existing available land, through planting of DNA-tested high yielding breeds and clonal materials, as well as accelerating replanting of unproductive palms, could be an alternative to overcome this limitation. Another option is to convert managed peatlands, which have already been converted for use by other cash crops. However, oil palm cultivation on managed peatlands needs to adhere to strict drainage management in order to mitigate negative environmental and climate impacts, given that peatlands contain vulnerable soils that can function as net carbon sinks. By ensuring that water tables are maintained within MPOB best-practice guidelines, growers can ensure that oil palm plants are able to reach their maximum potential yield while minimising peat carbon loss and soil subsidence. Furthermore, drainage can also stimulate GHG emissions, particularly enhanced emissions of soil carbon dioxide (CO2); careful water table management within MPOB guidelines can reduce this efflux. Even though soil CO2 emissions during earlier stages of plantation establishment may be high, net emissions decline as plantations reach maturity. A collaborative study between MPOB and UK partners on peatlands issue related to drainage and conversion in this complex ecosystem have been carried out. Preliminary results show that CO2 emission over a newly drained and planted oil palm estate was indeed releasing CO2 emission. These CO2 emissions progressively reduced over the year following planting. Responsible use of existing managed peatlands for oil palm requires growers to follow more stringent water table management, in order to minimise environmental and climate impacts, as stipulated in industry best practice guidelines and the National Action Plan for Peatlands.
The risk of large indirect land-use change (iLUC) induced by the increasing demand for biofuel feedstocks is at the centre of the debate about the sustainability of first-generation biofuels. The Greenhouse Gas balance of biofuels is strongly affected by the amount of iLUC. Currently, the strongest focus and the highest iLUC risk is given to palm oil-based biodiesel. However, these accounts have a shaky informational base since iLUC is induced by complex market reactions to increased biofuel demand. These accounts can not be observed, but they can only be roughly approximated with economic simulation models. What can be done to move towards low iLUC risk biofuel feedstocks? Two options are obvious. First, if biofuel feedstocks do not replace food products, there is no iLUC. Hence, increasing productivity on the plantations will lead to a supply of low or even zero iLUC risk. Secondly, if the conversion of forests is better regulated, iLUC risks will automatically reduce. Companies and governments can thus contribute to the move from high- to low-risk iLUC biofuels.
The oil palm sector in Malaysia is one of the main pillars of the Malaysian economy, contributing close to 43% of the agriculture GDP and earning on an average of USD16 billion in annual exports. The oil palm sector also provides direct and indirect employment to over 2 million people in Malaysia, apart from raising the income of small farmers, who on the average own or manage farms less than 4 hectares. In total, independent small farmers, own 979,758 hectares of oil palm areas accounting for 17% of the total oil palm planted area in Malaysia. The success story of this industry over the last century, has been negated by implications that the oil palm sector is a direct cause of deforestation, contributing to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through fires and planting on drained peat lands, harbouring exploitative human rights practices in the workforce, and lack of good governance and transparency. One tool to demonstrate implementation of good practices is through third party independent certification systems. Currently, at the global level, voluntary certification schemes have coverage of approximately 30% of the oil palm cultivated area. As such, the footprint of voluntary certification schemes will never be able to completely reach 100% of the users of the certification system. With the ambitious move for the implementation of a mandatory national certification system, Malaysia aims to cover the entire oil palm planted area through Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) Certification Scheme. The MSPO Certification Scheme is the national scheme in Malaysia for oil palm plantations, independent and organised smallholdings, and palm oil processing facilities to be certified against the requirements of the MSPO Standards. The MSPO Certification Scheme allows for oil palm management certification and supply chain certification and provides for development of certification standards; accreditation requirements and notification of certification bodies; application by potential clients for certification audits; supply chain traceability requirements; guidelines for auditing; peer reviewing of audit reports; issuance of logo usage licenses and procedures for handling of complaints. The fundamental enabling measures that are needed to make MSPO Certification successfully implemented in Malaysia is described in this paper.
Bray-2 test has been widely used to evaluate available P in acid soils treated with different phosphate rock (PR) sources for oil palm plantations in Malaysia and Indonesia. The review shows that Bray-2 test, which is a strong acid reagent, often overestimates available P in the soil compared with the actual P in soil solution from the dissolution of PR. Consequently, none or poor correlations between fresh fruit bunch (FFB) yield of oil palm and Bray-2 P have often been obtained. This problem occurs when comparing Bray-2 P from PR with that from water-soluble P (WSP) fertilizer such as TSP or comparing highly reactive PR with low-reactive PR. A new mixed cation-anion resin has been proven effective for evaluating available P from different types of P sources including PRs of varying reactivity and WSP for field crops. The resin method should be studied to test if it can be used to replace the current Bray-2 test to evaluate available P for oil palm.
Osteoporosis is an emerging degenerative bone disorder threatening the ageing population worldwide. Palm vitamin E has been proven effective in preventing bone loss, but the interaction between vitamin E isomers of varying efficacy may hamper its therapeutic potential. This study aimed to determine the most biologically active palm vitamin E isomers on bone using an innovative 3D bone cell culture model. Palm vitamin E mixture containing 22.0% α-tocopherol, 26.7% α-tocotrienol, 4.0% β-tocotrienol, 31.3% γ-tocotrienol and 15.6% δ-tocotrienol (60 mg/kg/day) was first tested on adrenalectomized male rats given dexamethasone (120 μg/kg/day), an in vivo model of secondary osteoporosis, for two months. It was effective in preventing bone loss in these rats. Human osteoblasts per se or co-cultures of human osteoblasts and osteoclast-like cells were incubated with each individual isomer (α-tocopherol, α, β, γ and δ-tocotrienol; 100 nM) using an in vitro 3D culture model for 28 days. It was observed that γ- and δ-tocotrienols showed the best results in improving the trabecular structure and biomechanical strength of the bone scaffold. As a conclusion, palm vitamin E possesses anti-osteoporotic effects and γ- and δ-tocotrienol may be the most active isomers acting on bone.
Wilmar is a leading player in edible oils production with an extensive presence in various countries such as China, India, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Russia, Ukraine and South Africa. It is one of world’s largest oil palm plantation owners and is the world’s largest processor and merchandiser of palm and lauric oils, as well as palm kernel cake and copra. Consequently, it is imperative for Wilmar to constantly improve and to monitor the quality of vegetable oils including palm oil products. Hence, Wilmar has established its own global R&D centres in China, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Russia, India, Australia and New Zealand. Furthermore, it has formed collaborations with renowned universities and institutes around the world. Research on palm oil (PO) concentrates broadly on two major fields: I. Research on 3-MCPD in Palm Oil a. Determine the toxicity of 3-MCPD esters in animal models. b. Mitigation of 3-MCPD ester formation during vegetable oil refining. II. Research on the Nutritional Value of Palm Oil a. Effects of palm oil on lipid metabolism, oxidative stress and endothelial function
This paper is born out of the desire to put into perspective the resolution on “Palm oil and the Deforestation of Rain Forests” the European Parliament (EP) passed by an overwhelming majority in April 2017 (henceforth: “the Resolution”). What to make of the Resolution? It calls for EU policy measures to combat deforestation in the tropics as well as the associated effects on climate change and biodiversity. The two main recommendations contained in the Resolution are the phasing out of palm oil as feedstock for biodiesel and to switch to 100% certified sustainable palm oil, both by 2020. Malaysia is acutely aware of the environmental challenges planet earth is facing. It considers itself part of the international community that strives to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, protect natural habitats and pursue patterns of sustainable production and consumption. In that same spirit, Malaysia welcomes the debate the Resolution has set in motion. As the second largest palm oil producing nation worldwide we understand the need for supplying palm oil to the international markets that has been sustainably produced. We are ready to continue the considerable efforts we have taken in that regard and even reinforce those. We are ready and willing to align with the overarching goal to work towards more sustainable modes of conducting the palm oil business. It is here where we see common ground with the EP Resolution. However, we differ in some important respects with several of the Resolution´s assumptions and implications. This paper explains in detail which those are. By way of summary: First, as a newly industrialized country we stress the importance of rural and economic development enshrined in the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of United Nations. Palm oil is vital to the Malaysian economy. For a more detailed discussion of this, turn to Section 2.3. Secondly, we do not accept some of the fundamental premises on which the Resolution rests. They contain several key errors, mainly for two reasons: 1) The parliamentary committees that drafted the Resolution in the process misquoted or misinterpreted parts of the research they drew upon 2) Some of the original research itself is flawed (see Section 4.2 and 4.3). We insist that policy measures that have far-reaching consequences for the Malaysian economy (and palm oil producing countries elsewhere) must be based on objective evidence and not a limitless application of the precautionary principle, which runs counter to Article 191 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Therefore, Malaysia wishes to express its views regarding the two primary goals of the Resolution mentioned above. Those are: Sustainability Certification: we emphasize that the realities of palm oil production and trade on the ground are far too complex to be covered by a single European certification scheme. In our view certification standards must be set and enforced on a national level. That is why we choose to invest heavily in building the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil standard (MSPO). On the other hand, we see the concerns the European Parliament has regarding transparency and clarity of different certification standards vis-a-vis the consumer. We, therefore, propose to look for ways to make standards comparable. (see Section 5.2) Biofuels: The debate over the implications of the so-called “Globiom Report” which applied the concept of indirect land use change (ILUC) to the calculation of the overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of biofuels has been going on for years without having been settled. In our view, to phase out biofuels on that basis in fact amounts to a violation of the precautionary principle. Considering that the internal combustion engine running on fossil fuels will remain the central pillar of transport for at least another 15 to 20 years, the environmental implications of fossil fuels versus biofuels should be explored further. It must be remembered that the overall GHG footprint of fossil fuels must consider all activities like traditional petroleum exploration and fracking as well as shale oil and gas production (the former mainly used for kerosene and diesel fuel). A full evaluation of these factors (incidentally, oil palms undeniably have a non-trivial carbon sink potential) might lead to the conclusion that the alleged cure of abandoning biofuels is worse than the disease. Likewise, alternative technologies like the electric motor have problems of their own. Electrical power - unlike palm oil - does not grow on trees. Instead, it is often generated by – absurdly - burning fossil fuels like coal. To summarize: we support the environmental goals laid out in several of the international treaties Malaysia is party to, like the Paris Agreement. However, we are concerned that the European Parliament and Commission have been misled by false assumptions to pursue a path towards these goals that leads somewhere else: to an outcome that will leave consumer and producer countries as well as the global environment worse off. To avoid such a result Malaysia is keen to bring its century-long experience, and extensive expertise in all things palm oil to the table. Only working together will make solutions possible that are better for all stakeholders involved, including the earth's ecosystem.
The Malaysian palm oil industry has been actively involved in the country’s conservation efforts, through MPOC’s Malaysian Palm Oil Wildlife Conservation Fund (MPOWCF). The funding has also enabled MPOC to spearhead numerous conservation initiatives in Sabah since 2008, ranging from the formation and funding of Sabah Wildlife Department’s Wildlife Rescue Unit (WRU), the orangutan population aerial survey, to the establishment of the Bornean Elephant Sanctuary. In addition to MPOC’s efforts, Malaysian plantation companies are also equally active in these conservation endeavours. For example, Yayasan Sime Darby has contributed RM3.96 million for the research on the Sunda clouded leopard, proboscis monkey and Bornean banteng in Sabah. This funding has enabled the Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC) and Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) to conduct a detailed research on the Sunda clouded leopard, which led to the organisation of the Sunda clouded leopard conservation workshop in mid-June 2017. Yayasan Sime Darby has also funded a conservation project on the proboscis monkey in Sabah, which led to the drafting of the State Action Plan for the Proboscis Monkey.
On April 4, 2017, the European Parliament (EP) approved a Resolution by 640 votes to 18, with 28 abstentions. The adopted text carries the title: “Palm Oil and Deforestation of Rainforests” (henceforth “the Resolution”). The purported overall goal of the Resolution is new regulation on the importation and use of palm oil in the European Union (EU) to avoid deforestation in the tropics. To achieve this, various measures are proposed, most importantly the ban of palm oil in biofuels, switching to a single EU-wide sustainability certification and allowing only palm oil thus certified to be imported after the year 2020. Despite its declared goal to better protect the earth´s natural patrimony, the Resolution disregards the needs and well-being of dependent communities in the producer countries. By adopting it - with an overwhelming majority - European MPs have decided they must show their hands in the heart of palm producer nations. With their vote, they have driven out truth and objective facts and instead rubber stamped an action that promises to revert small oil palm farmers to abject poverty while denying them Europe as a marketplace.
Vegetable oils and fats as well as their blends are important ingredients in manufacturing infant formula or infant food (IF). Oil blends constitute ca. 30% of the ingredients content of IF. Nutritional value, quality and shelf-life of IF greatly depends on essential composition and quality factors as well as oxidative stability of the oil blend used. Eight oil blends were prepared from palm oil, palm kernel oil, soybean oil and sunflower oil at different ratios for IF formula liars. The prepared oil blends were investigated and evaluated for their essential composition and quality factors, oxidative stability and shelf-life, taking into consideration that oil blends used should comply with Codex Standard for infant formula (72-1981), especially its prescribed ratio of linoleic/α-linolenic acids. The induction period (IP) in hrs was taken as an index of the oxidative stability of the oil blends investigated. Moreover, the ratio of linoleic/α-linolenic acid of oil blends was also calculated. The results showed that oil blends No. 3 and 8 were found to have the highest oxidative stability (IP 24.1, 24.4 hrs. respectively), followed by oil blends No. 2, 4, 1, 7, 5 and 6 which had IP of 21.0, 20.4, 19.8, 18.4, 17.8 and 15.1 hrs, respectively. It could be concluded that using palm oil and palm kernel oil in preparing oil blends resulted in significantly improved oxidative stability. The IP of refined palm kernel oil, palm oil, sunflower oil and soybean oil were found to be 29.6, 26.4, 3.88 and 3.72 hours respectively. The results showed that for ratio of linoleic/α-linolenic acid only oil blends No. 1, 2 and 3 complied with the Codex Standard on infant formula (72-1981). Taken into consideration the highest oxidation stability and ratio of C18:2/C18:3 reported in Codex Standard on IF, oil blend sample No. 3 (palm oil 75%, palm kernel oil 10% and soybean oil 15%, ascorpyl palmitate 0.027%, citric acid 0.003% and mono, diglyceride 0.05%) was judged the most suitable and recommended for use in manufacturing of IF.
Dense haze, caused by the smoke from peat fire in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia from September to October 2015, resulted in low oil extraction rates (OER) in the palm oil mills. The reduced total sunshine hours due to haze affected the OER four weeks after, even though the crop was harvested at the minimum harvesting standard of 5 loose fruits on the ground. The haze resulted in low OER in October and November 2015. Bunch sampling and analysis indicated that the inner fruits were pale yellowish in colour with correspondingly low oil content. The possible emission of ethylene gas from the burning forest and its role in the early abscission of fruits of the fresh fruit bunches (FFB) are discussed in this paper.
The study shows that subjecting the total production of Malaysian palm oil to RSPO certification can place a heavy toll on the palm oil industry. By using 2014 as the base year of the study, it costs RM 851 million annually to undergo and to maintain RSPO certification. This amount is equivalent to 4.3% of the total Malaysian government’s expenditure on healthcare. It is also equivalent to 1.6% of that spent on education and manpower training for the whole country in that year. With a lukewarm uptake of certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) by the consumers at only 45% of that produced, the study shows that the extra revenue obtained from sales of CSPO and certified sustainable palm kernel oil (CSPKO) cannot cover the expenditure incurred for certification. As a result, the Malaysian palm oil industry will have to bear a total loss of RM758 million annually. The certification of palm oil using RSPO is only a means to justify that the palm oil is, indeed, sustainably produced. It is also to be noted that not all oils and fats used for food in the world need to be certified for their sustainability. Thus, it is felt that since the sales of CSPO and CSPKO do not derive economic benefits, the money that would be used to certify the entire palm oil production of Malaysia could, instead, be channelled for use in much needed, important and beneficial national social activities such as the provision of better healthcare, education and manpower training for the people. The money could also be diverted to carry out activities that significantly lower the carbon footprint of the Malaysian palm oil industry. One such activity is to capture methane in the palm oil mills. In addition, it is also known that the activities and travel needed to carry out RSPO certification will result in an additional carbon footprint for certified palm oil. As such, certified palm oil has a higher carbon footprint than non-certified palm oil. By using a very simplistic model here, the amount of RM 851 million needed for RSPO certification, if sourced from sales of petroleum, has a carbon footprint, on an annual basis, amounting to 1.6 million tonnes CO2 equivalent. One tonne of certified palm oil carries an extra 81.3 kg CO2 carbon footprint more than non-certified palm oil. As such, users of certified palm oil will, of course, have higher carbon footprints.
Availability of natural resources is instrumental in ensuring both growth and survival of a sovereign state’s economy and its population’s livelihood. As such, it is essential that natural resources, both renewable and non-renewable be managed sustainably. Natural resources can be found in a variety of forms and functions – including mining of rare earth and minerals, crude oil, forests and arable land for livestocks and agriculture. Peatlands are one such resource and historically they have been excavated and exploited for fuel and used as arable land for agriculture and forestry. Peatlands also have vital ecological functions, such as supporting biodiversity and functions as a depository for carbon stocks. The focus of this review is to look at how peat, especially in Europe has been exploited; literally fuelling its economy in certain cases. In addition to this, peat also played an important role in providing arable land for Europe’s forestry, agriculture and horticulture sectors. Some of these sectors have remained key pillars in Europe’s economy. For example, the Dutch horticulture sector is a €4 billion industry. In Sweden and Finland, peat is a vital cog in their energy supply chain. However, in the process of exploiting any natural resources, it is inevitable that land use change and other environmental impacts would arise, especially if it is poorly managed. Thus, this begs the questions of its sustainability. It is especially critical now, as a growing body of scientific evidence, for example the IPCC (in 2007), have pointed towards land use change as one of the major contributors towards global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, thereby accelerating the detrimental effects of climate change. In this review we estimate the amount of peat loss in this transition (when it was developed for the European countries’ economic wealth creation), as well as the GHG emitted during this period (which is still continuing to do so). A comparison is also drawn with the utilization of peatlands in developing countries, where it is driven primarily by the need to increase population living standards, and to eradicate poverty. The review shows evidence that Europe has also significantly contributed towards global GHG emissions as a result of its peatland development, and created better standards of living that currently may not necessitate further exploitation of its peatlands, compared to scenarios in developing countries.
The future of palm oil as a primary vegetable oil is promising as global demand for food increases. Consequently, it is foreseen that the conflict between agriculture and conservation will intensify. Consumers and environmentalist particularly in the West are concerned about the environmental impacts of oil palm cultivation, particularly its suggested role in deforestation, climate change and biodiversity loss. In order to continue promoting palm oil, particularly to the concerned Western consumers, an alternative approach is suggested – by linking market incentives with conservation. This paper focuses on tapping into one such method of creating a premium market for the wildlife-friendly eco-labelled products using flagship species such as the orang-utan or tiger. Consumers’ willingness to pay for wildlife-friendly palm oil products provides for industry involvement of conservation and sustainability. The challenges and opportunities of implementing such eco-labels on palm oil products are discussed.
The EU strategy regarding food information to the consumer, formulated under the leadership of DG SANTE, calls for transparency, verifiability, and truthfulness. The ultimate goal is to protect the consumer from making the wrong purchasing decisions. In pursuit of this goal, comprehensive new legislation came into force last December. The spirit of this regulation as well as its concrete procedures question the current practice of putting “No Palm Oil” (NPO) labels on food products. Such labels imply that consumers´ interest is best served if products containing palm oil are avoided. This claim rests on the assumption that palm oil has negative effects on consumer health and the environment. Scientific evidence and market realities do not confirm these claims. Therefore, NPO labels are in all likelihood illegal under current EU legislation and should be banned. However, the current lack of enforcement within the EU on such practices could jeopardize the very principles that govern food labeling legislations.
The increased global demand for land calls for difficult trade-off among competing needs at the global, national and local levels. Recognition of the potentially adverse environmental effects of land conversion has resulted in worldwide political efforts to implement sustainable land use strategies. In the past, however, land use has generally been considered a local environmental issue whose decision-making is under the purview of local and national authorities. This article unpacks key misconceptions in relation to the application of land use policies for sustainable development. It argues that although reshaping the spatial organization of land is essential to ensure the functioning of ecosystems, the decision on the optimal use of lands should respect the subsidiarity principle. This essentially means that the nation states – instead of external authoritarian pressure groups – decide on what is best for their bottom-billion citizens. The international pattern of land use change and the international campaign against the palm oil industry provide a telling example of the misrepresentation of the original spirit of sustainable development. With Malaysia as an example of a country striving for sustainable agriculture practices, the article concludes by proposing a generic formula for sustainable land use with equal emphasis on development and environment.
The paper focuses on land cultivated with oil palm prior to 1st January 2008 and the production pathways of biofuel or bio liquid, based on current production practices. The rationale and guideline for the calculation of greenhouse gas emission given in this paper may benefit oil palm growers who planted oil palm prior to 1st January 2008. This could assist in the subsequent sale of palm oil to the European market. A case study carried out from the supplying estate, palm oil milling and effluent treatment under open pond system as well as refining; up to the biofuel production stage indicates that the GHG saving in palm oil biofuel for transportation is 43.95%. With methane capture and flaring, the GHG savings can increase to 66.95%.
The palm oil plantation industry in Malaysia has been striving to make production sustainable and the industry stakeholders have set-up various sustainability certification schemes for palm oil. Perception of the industry from the media, Non-government Organizations (NGOs) and social groups seem to indicate that palm oil is generally not sustainable, and the industry thus should reduce any expansion policies it may harbour. This study reviewed perception trends with regards to oil palm plantations in Malaysia, and analysed the related variables that are important for palm oil production in the country. A perception survey of 742 stakeholders was carried out and the analysis shows stakeholders regard different issues as important for their respective groups. The perception for the growers and traders/manufactures indicated that their actual behaviour does not tally with the views of environmental NGOs and media. Although the industry has established its principles and criteria which are the backbone of the certification schemes, stakeholders still differ in their perception towards palm oil. The perception issues are linked with a lack of measurable variables for sustainability, which were considered not important previously. The overall conclusion shows that sustainable science is an important element for oil palm management. However it is still perceived that a number of additional measurable variables could be adopted by the industry, to assist in properly quantifying sustainability.
Livestock and palm oil industries are both vital agricultural farming systems providing food to the world. The activities of these industries require land for production. Between them, the livestock industry requires extensive land and is, thus, found to be the primary cause of deforestation in the world. In 2012, it used nearly 300 times more land area than oil palm. As very large areas need to be cleared, a very large non-recurrent carbon stock loss and carbon debt are incurred by the livestock industry. This debt is 612 times larger than that of the palm oil industry. As time progresses, the carbon debt of the livestock industry deepens since it is a recurrent carbon source. On the contrary, the relatively smaller carbon debt of the palm oil industry decreases with time since it is a net carbon sink.
The impacts of forest fragmentation on biodiversity, such as population isolation, edge effect and ecosystem weakening, are summarized. Two basic approaches to mitigation of these impacts in palm oil landscapes are outlined: Land-sparing and Land-sharing. The Land-sparing approach argues that forest fragments in most oil palm landscapes are of negligible conservation value, and that, instead of trying to increase the biodiversity value of these, money and effort would be better spent investing in protection and management of large contiguous areas of forest offsite, such as are available in biobank projects. Arguments for adopting a Land-sharing approach include protection of ecosystem functions, benefits to local communities, and protection of extant high conservation value species populations. An example of the latter approach is showcased – that of the Kinabatangan Corridor of Life Project in Sabah. Which of these two approaches individual companies should adopt will depend on consideration of local and landscape-level factors, and these can be determined by a thorough biodiversity assessment of the plantation and surrounding ecosystem.
In the past, the norm to determine the competitiveness of palm oil is by conducting a direct economic comparison with other vegetable oils. However, with increasing attention on sustainable development, the environmental and social relevance of palm oil production are now defining issues in trade. In 2012, the Environmental Protection agency (EPA) of USA, under the Renewable Fuels Standard 2 (RFS2), published the Notice of Data Availability (NODA) ruling that oil palm biofuel does not meet the GHG threshold requirements when compared to fossil fuel. In their calculations they assumedthat only 10% of the palm oil mills in Malaysia and Indonesia will have biogas capture facilities by 2020. A comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) study of Malaysian oil palm products from mineral soils was carried out by MPOB. One of the outcomes of this study was the identification of methane emissions from the POME treatment to be a significant contributor to the GHG emissions along the supply chain. Following this, the National Key Economic Areas (NKEA), included biogas trapping as one of the eight Entry Point Projects of the palm oil sector; that targets that all palm oil mills will capture their biogas by the year 2020. The objective of this study was to compare the national GHG emissions if palm oil mills do not capture their biogas and savings that the oil palm industry will contribute if all the palm oil mills capture biogas. This study has a cradle to gate system boundary which starts at the oil palm nurseries followed by the plantations up to the palm oil mills. The land use scenario used in this study at the plantation was the continued land usechange from oil palm to oil palm. Allocation is carried out at the palm oil mill with the by products. Three scenarios were considered: annual GHG emissions in Malaysia from the biogas and the production of CPO ( with allocation) with no biogas capture facilities; annual GHG emissions and savings in Malaysia from the biogas and the production of CPO ( with allocation) with 10% of the palm oil mills having biogas capture facilities and annual GHG emissions and savings in Malaysia from the biogas and the production of CPO ( with allocation) with 100% of the palm oil mills having biogas capture facilities. Using the 2013 production figures for Malaysia, the GHG emissions from the biogas alone was 18.36 million t CO2eq/year while the total GHG emissions for CPO was 18.66 million t CO2eq/year. With 10% of the palm oil mills capturing the biogas; the GHG emissions from biogas reduced to 16.74 million t CO2eq/year with total savings of 0.99 million t CO2eq/year while the total GHG emissions for CPO was 17.66 million t CO2eq/year. With 100% of the mills having biogas capture the GHG emissions reduces drastically to 2.07 million t CO2eq/year with total savings of 16.30 million t CO2eq/year while the total GHG emissions for CPO was 8.67 million t CO2eq/year.
Some plant-based bioactives are known to possess multiple health benefits, and polyphenols represent the largest group of these. The presence of multifunctional (antioxidant, anti-lipid peroxidative and metal chelating) properties within the same molecule enables polyphenols to confer pleiotropism, akin to several therapeutic agents. With such emerging positive scientific evidence, novel polyphenols are actively being pursued by the food and supplement industries as a natural, safe and cost-effective means of delivering health benefits to consumers. Several naturally occurring polyphenol compounds (e.g. tea, grape, wine) have been shown to afford cardiovascular protection through their actions on the vasculature. The palm oil industry is a global provider of several natural antioxidants. Palm carotenes rich in -carotenes, and palm vitamin E enriched in tocotrienols reside in the fruit mesocarp, and are recovered from extracted crude palm oil. In addition, a novel water-soluble antioxidant complex enriched in polyphenols (oil palm phenolics; OPP) has been isolated from the large aqueous biomass generated during the milling process. In the present study we evaluated the potential cardiovascular outcomes of OPP via a series of in vitro and in vivo studies following both acute administration and long-term feeding in rats. OPP dose-dependently relaxed isolated blood vessel preparations, and lowered blood pressure (BP) in the nitric oxide deficient model of hypertension as well as in the spontaneously hypertensive rat following acute administration. OPP afforded protection against cardiac arrhythmia following induction of myocardial ischemia by coronary artery ligation in a whole animal model of sudden cardiac death. The results thus implicate OPP as a potential bioactive ingredient effective in promoting cardiovascular health.
From December 2014, EU Regulation 1169/2011 will require products containing palm oil to be labelled explicitly mentioning the same. It is a move that has been welcomed by NGOs, who were previously calling for a boycott, but widely criticised by producers, manufacturers, and those NGOs, which favour greater engagement with the palm oil industry. As with much of the confusion that surrounds consumers’ understanding of food labelling, shoppers can only act upon the information that they are given. In the case of palm oil, that information ranges from the unnecessarily scientific to the deliberately misleading. Smartphone apps designed by single-issue campaigns often fail to take into account the needs of multiple stakeholders. The new labelling, having identified that a product contains palm oil, requires the consumer to make an ‘ethical’ decision based on this inadequate information. Ethical consumers want to know that their choices are part of the solution and don’t have unintended consequences. In a debate dominated by sensational images which appeal to the emotions but don’t inform, more (and more reliable) information would be of benefit both to the consumer and the palm oil industry. Ethical consumers want to know that their choices are part of the solution and don’t have unintended consequences. In a debate dominated by sensational images which appeal to the emotions but don’t inform, more (and more reliable) information would be of benefit both to the consumer and the palm oil industry.
Met is a receptor tyrosine kinase. Dysregulation of Met signaling is associated with aggressive cancer phenotypes characterized by highly invasive and metastatic growth. Low dose treatment of γ-tocotrienol, a rare form of vitamin E, has previously been shown to inhibit Met receptor activation and mammary tumor cell proliferation when combined with the Met inhibitor, SU11274. Experiments were conducted to determine the intracellular mechanisms involved in mediating the anticancer effects of combined γ- tocotrienol and SU11274 treatment in mammary cancer cell lines. Mouse (+SA) and human (MCF-7, and MDA-MB-231) mammary cancer cell lines, and CL-S1 (mouse) and MCF10A (human) immortalized normal mammary epithelial cell lines were compared. Cell proliferation and survival were determined by MTT assay and Ki-67 staining. Protein expression was determined by Western blotting. Immunofluorescent staining was used to characterize expression and localization of multiple epithelial and mesenchymal markers. Cell migration was determined using the wound healing assay. Combined treatment of subeffective concentrations of γ- tocotrienol and SU11274 resulted in a synergistic growth inhibition in +SA, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-231 cells, but had no effect on CL-S1 and MCF10A viability. Additional studies showed that combined treatment caused a large reduction in phosphorylated-Akt (active) levels and suppressed HGF-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in +SA cells, as indicated by a characteristic increase in epithelial markers E-cadherin, membrane-bound β- catenin, and cytokeratins 8/18, and a corresponding decrease in mesenchymal marker vimentin expression, as compared to vehicle-treated controls. Combined treatment with γ-tocotrienol and SU11274 blocked HGF-induced +SA and MDA-MB-231 cell motility. These results demonstrate that the anticancer effects of combined γ-tocotrienol and SU11274 treatment aremediated by a suppression in hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)-induced mitogenic signaling, EMT, and cell motility, and suggest that the use of these agents may provide significant benefits in the treatment of breast cancers characterized by aberrant Met activity. This work was supported, in part, by grants from First Tec International Ltd. (Hong Kong), the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC), and the Louisiana Cancer Foundation.
The SPAD chlorophyll meter is a useful tool to assess Nitrogen (N) fertilizer requirement for many field crops with the advantages of rapid and in-field crop N status measurement. The objective of this study was to provide a direct comparison between SPAD meter readings versus leaf N concentrations in oil palm seedlings. Nine genotypes of oil palm were subjected to N stress conditions and then followed by N recovery. SPAD readings and the leaf N concentrations were measured to monitor the oil palm recovery responses induced by the stress condition. Based on this study, all oil palm genotypes, except Genotype I, demonstrated 9 days of lag period before the SPAD readings and leaf N concentrations began to increase. Genotype A showed the fastest recovery ability compared to the other genotypes. Genotypes A and E, which inherited more genetic diversity, showed better N response on recovery as compared to the other genotypes. SPAD readings of the oil palm also showed significant (p < 0.0001) and high positive association (r = 0.7337) with leaf N concentrations. This study showed that SPAD chlorophyll meter could be used as a reliable tool to determine the N status of the oil palm seedlings.
In recent years, sustainability has emerged as a focal area of cross-disciplinary inquiry and has tended to be problem-driven. These developments are supported by a number of economic theories that include the Neo- Malthusian theory, Kuznet’s Hypothesis and Hardin’s Tragedy of the Commons. Two frameworks: theoretical and conceptual were created by assessing correlations based on the above mentioned economic theories. Study frameworks were designed and validated as “economy tools’ for quantitative analysis of variables that are deemed important for sustainable management. These frameworks were applied to the palm oil industry and its sustainability challenges. Stakeholders’ perceptions and their management were incorporated in the overall palm oil economic analysis for sustainability management. This paper discusses the various existing economic theories and how each of it relates to sustainability, and the development of sustainable palm oil industry. Two frameworks were designed: the theoretical framework capturing the analysis of the existing economic theories and their relevance to sustainability and the palm oil industry. In the second framework, a conceptual design was developed as a tool depicting linkages to all important parameters that required evaluation, when measuring sustainability. Overall, despite these framework developments and their application, we conclude that sustainability and existing economic theories do not completely resolve the issue of sustainable production with regards to land management or sustainable land development in the agricultural sector.
The sustainability of a biofuel feedstock must be viewed holistically on three aspectseconomic, environment and social. A single biofuel which satisfies all these aspects completely does not exist. Based on this study, among the first generation biofuels which support today's biofuel programmes, palm oil biodiesel is seen to be a very highly sustainable biofuel feedstock, exceeding the other biofuel feedstocks, including corn, rapeseed and soya. In addition, palm oil production for food also leaves behind a large source of biomass wastes which can potentially be used to produce second generation biofuels and avert the food-fuel quandary.
The palm oil industry has brought great economic benefits to Malaysia. The current production of 19 million metric tons (Mmtons) of crude palm oil (CPO) adds 8% to the country’s gross national income (GNI). In
addition, the oil palm estates produce an estimated 80 Mmtons of dry weight biomass. This includes trunks, fronds, empty fruit bunches and other biomass fractions. These resources present attractive raw materials for the newly emerging and potentially profitable renewable energy and biobased chemicals markets1. The perennial nature of the oil palm biomass supply base and the available volumes are strong assets to tap into these new markets. This paper describes the potential of the biomass markets and highlights some of the answers to the challenges these markets currently present to the oil palm biomass industry.
The palm oil industry has brought great economic benefits to Malaysia. The current production of 19 million metric tons (Mmtons) of crude palm oil (CPO) adds 8% to the country’s gross national income (GNI). In addition, the oil palm estates produce an estimated 80 Mmtons of dry weight biomass. This includes trunks, fronds, empty fruit bunches and other biomass fractions. These resources present attractive raw materials for the newly emerging and potentially profitable renewable energy and biobased chemicals markets. The perennial nature of the oil palm biomass supply base and the available volumes are strong assets to tap into these new markets. This paper describes the potential of the biomass markets and highlights some of the answers to the challenges these markets currently present to the oil palm biomass industry.
A total of 338 faecal samples are collected from 16 semi-captive orang utans (5 adults,5 sub-adults,6 juveniles) from December 2010 to October 2011. They are screened for gastrointestinal parasites using method of direct smear, faecal flotation, faecal sedimentation, faecal culture and McMaster technique. The aimed are to study the gastrointestinal parasites prevalence for semicaptive orang utans and the parasitic infection with the seasonal trend. For the nematodes, Strongyloides spp. prevalence was significantly higher throughout the study period compared to trichostrongylids and Trichuris spp. One protozoan found and classified as cysts and trophozoites of Balantidium spp. Sub-adult orang utans gave the highest prevalence for Strongyloides spp. larvae, while juveniles gave the highest for Strongyloides spp. eggs. However, the occurences of trichostrongylids
and Trichuris spp. were at low prevalence throughout the study. For the protozoa, subadults gave the highest prevalence for Balantidium spp. cysts and juveniles for the trophozoites. The seasonal difference occurred only in juvenile orang utans where the number of total eggs per gram was significantly higher during the wet season compared to the dry season. Anthelmintics efficacy test was also done to the parasitic infections of the orang utans. The percent efficacy tested that Ivermectin with 98.9%, Albendazole with 99.3% and Mebendazole with 23.2% of
percent eggs reduction. However, orang utans tested with Ivermectin had the lowest mean epg at 25 eggs per gram until the fourth week. Also, two species of nematodes are identified until the species level using the 18s rDNA for Strongyloides spp. and ITS-
2 rDNA for Oesophagostomum spp. Sequencing results revealed that the larvae culture had 100% similarity of Strongyloides fuelleborni and 99% similarity of Oesophagostomum cf. aculeatum.
The production of renewable fuels worldwide continues to expand as a consequence of volatility in petroleum prices, commitments to greenhouse gas reduction by governments and the need for future energy security,especially in regions with high dependence on fossil fuel imports. Renewable hydrocarbon diesel and jet fuels can be produced using the UOP/ENI Ecofining™ and UOP Renewable Jet processes. Unlike conventional fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) based bio-diesel, the deoxygenated hydrocarbons produced in these UOP processes have fuel quality attributes that are very similar to the corresponding petroleum derived fuels. Biomass such as agricultural and forestry wastes are emerging as promising sources of renewable liquid, gaseous and solid fuels. The RTP™ process converts biomass to RTP green fuel, a pyrolysis oil that can be used as process fuel in boilers, furnaces and kilns or for power generation. Use of RTP green fuel can also significantly reduce the energy cost, greenhouse gas impact and carbon footprint of user industries. Conversion of RTP green fuel to hydrocarbon transportation fuels has been demonstrated While palm oil is primarily used for edible purposes, the technologies described above offer significant potential for conversion of byproducts from the palm plantation and downstream processing sectors – such as palm stearin and expended palm fruit bunch – into second-generation hydrocarbon fuels. It is important that appropriate sustainability criteria be applied to selection and utilization of byproducts and residues from the palm sector for production of such fuels.
At the close of the Rio+20 Earth Summit, heads of state and ministers from more than 190 nations agreed to set global sustainable development goals (SDGs) and other measures to strengthen global environmental
management, tighten protection of the oceans, improve food security and promote a ‘green economy’.
Integrating forest into sustainable development objectives is inevitable. The palm oil industry can play an important role in fulfilling the SDGs and promoting the green economy. This paper will highlight some of the potential areas where both forest and the palm oil industry contribute to the SDGs.
There are a number of problematic soils in the Tropics. They are soils on steep terrain, soils of the dry regions,highly weathered soils, lateritic soils, acid sulfate soils, saline soils, sandy soils, organic soils and soils after specific land use change.
This paper discusses the various problems that each of these groups of soils have and the various management practices that can be taken to overcome these problems so that they can produce oil palms on a sustainable basis. Each of these problem soil groups have their own limitations, some of which are difficult or costly to overcome. Sometimes oil palm may not be the best crop for the area. However, economic and labour considerations will determine the final decision.
In the last decade, concern about the negative impacts of large scale agricultural expansion has led to increasing efforts to promote sustainability across a range of agricultural supply chains, including oil palm. Often
improvements in sustainability are implemented through the establishment of an international certification system that sets voluntary standards for producers and provides assurances to consumers, such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).
This paper outlines the current knowledge of the processes controlling nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) fluxes, methods of measurement, mitigation options and models designed to simulate N2O and CH4 fluxes.
Natural and managed soils are globally important sources and sinks of the main non- CO2 greenhouse gases (GHG) N2O and CH4. Compared to CO2 their global warming potential over a 100 year period is 298 and 23 times, respectively, larger than that of CO2.
The aim of this paper is to illustrate why an increasing biomass demand is of major importance when trying to achieve international climate protection goals. It shows that development goals can be reached by more climate friendly agriculture. The increasing demand for agricultural land is often
answered by the conversion of natural land with a high carbon stock. This conversion is hence connected to a great carbon loss causing high greenhouse gas emissions. This increase in production has therefore to be
examined critically. As such land use changes can occur not only direct but also indirect (indirect land use change, iLUC) and legal regulations and instruments are necessary to reduce iLUC and support climate friendly
agriculture.
The analysis shows that the currently used and developed regulation instruments in Europe and the USA are highly speculative and doubtful. These countries work with global iLUC-factors, that are determined based on mathematical models for global future predictions. The paper presents alternative regulation approaches, which base on national level and the respective land use policies of the past.
High yielding ability ensures the sustainability of a crop through improved resource (land, light, water, fertilizers, labour) use efficiencies besides profitability. Traditionallyperennial tree crop improvement is achieved/expedited through clonal (vegetative) propagation. This prompted the research and development into the tissue culture clonal propagation of oil palm which has no natural means of vegetative propagation in the early 1970s. Oil palm clonal propagation has now become a technology with commercial output of clonal plantlets constituting 5-10% of the annual oil palm planting material requirement in Malaysia. Nevertheless, with the inefficiencies of the tissue culture technique in terms of low amenability and risk of somaclonal variation extant, strategies in clonal propagation have to remain as adjuncts to hybrid breeding programs and strategies. With the lower genetic variability and heritability for oil yield confirmed in advanced DxP hybrids, cloning (and recloning) from such populations is inefficient and runs the risk of concurrent new generations of improved hybrids closing the yield advantage gap of clones. Cloning ortets from the early/recombinant phases of hybrid breeding programmes would be more efficient with the broader genetic variability and higher heritability for yield and other desirable traits. Perhaps the biggest advantage of cloning would be in the early commercial exploitation of new genetic materials from introgression programmes of wide intra or inter-specific crosses which would also broaden the genetic base of the commercial plantings to reduce risk of genetic vulnerability to pest, disease and environmental stress debilitation, ensuring sustainability. These considerations would also apply to the alternative cloning strategies of cloning the best parents for clonal hybrid seed production and cloning the progeny embryos or seedlings of the best progenies.. These alternative strategies are gaining interest especially the former. Clones are unlikely to supersede hybrid seeds as the dominant oil palm planting material until the amenability and fidelity deficiencies in the tissue culture have been resolved or circumvented and their field performance advantage over concurrent improved hybrids clearly demonstrated.
The dichotomy between conservation and development has been instrumental in the inception of a pioneering conservation initiative for Malua Forest Reserve (MFR) as the main stakeholders of wildlife conservation have recognised the need not only to identify a common vision but more crucially, to nurture a symbiotic relationship through collaborative management. Building the bridges of trust and collaboration has been vital in the whole process which ultimately culminated in the drafting and the development of the Malua Partnership Wildlife Conservation Agreement (MPWCA). Research outcomes of the 'Oil Palm Plantations, Communities and Forest Use Study (Malua II) in July 2011 formed the foundation for the MPWCA. The main objective of the Agreement is to create a conservation partnership between the public sector and the oil palm plantations based on a common vision, focusing on mutuallybeneficial solutions. The MPWCA also takes into account the principles and requirements of
internationally-recognised accreditation bodies such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil
(RSPO) in order to ensure compliance to good governance. After several successive revisions and stakeholder consultations, the
Agreement was formally endorsed by the Sabah Forestry and Wildlife Departments and oil palm companies in November 2012. To this end, an Implementation Committee for the MPWCA was established prior to the signing with its pending progress to be documented in Article 3 - The Art of Collaboration: Collaborative Management and the Implementation of the Malua Partnership Wildlife Conservation Agreement.
This contribution deals with sustainability of palm oil. What does sustainability mean and what are the challenges for palm oil in Malaysia? Which partnerships have been developed to further improve sustainability? Three partnerships for sustainable development will be analyzed, one government initiated partnership between the Malaysian, Indonesian and Netherlands government and two partnerships initiated by the private sector, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and one between private companies. The tool of partnerships was used to deal with sustainability issues and thereby improve access to the European market and to implement standards for sustainability. Malaysia has made great progress, but is still facing the risk of trade barriers for the export of its palm oil. Important factors that affect the effectiveness of partnerships are the governance mechanisms put in place to deal with sustainability of palm oil, the existence of an enabling environment for public-private collaboration and sector specific characteristics.
This presentation deals with sustainability, fair play and free trade and what this means for the development of a sustainable palm oil sector in Malaysia. Special attention will be given to partnerships for sustainable development’ and whether they have reached their goals and contributed to sustainable development of the palm oil sectors in Malaysia. The concepts of efficiency and effectiveness will be used to assess to the actual dynamism of the partnership process. The contribution is based on research undertaken in the framework of a comparative review of a public-private partnership programme implemented by the Dutch and Malaysian governments with the private sector in both countries since 2005 to address bottlenecks in the export-oriented palm oil, shrimp and fruits and vegetables sector in Malaysia. The tool of partnerships was used to build local capacity and thereby improve access to the European market. It will be shown that Malaysia has made great progress, but is still facing trade barriers for the export of its palm oil (which will be analyzed), whether produced in more sustainable way or not. The review demonstrated different degrees of upgrading of the export oriented activities in the respective partnerships; of capacity built up to facilitate policy reforms and to deal with sustainability issues; and of spin-off of the partners in terms of the resulting social and economic development. Important factors that affect the effectiveness of partnerships are the governance mechanisms put in place (including the level of ownership, the level of transparency, the vertical and horizontal accountability), the situational context of the partnerships, the existence of an enabling environment for public-private collaboration and sector specific characteristics.
In this paper, we present an update on the current wildlife research undertaken by the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) and its partners. For the last ten years, SWD has been extremely active in developing research programmes on all Sabah's flagship species including the Bornean orangutan, the proboscis monkey, the Sumatran rhinoceros, the Bornean elephant, the Bornean banteng, the Malayan sun bear, and the Sunda clouded leopard. This has been facilitated by: (1) the setting up of their own field research centre located in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, the Danau Girang Field Centre, in collaboration with Cardiff University; (2) the development of strong collaborations with different overseas institutions such as Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, University of Indiana, Kyoto University, Oxford WildCRU, EcoHealth Alliance, Houston Zoo, and many others; and (3) the collaboration with several NGOs such as HUTAN-Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Programme, Borneo Conservation Trust (BCT), WWF-Malaysia, Borneo Rhino Alliance (BORA), UK Appeal, and many others. Recently, some of the research carried out by SWD and partners has received funding from the palm oil industry through the Malaysian Palm Oil Council, Sime Darby Foundation, and others. The main aim of the research carried out by SWD and partners is to contribute to the conservation and management of the species and ecosystems, which are under their responsibility.
A preliminary survey of bird diversity carried out in an oil palm plantation near Bintulu, Sarawak found that there could be a positive correlation between numbers of birds and proximity to secondary forest. The study also suggested that the presence of riparian buffer zones in the plantation had a positive effect on bird diversity. These findings support what practitioners have been advocating in plantations; namely, more natural habitats, enhanced connectivity amongst riparian and other natural habitats and the protection of remnant tall trees. These preliminary results provide a useful starting point for further research.
For the past twenty years environmental nongovernment organizations (ENGOs) have sought to influence the global supply chain of commodities from production and extraction through to their retail sale. Traditionally their attempts to control trade have been thinly veiled through ‘voluntary’ certification schemes. Based on their own recent gloating, their attempts are now naked in their attempt to transform markets based on their and environmental, social and economic values.
The conference in Durban South Africa showed that the UN climate talks remain hopelessly stalled. To circumvent this impasse, advocates of greenhouse gas controls seek to curb forest loss. As part of this effort, some activists focus on emissions from palm oil plantations; others push broader plans to conserve all tropical forests. Yet emissions from palm oil production are too small a part of the global total to make much difference. And both ‘leakage’ and governance problems will greatly hobble programs to preserve tropical forests. Frustrated, the World Bank and others are trying to use market power to induce palm oil plantations to adopt more ‘sustainable’ practices. But limits on their market power imply that such efforts are more likely to segment the world palm oil market than to cause large changes in production practices.
Greenhouse gas emissions contribute to harmful climate change. Yet curbing emissions is not the only way to limit harm from climate change and it may not even be the best way. Much of the risk from climate change arises from its effects on less developed countries. Growth of the palm oil sector has proven to be a potent engine for economic progress. It has conferred gains on both producers and consumers. Policy-makers should assess palm oil as both a source of emissions and a source of development. Instead, U.S. and EU climate policy has viewed the palm oil sector almost entirely within the narrow framework of their biofuels programs. Their policies stand on weak data, flawed theories, hidden motives, and subjective standards.
Soil pH, organic C and total N decreased with time in the oil palm agro-ecosystem. However, the decline in soil pH was slight whereas those related to organic C and total N corresponded to the period when the oil palm biomass was burnt or partially burnt at replanting. The large increases in soil organic C obtained with the zero burn replanting technique were favorable. There were large positive changes in soil P and exchangeable K, which might be attributed to the applications of higher rates of phosphate rocks and K fertilizers especially from the 1990s following the results of fertilizer response trials. Exchangeable Mg were lower in burn or partial burn areas but were higher in zero burn areas. This study by Mitra Usaha Pertanian shows that the soil fertility status of the Ultisols under oil palm in Johor has been enhanced through current fertilizer management practices and zero burn replanting technique.
The LCA GHG emission in the production and combustion of palm oil biodiesel at 1,601 kg CO2/ tonne of biodiesel is 2.6 times lower than that for fossil diesel. The LCA GHG emission reduction savings is, thus, 62% and exceeds the threshold value of 35% needed by EU for renewable sources to qualify for use as biofuels. Palm biodiesel has a great potential to improve its carbon balance further, exceeding 62% savings, by utilizing its waste products arising from oil palm cultivation and during palm biodiesel production.
The arguments typically presented against the use of food-crops to manufacture fuel in the so-called food-fuel debate are evaluated here and shown to be unsatisfactory. Whilst the price of food-crops could potentially be driven up by such usage, it is argued that this effect can readily be attenuated by imposing an environmental tax on fossil-fuels, which are currently substantially under-priced, primarily because their ecological and social costs are not reflected in the selling price of these fuels. It is further argued that in this menacing age of global warming, it is imperative that an environmental tax be imposed upon fossil-fuels, and that these environmental tax revenues be used to directly mitigate the ecologically deleterious effects of burning fossil-fuels. The energy implications of our burgeoning human population, and our exploding energy demands, as well as the pressing need to find effective and viable solutions are also examined, as are alternative energies. The potentially disastrous consequences of nuclear energy use by irresponsible governments like that of the former Soviet Union are also examined, particularly with regard to the issue of the wanton dumping of spent nuclear cores into the oceans.
One of the most challenging corporate social responsibility (CSR) aspects faced by members of the palm oil industry is responding to persistent criticisms on the sweeping environmental externalities it contributes. Continued pressure has changed the industry's environmental CSR behaviour; from low commitment, to steadfastly getting into the heart of conservation action. Here we showcase a host of commendable conservation efforts developed with deep commitment and a new sense of urgency. And how the industry is learning and working alongside multidisciplinary communities to address the information gap, thus effectively resulting in innovative projects. We also highlighted areas where more needs to be done to sustain the momentum.
Four clonal oil palm materials namely AVROS, Yangambi, La Me and NIFOR and two DxP hybrid Yangambi, grown on terraced and unterraced fields were subjected to irrigated and non-irrigated conditions. There were significant differences in all leaf nutrient concentrations for all the planting materials for both terrain and irrigation conditions. For non-irrigated palms, most of the leaf nutrients were higher than the irrigated palms, especially K and Mg concentrations. Most of the leaf nutrient concentrations in palms grown on undulating area were also high, especially for leaf Mg and K concentrations. Leaf K concentration for DxP hybrid Yangambi-DQ8 was consistently lower than AVROS-A122 by almost 15-20% in all the growing conditions. In contrast, the leaf K contents for Yangambi-DQ8 and Yangambi-Y103 were comparable to that of AVROS-A122 and these three planting materials produced the highest oil yields. In view of future high current fertilizer cost, selecting oil palm genotypes that are able to produce good oil yields on low fertilizer inputs and giving consistent leaf nutrition need to be given consideration.
Governments and large agribusinesses are increasingly using the environmentalist movement and its policy arm of green nongovernmental organizations to justify imposing protectionist non-tariff barriers on developing countries. Wrong-headed environmental policies and ―green‖ protectionism are contributing to a resurgence of malaria in some countries and endangering millions of jobs in developing countries. Even the World Bank‘s mandate to foster economic development is being subverted to serve environmentalist and protectionist objectives. The EU and the U.S. need to eliminate protectionist policies and regulations that are masquerading as environmental safeguards and refocus the World Bank on promoting economic development to alleviate poverty
A LCI study is carried out on rape seed, canola, palm oil, soy bean and sunflower for their potential to be used as feedstocks for biodiesel. Biodiesels made from them are shown to be produced with lower CO2eq emissions relative to fossil diesel. As such, the CO2eq emission reduction savings, using the carbon balance approach, ranges from 67% for soy to 53% for sunflower biodiesel. Using the energy balance approach, the energy use savings ranges from 79% for palm oil to 62% for sunflower. In all cases, they are above EU RED’s threshold value of 35% savings, needed for a feedstock to qualify as an acceptable biofuel feedstock in EU.
Escalating world population requires more food. Planet Earth is already burdened to meet this challenge due to the omnipresent scarcity of arable land and increasing cumulative pollution loads. In order to obtain maximum yield output, limited land resource must be used rationally by cultivating crops of choice with the highest yield per hectare. An example in the oils and fats sector is oil palm. In addition, the introduction of unfair trade practices and regulations applied to the oils and fats trade, disguised in the form of environmental requirements such as limiting deforestation, can lead to lower food production and consequently drive up food prices; thus, threatening food security.
Renewable energy has been identified globally as a key driver to achieve economic growth while ensuring minimal environmental harm. Simultaneously, the current development of green technology and its related policies have enhanced the growth of renewable energy in the country. The Malaysian palm oil industry, with 4.69 million hectares of planted land has a tremendous opportunity in supplying renewable energy in the form of biomass-based bioenergy and biogas from methane capture of palm oil mill effluent (POME). It is estimated that these palm based materials could generate up to 1260 MW of energy. This amounts to nearly 10% of the maximum energy demand of electricity in Malaysia. Therefore, oil palm-based biomass can be expected to play a prominent role in the future when the demand for renewable energy is expected to increase rapidly.
This paper examines the four major ecological threats confronting us as a species, viz.: the exploding human population; accelerating demands for energy; increasing, and increasingly sophisticated (and thus resource-intense) demands for food; and mushrooming garbage production. It analyses population by looking at population pyramids, examines the concept of overshoot, outlines how and in what ways our energy demands have gown, linking this with greenhouse gas emissions and with global warming and with the confusion tactics employed by the fossil-fuel industry, looks at the issue of food production in the light of the exploding population, including an exposition of the Malthusian Trap, and examines the garbage production and disposal scenario, whilst paying special attention to the garbage gyres which now fill large tracts of the oceans. The conclusion is that we are on the brink of fundamentally altering the human-carrying capacity of the planet, whilst setting this into the context of earlier extinction events which have altered the course of life and of evolution on the planet.
Drainage for agricultural use on peat soils in the temperate regions of the world releases 3.5 times more CO2 than similar activities carried out in the tropics, disregarding the use of peat for forestry and for mining purposes. An estimated 4,209 Mt of CO2 is emitted into the atmosphere in the temperate and boreal regions annually while 1,188 Mt are released in the tropics. Oil palm cultivation on peat in South East Asia accounts for 5.3% of this emission in the tropics or 1.2% of total CO2 emission from agriculture on peat globally. The study also found that current reports on CO2 emission on tropical peat has grossly overestimated its emission due to the lack of studies and the lack of knowledge of tropical peat characteristics.
The need for sustainable packing materials with performance like petroleum-based polymers is growing. This study attempts to develop a biodegradable ternary biopolymer composite by reinforcing starch with nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC), and nanolignin (NL). Both NCC and NL were synthesized from oil palm waste, i.e., empty fruit bunch (EFB), which is biodegradable in nature; doing this improves the overall sustainability of the product. The developed composites were characterized for optical, thermal, mechanical and UV barrier properties. UV-vis spectrometry results revealed a synergistic effect between NL and NCC in improving the transparency and UV light barrier of the composites. The glass transition temperature (Tg) of the film with 4 wt% of NL and 4 wt% of NCC increased from 40 oC to 61 oC compared to the neat film. In addition, the tensile strength was found to be approximately 150% higher than the neat film. This work suggested that incorporating NL and NCC into the starch composites could be a promising alternative to current packaging material with improved mechanical strength, thermal stability, water, and UV light barrier performance.
The agrochemical business places a high priority on the development of ecologically friendly pesticides for sustainable agriculture. The main hurdles in developing new pesticides are identifying novel active ingredients and optimising the delivery system of a pesticide are the main challenges in developing new pesticides. Currently, it appears that the use of renewable resources, particularly plant oils as pyrolyzed bio-oil has the potential to replace the traditional petroleum-based solvents in liquid pesticide formulations. The palm kernel shellderived bio-oil contains high concentrations of oil esters compounds (methyl esters) which can effectively encapsulate or bind the pesticide’s active ingredients in the material’s matrix. These properties drive the selection of this materials to be utilised as carrier (inert ingredients) in the pesticide formulations. This study aims to investigate the viability of using bio-oil to substitute petroleum-based oil as carrier in bio-pesticide formulation against insect pest such as Metisa plana bagworm. Prior to formulation, the ternary phase diagram was used to assess the compatibility between bio-oil and surfactants such as Tween 20 and Tween 80 as bio-pesticide ingredients. According to the compatibility results, the best formulation contains 20% surfactant. Based on these circumstances, the experiment was designed with an active ingredient extracted from neem seeds, azadirachtin. The results showed that the formulated bio-pesticide could repel 50% of the bagworm population, with a lethal concentration (LC50) of 22.1 g/ml. As a result, this study contributes to our knowledge of waste management and brings us closer to a zero-waste strategy for a cleaner environment.
With the increasing demand in oils and fats worldwide, the palm oil industry in Malaysia has been growing over the past decades. Malaysia is the second-largest producer of palm oil products in the world, producing more than 19 million tonnes of crude palm oil (CPO) annually. This has resulted a high volume of palm oil mill effluent (POME) being generated, as a by-product of CPO extraction from the fresh fruit bunches. POME consists of high organic pollutants, which has to be treated via anaerobic and aerobic systems prior to its discharge to the watercourse. In the anaerobic system, biogas contains mainly methane and carbon dioxide gas. Hence, POME has been identified as a potential resource for bio-energy production in the palm oil mills. In order to recover such resource, biogas has to be captured and converted into bioelectricity via gas engine after the removal of its hydrogen sulphide content. The generated power can then be supplied to the national grid under the feed-in-tariff scheme. However, only limited palm oil mills in Malaysia are eligible for such scheme due to their geographical locations. Thus, in order to further explore the recovery opportunities of biogas, a techno-economic evaluation to upgrade the generated biogas into compressed bio-methane is performed. A mixed-integer linear programming model is formulated to screen the upgrading process based on economic performance. To illustrate the proposed approach, a case study based on a typical Malaysian palm oil mill is presented.
Palm oil is the most produced and consumed vegetable oil worldwide. Recently, the palm oil industry has received attention from food safety authorities due to the presence of 3-monochloro-1, 2-propanediol esters (3-MCPDE) in the refined oil. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) proposed to limit the presence of 3-MCPDE by 2.5 ppm in palm oil from year 2021 onwards. Various studies showed that the 3-MCPDE is a process contaminant induced by heat during the refining stage, in the presence of its precursors, such as diacylglycerol (DAG) and chlorine in palm oil. Research works have been conducted to mitigate 3-MCPDE formation. This paper provides an overview of the 3-MCPDE formation, mitigation initiatives and industrial practices in addressing the 3-MCPDE issue.
According to Energy Outlook 2019 published by the US Energy information administration, aviation fuel consumption is expected to be more than double by the year 2050 as compared to the current usage. The increased cost of petroleum fuels and growing environmental concerns have made the aviation industry rely on biofuel in their fuel usage. Non-edible crops and algae are mainly used as feedstock for jet fuel production. There are many technologies such as blending Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME), lipid hydroprocessing, Fischer–Tropsch synthesis, upgrading pyrolysis oils, Hydrothermal Liquefaction for jet biofuel production. However, sustainable production of jet biofuel is still under research. The current paper discusses the opportunities and challenges with these technologies.
