The Palm Oil Sustainability Debate at Dubai was held on 9^th February 2022 at the Movenpick Hotel Jumeirah Beach, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The event was organized in conjunction with the Ministry of Primary Industries and Commodities’ Agri-commodity Week held in Malaysian Pavilion during the World Expo Dubai 2020.

The event was a hybrid between physical and virtual participation. It was physically attended by about 50 participants which consist of Malaysian delegates and invited guests from around Dubai who has interest on the Malaysian palm oil production, sustainability and certification. As for the virtual participants, 500 participants registered for the event. Unfortunately only 160 participated during the event. Most of the participants were from Malaysia and the Asia-pacific region.

The event kicked off with the welcoming remark from the guest of honour, The Honourable Datuk Willie Anak Mongin, Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities. Datuk Willie welcomed and thanked all participants for attending and being a part of this memorable event and showing support towards sustainable palm oil. He emphasized that this is a magnificent platform for the global communities to gather, learn and exchange ideas on shared aspiration on sustainability. This is in line with the passion and commitment to sustainable growth which is highlighted in the Malaysian pavilion at the World Expo Dubai 2020.

Four papers were presented by experts covering various spectrum of sustainability (Presentations are available via https://mpoc.org.my/palm-oil-sustainability-debate-dubai/.

1: Challenges in Producing Sustainable Palm Oil.

Mr Galau Melayong, Head of Sustainability from Sarawak Oil Palm Berhad (SOPB) discussed on the palm oil producer’s perspective in producing sustainable Malaysian palm oil. 

2: Can MSPO be the Game Changer for Sustainable Palm Oil?

Mr. Mohammad Hafezh Abdul Rahman, Chief Executive Officer of Malaysian Palm Oil Certification Council (MPOCC) discussed on the future of sustainability of consumer products and the benefit of the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) scheme with the challenges and opportunities for the future.

3: Palm Oil Supremacy – The Unintended Consequences of Ideologically Driven Sustainability.

Prof. Pietro Paganini, Founder, Competere – Policies for Sustainable Development discussed extensively on the supremacy of palm oil towards global food security, oils and fats market with its impact to the overall sustainability trend. He discussed on the sustainability views from the EU market especially and how the world reacts and respond to that call and how sustainable palm oil responded to be at par with the demand from manufacturers and consumers.  

4: The Ethics of Sustainability: Sustainable Economic Growth and Decent Work for All-The Future of Palm Oil in MENA Region.

Prof. Ibrahim Ozdemir, Dean of Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences, Uskudar University, Turkey shared his views on ‘the butterfly effect’ of sustainability and the need for a culture of caring for the planet throughout the whole organization to have a holistic impact on the sustainability of the organization, products and services.

The debate session was moderated by Dr. Ruslan Abdullah, Director of Science, Environment & Sustainability, MPOC. All experts were invited as panelists for the session together with The Honourable Datuk Willie Anak Mongin, Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities. The session discussed about the palm oil sustainability while entertaining questions from members of the floor and Zoom participants. It was a lively discussion with much attention given on the prospects and challenges on sustainable palm oil for the global market.

The event ended with presentation of souvenirs to all speakers and panelists for their contribution towards the success of the event. The recorded session may be viewed via;