A vegetable oils analyst said Brazil's plans to increase blending of local bio-diesel with diesel to 4% from 3% in July will sharply reduce its exports of soy oil, Dow Jones reports. He said price prospects for the soy complex are more bullish than palm oil. "If the new (biodiesel) mandate is confirmed and implemented, it will rule out any further exports of soy oil from Brazil during the second half of 2009," the head of vegetable oil purchasing at Indian conglomerate Godrej International said.
Brazil and Japan will cooperate in bio-fuel research, renewable energy and environmental issues, the Japanese Government said last week as it signed various bilateral agreements with Brazil, ADP News reports. Japan will provide technology for bio-ethanol development, surveys on carbon dioxide cycles in the Amazon rainforest, food security and others. The plan developed by the two countries will be carried out through to March 2011. EFE adds that Japan will contribute its knowledge and technology on bio-fuels made without using food as feedstock. (18 May 2009)
Showing posts with label rainforests. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rainforests. Show all posts
Monday, May 18, 2009
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Consumers show no interest in eco-certified palm oil; WWF threatens naming and shaming campaign - Mongabay
13/05/2009 (Mongabay) - Lack of interest in eco-certified palm oil among buyers threatens to undermine efforts to improve the environmental performance of the industry, reports the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
Analysis by the environmental group shows that only 1 percent of the palm oil certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has been purchased since it became available in November 2008. Certified palm oil carries a 8-15 percent premium over conventional palm oil.
"So far, around 1.3 million tons of certified sustainable palm oil have been produced, but less than 15,000 tons have been sold," said David McLaughlin, vice president of agriculture for WWF. "This sluggish demand from palm oil buyers, such as supermarkets, food and cosmetic manufacturers, could undermine the success of sustainability efforts and threatens the remaining natural tropical forests of Southeast Asia, as well as other forests where oil palm is set to expand, such as the Amazon."
The findings are a black mark for green groups that have campaigned for environmental standards for palm oil production, suggesting they have failed to drum up interest among buyers.
In an effort to address the "sluggish performance" of RSPO-certified palm oil, WWF said it will issue a report to name and shame companies that are failing to support the initiative.
"WWF will assess the world's major users of palm oil over the next six months and publish a Palm Oil Buyer's Scorecard highlighting whether or not companies have supported sustainable palm oil and fulfilled their commitments to purchase it," said WWF in a statement.
Environmental groups and scientists say that oil palm production has driven large-scale destruction of rainforests across southeast Asia over the past two decades, triggering the release of billions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions and imperiling rare species, including the Sumatran tiger and the orangutan.
Some activists have criticized the RSPO, saying the industry-led initiative fails to ensure environmental stewardship. Greenpeace, Sawit Watch, and Friends of the Earth have presented evidence to suggest that some RSPO members continue to clear primary forests and carbon-dense peatlands for new plantations. The industry has acknowledged some problems with RSPO, but says it is working to improve standards.
WWF played a key role in helping establish the RSPO. The group is calling for "all companies buying palm oil to make public commitments that they will use 100 percent certified sustainable palm oil by 2015; to make public their plans with deadlines to achieve this goal; and to begin purchasing certified sustainable palm oil immediately".
Analysis by the environmental group shows that only 1 percent of the palm oil certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has been purchased since it became available in November 2008. Certified palm oil carries a 8-15 percent premium over conventional palm oil.
"So far, around 1.3 million tons of certified sustainable palm oil have been produced, but less than 15,000 tons have been sold," said David McLaughlin, vice president of agriculture for WWF. "This sluggish demand from palm oil buyers, such as supermarkets, food and cosmetic manufacturers, could undermine the success of sustainability efforts and threatens the remaining natural tropical forests of Southeast Asia, as well as other forests where oil palm is set to expand, such as the Amazon."
The findings are a black mark for green groups that have campaigned for environmental standards for palm oil production, suggesting they have failed to drum up interest among buyers.
In an effort to address the "sluggish performance" of RSPO-certified palm oil, WWF said it will issue a report to name and shame companies that are failing to support the initiative.
"WWF will assess the world's major users of palm oil over the next six months and publish a Palm Oil Buyer's Scorecard highlighting whether or not companies have supported sustainable palm oil and fulfilled their commitments to purchase it," said WWF in a statement.
Environmental groups and scientists say that oil palm production has driven large-scale destruction of rainforests across southeast Asia over the past two decades, triggering the release of billions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions and imperiling rare species, including the Sumatran tiger and the orangutan.
Some activists have criticized the RSPO, saying the industry-led initiative fails to ensure environmental stewardship. Greenpeace, Sawit Watch, and Friends of the Earth have presented evidence to suggest that some RSPO members continue to clear primary forests and carbon-dense peatlands for new plantations. The industry has acknowledged some problems with RSPO, but says it is working to improve standards.
WWF played a key role in helping establish the RSPO. The group is calling for "all companies buying palm oil to make public commitments that they will use 100 percent certified sustainable palm oil by 2015; to make public their plans with deadlines to achieve this goal; and to begin purchasing certified sustainable palm oil immediately".
UK firms struggle to sell 'green' palm oil - AAK
14/05/2009 (Forbes), Kuala Lumpur - The British unit of Swedish oils and fats manufacturer AarhusKarlshamn (AAK) may have to offer discounts on a consignment of eco-friendly palm oil that is too expensive for consumers, an official said on Thursday.
The slow uptake of palm oil sourced from estates in top producers Malaysia and Indonesia that do not clear rainforests and destroy wildlife reflects the difficulty in persuading price conscious shoppers to think green in the global economic crisis.
And manufacturers who want to use palm oil certified by the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) have to additionally invest in building separate storage tanks and processors, said Judith Murdoch, marketing controller for AAK UK.
'We imported the first consignment of certified sustainable palm oil last year and, due to sluggish take up, we are now considering downgrading that oil in order to be able to sell it on the open market,' Murdoch told Reuters in a statement but did not specify the amount or which planter sold the palm oil.
'This is clearly disappointing.'
Murdoch was responding to environmental group WWF's plans to assess and grade major palm oil buyers like Unilever, Colgate-Palmolive ( CL - news - people ), L'Oreal, Nestle ( NSRGY.PK - news - people ) and Cadbury ( CBY - news - people ) over the next six months and welcomed the move.
The group will publish 'a buyers' scorecard' that would show companies that support sustainable palm oil and those that have not fulfilled commitments to buy it, in a bid to encourage more buying.
But the economics are not very promising. Palm oil undergoing the RSPO-driven ethical certification process trades at a $50 premium to wholesale prices, currently at $802 a tonne, which in turn have reduced their discount to rival soyoil.
Analysts have said less than 100,000 tonnes of certifiable palm had traded so far although 100,000 tonnes is available each month and 1.5 million tonnes of palm oil processing capacity is regarded as environmentally friendly.
Murdoch said the premium will reduce over time as supply of 'green' palm oil increases but segregation costs will remain and curb demand for RSPO certified palm oil for some time.
'The sums will add up and RSPO-certified material will be the right answer,' she said. 'But for the 60 or 70 percent of palm oil users here in the UK who use palm oil derivatives rather than refined palm oil, it's unlikely to be for some time.
Buyers in Britain, who use palm oil in products ranging from biscuits and chocolates to lipstick, take up 1.1 percent of the global annual supplies of 45 million tonnes, Murdoch said.
The slow uptake of palm oil sourced from estates in top producers Malaysia and Indonesia that do not clear rainforests and destroy wildlife reflects the difficulty in persuading price conscious shoppers to think green in the global economic crisis.
And manufacturers who want to use palm oil certified by the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) have to additionally invest in building separate storage tanks and processors, said Judith Murdoch, marketing controller for AAK UK.
'We imported the first consignment of certified sustainable palm oil last year and, due to sluggish take up, we are now considering downgrading that oil in order to be able to sell it on the open market,' Murdoch told Reuters in a statement but did not specify the amount or which planter sold the palm oil.
'This is clearly disappointing.'
Murdoch was responding to environmental group WWF's plans to assess and grade major palm oil buyers like Unilever, Colgate-Palmolive ( CL - news - people ), L'Oreal, Nestle ( NSRGY.PK - news - people ) and Cadbury ( CBY - news - people ) over the next six months and welcomed the move.
The group will publish 'a buyers' scorecard' that would show companies that support sustainable palm oil and those that have not fulfilled commitments to buy it, in a bid to encourage more buying.
But the economics are not very promising. Palm oil undergoing the RSPO-driven ethical certification process trades at a $50 premium to wholesale prices, currently at $802 a tonne, which in turn have reduced their discount to rival soyoil.
Analysts have said less than 100,000 tonnes of certifiable palm had traded so far although 100,000 tonnes is available each month and 1.5 million tonnes of palm oil processing capacity is regarded as environmentally friendly.
Murdoch said the premium will reduce over time as supply of 'green' palm oil increases but segregation costs will remain and curb demand for RSPO certified palm oil for some time.
'The sums will add up and RSPO-certified material will be the right answer,' she said. 'But for the 60 or 70 percent of palm oil users here in the UK who use palm oil derivatives rather than refined palm oil, it's unlikely to be for some time.
Buyers in Britain, who use palm oil in products ranging from biscuits and chocolates to lipstick, take up 1.1 percent of the global annual supplies of 45 million tonnes, Murdoch said.
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