InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – On 6 December 2022, European Union (EU) Commission, EU Parliament and EU Board came to a conclusion about European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which is a proposal of regulation to minimize deforestation and forest degradation which have something to do with some commodities, such as, palm oil, that would be imported or exported from and to EU. Though the new regulation is the big achievement to show its commitment to minimize deforestation in the globe, it would be risky for smallholders are not involved in supply chain.
As in the official statement to InfoSAWIT, Wednesday (12/4/2023), Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) noted that the smallholders are also the actors in palm oil supply chain and their existence would be put aside in EU countries when EUDR is really running.
“EU legislators, commission, parliament and its members should determine the approach and ways to confirm that the smallholders involve to minimize the risks of exception in EU markets. This is the same with the spirit ‘not anyone left behind’ in United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,” CPOPC Secretariat noted.
That is why CPOPC Secretariat also noticed, developing the stronger and structured cooperation among EU countries and palm oil producer countries, is significant to make the environment to obey EUDR and know the efforts to do to confirm sustainable palm oil production in producer countries. Palm oil producing countries really respect the basic to minimize deforestation and forest degradation that EU would do. that is why we also encourage EU to admit the efforts and action that palm oil producing countries have been doing to maintain the forests and natural conservation well and escalate sustainable development in palm oil industries.
“The first thing to do is getting positive cooperation and development to get profitable solutions and approved by both sides. EU should consider Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) and Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) as the important schemes based on the legal regulation in each country,” CPOPC Secretariat noted.
CPOPC does welcome the cooperation from EU to assess challenges and potential effects from EUDR for smallholders to develop practical ways, mitigation action to confirm that the smallholders would take parts. Besides the system and mechanism recognition to get sustainable palm oil from the smallholders is one important key to minimize the risks.
According to CPOPC the smallholders have 41% and 27% of the total palm oil plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia. They also produced about 35% to 40% from the total CPO production in the world.
“EU should calculate innovative instruments to support, escalate sustainable development in smallholders, increase their capacity, get solution to confirm supply chain traceability without violating personal data protection legislation, and innovative mechanism development to get technical and financial supports to confirm sustainable enhancement by the smallholders,” CPOPC noted. (T2)
