22 March 2023, Kuala Lumpur: On 21 March, leaders of Malaysia’s major small farmer organisations travelled to Brussels to personally present a petition to the EU Commission HQ, demanding changes to the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

The Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) expresses full support for the small farmers, and their efforts to protect their livelihoods against trade barriers.

Belvinder Sron, CEO of MPOC said, “MPOC fully supports the efforts of Malaysia’s small farmers to defend their families and their communities. Malaysian palm oil is sustainable, and should never be considered high risk.

The EU must provide an exemption for small farmers under the Regulation and offer a guarantee that Malaysia will not be designated as a high–risk jurisdiction for deforestation.

MPOC will continue to engage with the EU in Kuala Lumpur and Brussels, but our top priority is to support our small farmers’ right to produce and export their palm oil.”

The small farmer trip to Brussels follows a protest last week, 15th March, by several hundred oil palm and rubber small farmers from FELDA, NASH, SALCRA, DOPPA, FELCRA, and RISDA. These groups represent 2.5 million Malaysian small farmers and their families.

The small farmer protest highlighted concerns about the detrimental impacts of the Regulation on small farmers’ livelihood and market access. 

Placards carried strong messages on the displeasure of the small farmers including #NOTOEU and #EUDRBIAS, echoing the sentiment of other impacted small farmers in developing countries. Small farmer leaders handed a petition to the EU Delegation to Malaysia, signed by all associations present. 

Hundreds of thousands of small farmers in Malaysia have relied on successful palm oil exports to lift them out of poverty and support the sustainability of rural communities.