KUALA LANGAT: Malaysia is on the right track to be classified as a low-risk country in palm oil production, particularly with its mandatory Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification, says Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.
The Plantations and Commodities Minister said the government is currently collating the latest facts and progress of the country’s palm oil production in order to get the European Union (EU) to formally recognise the achievement under the sustainability agenda.
“One of the processes is the continued submission of accurate data. There is a detailed methodology involved before a country is classified as low, standard, or high risk,” he said.
“The most important thing is that we are moving in the right direction toward achieving that classification.”
The minister was speaking to reporters after accompanying European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy Jessika Rosswall during her visit to the Kampung Sungai Judah and SD Guthrie Palm Oil Excellence Centre in Carey Island.
Johari said one of the important factors that may shift the nation’s commodity classifications is the MSPO certification, which was made mandatory in 2020.
Among other things, it introduced a national traceability system to monitor the movement of palm oil from plantations to mills and refineries.
He said by accounting for every product made in the country, Malaysia would be able to demonstrate its sustainability practices, the effectiveness of its traceability system and ensure none of its products originated from deforested land.
“We must be consistent, and I believe it’s just a matter of time until we are able to achieve the low-risk classification,” he said.
Malaysia is currently classified as ‘standard risk’ under the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
The EUDR requires exporters of cocoa, coffee, palm oil, soybean, cattle, rubber and timber to the EU must ensure their products are deforestation-free and legally sourced.
During the visit, Rosswall was taken on a tour and briefed on the national traceability system, Malaysia’s forest governance, and ongoing efforts to strengthen transparency in the palm oil supply chain.
At Kampung Sungai Judah, she was briefed on regenerative farming, good agricultural practices, sustainable harvesting methods and empowerment of indigenous people through palm oil-related economic activities.
