Palm | Kelapa Sawit

Bloomberg posted the May numbers for palm oil futures today that indicate things may not be looking too good on the sustainability front. Malaysia expanded its output by 20 percent last month. It is unclear how much, if any of this expansion was grown sustainably. However what is clear is that the drop in price that the expansion brought will potentially make sustainable cultivation less lucrative. Add this to Malaysia and Indonesia’s generally poor cooperation record with the RSPO and there seems to be reason for alarm in regard to the production increase.

In good news: The RSPO announced yesterday the release of trademark labeling to be used with sustainably compliant palm oil products. This will make it much easier for producers and consumers alike to identify and promote products that do not harm our rainforests.