Advancing the palm oil agenda: One voice, shared vision

The Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC), founded in 2015 by Indonesia and Malaysia and joined by Honduras and Papua New Guinea, represents 89 per cent of global palm oil production.

Observer countries like Nigeria and the Congo participate, with more expected to join.

Congratulations to Izzana Salleh and Dr. Musdhalifah Machmud on their appointments as Secretary General and Deputy Secretary General of CPOPC beginning June 2025. Sincere thanks to Dr. Rizal Affandi Lukman and Datuk Nageeb Wahab for their leadership in expanding CPOPC’s global reach and commitment to sustainability and smallholders.

As new leadership takes the helm, CPOPC is well-positioned to deepen international cooperation and reaffirm palm oil’s global importance. The road ahead demands urgency, unity and a renewed sense of purpose.

The Earth’s 8 billion people inhabit 51 billion hectares, but only 29 per cent is land. Less than 5 billion hectares—just one-third of land—is used for agriculture, split into pastureland (68 per cent) and cropland (32 per cent). Edible oil crops occupy a fraction of this land.

Oil palm, the most efficient edible oil crop, uses only 26 million hectares (less than 0.5 per cent of global agricultural land) yet delivers more than 36 per cent of the world’s edible oils. In Malaysia, just 5.6 million hectares—17 per cent of national land—contribute 20 per cent of global edible oil and fat exports. Oil palms flourish near the equator, yielding significantly more oil per hectare than other edible oils.

Yet palm oil remains the most misunderstood crop. Despite its minimal footprint and high yield, it faces outsized scrutiny. Unity among producers is vital to secure fair recognition and equitable treatment.

The COVID-19 crisis brought Malaysia’s oil palm players together like never before. During the 2020 lockdown, an informal alliance—Malaysian Oil Palm Solidarity—was formed, led by Datuk Nageeb Wahab (MPOA), Jeffrey Ong (MEOA) and myself. We worked tirelessly to coordinate across associations, formulate SOPs to protect workers and maintain business continuity in global supply.

This unity proved effective! Our shared success, recognised via CPOPC offers a blueprint for ongoing collaboration. The pandemic taught us this: unity delivers results. That same spirit must now guide us into the future.

Palm oil sustains millions of livelihoods and has unmatched efficiency, yet it’s often portrayed negatively. The real issue isn’t the crop, it’s how it’s grown. No industry is perfect and imperfection should drive progress. Good players deserve credit; laggards must improve; wrongdoers must be held accountable.

This industry can lead by aligning with the UN SDGs, sharing success stories and pushing for responsible production. We’re not just producing oil—we’re cultivating resilience, opportunity and a better future.

Across the tropics, from Indonesia to Colombia and Africa, growers share a dream: to grow better, work smarter and succeed together.

Malaysian planters have long led the way. But other countries like Guatemala, Costa Rica and Brazil are innovating fast. For instance, Guatemala achieves over 30 mt/ha/year by applying textbook practices with discipline!

In this global network, we are all learners. No planter is too experienced to grow from others’s insights. Observation, management and sharing knowledge are the cornerstones of progress.

As global demand rises for food, non-food, feed and fuel, there’s room for all producers. But success requires shared vision, innovations and mutual support. Growers may compete in markets, but must cooperate in facing shared challenges: labour, innovation, sustainability and perception.

The future lies in solidarity. Producers across nations must unite around fair trade, smallholders’ inclusion and credible sustainability. When grown responsibly, oil palm is a powerhouse of efficiency and a force for good.

By working together, we can transform challenges into shared success, feeding the world and building a legacy for future generations.

Palm oil’s future hinges on unity. Facing global challenges alone is like paddling a canoe with a spoon. Together, we form an armada of progress. Let us carry forward the spirit of unity forged in crisis, and use it to build a resilient, sustainable palm oil sector. One that feeds the world and lifts communities for generations to come.

As Benjamin Franklin said, “We must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.”

Tags: Congo, Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries, Honduras, Indonesia, Production, Malaysia, palm oil, crop, Nigeria, edible oil, Papua New Guinea