InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – In South America there are three big palm oil consumers, they are, Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico. The biggest palm oil consumption was in Colombia that reached 1,14 million tons in 2020, only 190 thousand tons of the total consumption were imported. Palm oil production in Columbia reached about 1,7 million tons and become the biggest producer in South America.
The second biggest palm oil consumer in the region is Brazil within the total consumption reaching about 930 thousand tons; 34,4% of the numbers were imported. Palm oil production in Brazil reached 620 thousand tons. Then Mexico is the third biggest consumer within the total consumption reaching 593 thousand tons or 473 thousand tons of them were imported. Palm oil production in Mexico reached about 118 thousand tons.
Nur Adibah Mohd Razali of Malaysian Palm Oil Counsil (MPOC) wrote that the other main palm oil producers in South America are Guatemala, Ecuador, and Peru.
The question remains, what about palm oil prospect in South America? According to MPOC analysis, palm oil consumption and exports in Colombia in 2022 could be increasing because of the domestic increasing demands from non-food sectors and foreign demands for certified sustainable palm oil.
As the biggest palm oil and palm kernel producer in South America, Colombia keeps increasing its certified sustainable palm oil production in Sustainable Palm Oil Program National Strategy.
Smallholder National Federation, Fedepalma adopted Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC), and Rainforest Alliance Colombia. These made the country as the certified palm oil supplier which is significant for European countries.
“Columbia also produces palm oil for non-food sectors, namely biodiesel and biomass from palm oil extraction,” Nur Adibah Mohd Razali said. (T2)
