Uphill task to clear palm oil image in EU

 

Malaysia is facing an uphill task in convincing consumers in the European Union that its palm oil is sustainably developed and is not a major source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the director ofthe European Centre for International Political Economy, Gernot Pehnelt said today.

He said palm oil’s image in the European Union is generally bad as the campaigns by non-governmental organisations like Green Peace and Friends of the Earth have been so successful in discrediting palm oil.

Speaking to reporters at the International Palm Oil Sustainability Conference in Kota Kinabalu, Pehnelt said it was going to be hard to overcome this picture and that professional marketers should be employed to set the picture and record straight.

"The consumers out there have a retention span of about a minute. If you show them a picture of oil palm plantations and a baby orang utan, that leaves a very lasting negative impression on them," he said, adding that EU consumers are not going to read comprehensive research papers to clear any doubt.

Pehnelt, who recently undertook a study on European policies towards palm oil, said the European Union should reshape its policies towards palm oil, conduct objective and non- discriminatory calculations regarding GHG emission savings values and support palm oil imports from developing countries rather than restricting them.

Biodiesel ‘very attractive’

"This will not only prevent political conflicts and trade disputes in conjunction with the issue of palm oil but also foster economic growth and development, reduce poverty and contribute to the ambitious GHG emission savings goals on a fair and reasonable basis," he added.

As for bio-fuel, which is increasingly being used in the European Union, Pehnelt said of particular concern was palm oil biofuel.

"Producers of palm oil must get the product certified as eligible under mandatory blending, following which, the use of palm oil for electricity and transportation systems will definitely improve," he said.

Pehnelt also said biodiesel is a rising market and prices are going to be very attractive in future and may become "another pillar of your industries".

– Bernama