NON-GOVERNMENTAL
organisations (NGOs) and stakeholders in the palm oil industry are
expected to gain a clearer understanding of their roles in finding
amicable solutions to facilitate the industry’s growth and
sustainability at this year’s International Conference on the Future of
Palm Oil to be held in Kuala Lumpur on October 18 and 19.
Themed “Is Palm Oil under Threat?”, the annual event is being held for
the second time and expected to gather over 600 business owners and
entrepreneurs from the industry to network, exchange ideas and foster
closer rapport.
Asif International (M) Sdn Bhd chief executive
officer Abdul Kabur Ibrahim said both World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
International and the Orangutan Land Trust will speak and participate in
a dialogue so as to enable the palm oil players to understand the views
of these NGOs.
“It will also provide the stakeholders with an
opportunity to explain the view points of the industry to the NGOs,” he
said in a statement issued recently.
“It is not going to be a war of words,” he added.
Tun Lim
Keng Yaik, who was the country’s Primary Industries Minister from 1986
to 2004, is scheduled to deliver a keynote address on “Sustaining the
Future of Palm Oil: Threats and Opportunities” at the conference.
Fitrian Ardiansyah of WWF International will talk on the NGOs’ views
on palm oil sustainability and environment, while Michelle Desilets of
Orangutan Land Trust will touch on the impact of palm oil production on
wildlife and the resultant issues of human-wildlife conflict.
Other world renowned speakers at the conference are Dr James Fry of LMC
International UK, Dr Marcel Djama of CIRAD, France and Malaysian Palm
Oil Association chief executive M.R. Chandran.
A Malaysian International Palm Oil Expo will be held in conjunction with the conference.
Source : Business Times
