Catch 22 for sustainably grown oil palm

EVEN as European economies scramble to regain their foothold from the economic and financial quagmire, palm oil exports to the EU remains a Catch 22 for Malaysia’s palm oil industry as sustainably grown and certified sustainable oil palm remains a target for lawmakers in the EU.

Hastily shaped and rigorous sustainability standards specifically aimed at palm oil appear to be designed to shrink the import of the vegetable oil into Europe.