Between January 5th and 8th, as part of its Sustainable Nutrition Observatory, Competere participated in the international Palm Oil Trade and Fair Seminar exhibition in Malaysia. Palm oil represents a possible solution to the challenges for a more sustainable nutrition. Our study center joined the initiative to learn about the latest developments in the field and meet palm oil producers and all stakeholders in the supply chain.

THE EVENT GOALS 

– Promote new synergies between producers and distributors, focusing the debate on environmental and social sustainability;

– Generate an opportunity for discussion among the various players in the supply chain;

– Contribute to correct information about palm oil and its benefits for the community and global nutrition.

WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

The topics covered during the exhibition:

– Palm oil is globally recognized as a major commodity in the food system. Its competitive costs, per-hectare yield potential and positive impacts on developing country economies make it a commodity in which it is possible and wise to invest.

– Sustainable nutrition will also come through better integration of palm oil into global food economies. For this reason, it is necessary for exporting and importing countries to find increasing points of convergence in order not to exclude the commodity from their supply chains. A direction that the European Union will need to take into account when developing its sustainability strategies.

– Consuming palm oil in a balanced diet does not harm the human body. In some producing countries, where palm oil is a common commodity, it even appears in the food pyramid (such as Angola). It is therefore important that consumers are educated about this food (as well as other substitutes) through information based on scientific evidence. The negative impact of marketing campaigns against palm oil has contributed to this collective misinformation.

WHY WE PARTICIPATED

Competere, through its Sustainable Nutrition watch, wants to find clear and effective answers to the food challenges of our century. Sustainable nutrition in fact requires the right balance between the needs of men (food accessible to all) and nature (environmental preservation and climate change).

Some supply chains, such as palm oil, seem to meet the requirement of providing a valuable nutrient for humans and a solid guarantee for sustainability and protection of biodiversity. High productivity and reduced land consumption are among the main characteristics that will characterize future agricultural needs.

Our work as a Study Center is based on objective and non-ideological analysis, convinced that sustainability must always go hand in hand with the rationality of the market. Otherwise, aspiring to a better future will be utopia.