KARACHI: The Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) hosted Pakistan’s first-ever webinar on “Sustainable palm oil towards a better world”, a statement said on Saturday.
The webinar, part of a series, was organised to discuss the contribution of sustainable palm oil to the supply of edible oils in Pakistan.
Industry experts shared their views on the growing need of introducing more hygienic and efficient food sources such as sustainable palm oil for the rapidly increasing global population.
CPOPC executive director Tan Sri Datuk Dr Yusof Basiron attended the webinar and shared his thoughts with the participants.
Aazar Ayaz, director government relations at Mediators (Pvt) Limited, moderated the webinar.
Accompanying him were Zafar Mahmood, CEO of NIMIR, Togar Sitanggang, deputy chairman of the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (IPOA) and Faisal Iqbal, director marketing and market development at the Malaysian Palm Oil Council.
Tan Sri Datuk Dr Yusof Basiron, executive director of CPOPC, while delivering the inaugural remarks apprised the participants of the usefulness of palm oil, and said that CPOPC has started this series of webinars to undertake awareness about the sustainable palm oil for all consumers.
Zafar Mahmood, CEO of NIMIR, Pakistan’s largest importing company, highlighted several aspects related to sustainable palm oil and oleo-chemical industry in Pakistan.
Mahmood said, “Pakistan’s edible oil industry is controlled by [the] local players and since the large consumption of edible oil is among common citizens; hence, it is a challenge to pass on the premium to [the] consumers.”
Mahmood said that the certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) has shown significant growth over the years and currently consists of 42 per cent of the total oil imports to Pakistan.
He also said to meet the growing needs of sustainable palm oil in the country, leading exporters should be allowed more supply along with reduction in premium.
Togar Sitanggang, deputy chairman of the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (IPOA), shared information on IPOA’s contribution in the palm oil sector, saying that the demand from Pakistan has been consistently increasing, even during the Covid-19 lockdowns, “we could see palm oil demand generating from Pakistan”.
Faisal Iqbal, director marketing and market development at Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC), said that almost 70 per cent of the palm oil imported in Pakistan is used for vanaspati and blended cooking oil production, and the share of sustainable palm oil has gradually increased in the last few years.
Dupito Simamora, deputy executive director of CPOPC said, “Negative sentiments against sustainable palm oil will persist mainly due to [the] market competition from other edible oils. As sustainable palm oil has a bright future in Pakistan, it is important to prove and to continuously inform the public about all the positive impacts and benefits of sustainable palm oil.”
CPOPC has been focusing on growing demand for sustainable palm oil, its advantages over other edible oils and its role in meeting the most crucial Sustainable Development Goals.
