Smallholder farmers achieve RSPO certification in Malaysia

In a unique partnership between Cargill, Wild Asia and Solidaridad, a group of 34 independent smallholders in Perak, Malaysia, achieved sustainable palm oil certification by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) on 20 March 2015. Through the partnership, this group of smallholder farmers is now connected to a global certified sustainable supply chain, and they are leading the way for more smallholder farmers to join this program by the end of this year. The ultimate aim of the project is to develop a replicable, self-sustaining process that includes independent smallholders, dealers and mills, to achieve certified sustainable palm oil production. In Malaysia, which is the second largest producer of palm oil in the world, Cargill, Wild Asia and Solidaridad have provided assistance and technical training to help oil palm smallholders achieve RSPO certification. The goal of the program is to help an additional 100 independent smallholders in Malaysia meet RSPO sustainable palm oil production standards by the end of 2015. The certification, driven by Cargill as part of their commitment to achieving a fully sustainable supply chain, sets the stage for the long term production of RSPO certified palm oil in Malaysia. The program began in 2013 and involves a comprehensive network of independent players in the supply chain. The smallholders, the oil palm fruit dealers, the mill and the refiner have come together with a common goal to improve productivity and smallholders’ incomes in a sustainable way. To increase the participation of smallholders, encourage new entrants to the scheme and ensure the long term sustainability of the program, Cargill is currently working with the Wild Asia Group Scheme (WAGS) and the oil palm mill to provide incentives for the current group of certified smallholders to continue to produce certified sustainable palm oil. Following the initial success of the pilot WAGS program, two new palm fruit dealers also have been engaged to participate in a similar smallholder scheme. The efforts will go towards driving progress and improving Cargill’s palm oil supply chain sustainability in Malaysia. “Smallholder oil palm farmers are a key part of the palm oil supply chain. They are also the least prepared to achieve RSPO certification. Together with our partners Wild Asia and Solidaridad, we wanted to see how we can assist smallholders to get into the global sustainable supply chain. We are pleased with the certification of this pilot group of smallholders in Malaysia. The training has helped build the farmer’s capacity, maximize productivity, increase yields and improve their livelihoods. In the long run, the certified smallholders will benefit from the added value of having a traceable and sustainable supply chain, and be able to supply the world, sustainable palm oil, ” said Chai Wei Joo, managing director of Cargill Palm Products Sdn Bhd. “We look forward to seeing how this initiative can contribute to a broader adoption of sustainable practices and increased production and uptake of RSPO certification in Malaysia,” Hendry Yang, Asia Pacific manager for Solidaridad explained. “This pilot project is innovative as fresh fruit bunch (FFB) dealers have an active role in providing smallholders access to good management techniques. So far, we have understood from smallholders that they recognize the benefits when the different stakeholders in the supply chain come together. They are interested to see how this arrangement will work out in the long run.” “We appreciate the fact that Cargill, a trusted supplier of sustainable agricultural goods, is focused on promoting sustainable palm oil production among independent smallholders. More customers are demanding traceable and sustainable palm oil, and we are glad that the independent components of the supply chain are working together through this program, for the common good of the industry,” said Stevan Tan, group executive director, Tian Siang Group. In Malaysia, there are close to 205,000 independent oil palm smallholders with a total planted area of 807,000 hectares (15 percent of Malaysia’s total oil palm planted area in 2014). These smallholders play a significant role in the rural development and economic progress of the country. About Cargill Cargill provides food, agriculture, financial and industrial products and services to the world. Together with farmers, customers, governments and communities, we help people thrive by applying our insights and 150 years of experience. We have 152,000 employees in 67 countries who are committed to feeding the world in a responsible way, reducing environmental impact and improving the communities where we live and work. For more information, visit Cargill.com and our News Center.

Malaysia Sustainable Business TV Series Broadcast Premiere on BLOOMBERG TV

AMEA is exploring means of achieving sustainable industry in Malaysia  Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Premiering this Saturday January 17th 10.00pm SG / 9.00pm JKT/BKK exclusively on Changing the Game: Creating Shared Value  Developing countries all over the world face a variety of socio-economic problems as they try to create sustainable growth.  This is never an easy path and always complex.   Malaysia too has faced huge challenges in recent years. However they have made great strides in nation-building, developing its economic growth and improving the quality of life of its people.     How will these needs be met?   Catch the exclusive regional broadcast Saturday December 17th at 10:00PM SG  9:00PM BKK/JKT time.  If you miss the broadcast..You can view on all our social media outlets and stay tuned for the details of the domestic broadcast on ASTRO AWANI! click here to view our videos on: http://www.vimeo.com/amea Want to get involved in any upcoming series? Contact us at - info@ameaintel.com or melaniekm@ameaintel.com   Sustainable Business TV highlights leading ‘game-changers’ that contribute to the socio-economic development of the country and communities and growth in their business.   The series of programs will discuss a plethora of critical topics involving Community, Social Business, Diversity, Women empowerment, highlighting corporations that have excelled in Job creation, Healthcare & Education, Nation Building, Greening of Malaysia. If YOUR corporation embodies these principles and you would like to find out more information call at +60 111 231 9835.   follow on Vimeo | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend | youtube | Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|**|END:IF|* *|IF:REWARDS|* *|HTML:REWARDS|* *|END:IF|*  unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences

Sustainability is Becoming a Key Part of Decision Making for Brands, Consumers

As consumer demand for greater transparency by brands increases, companies are stepping up their commitment to sustainability. 

 

Procter & Gamble is partnering with the Malaysia Institute for Supply Chain Innovation to help small farmers improve their palm oil and palm kernel oil production as part of its zero deforestation goals set in April after the consumer packaged-goods company was targeted by Greenpeace.

“We already work with larger suppliers to trace the origin of our supply chain, but small farmers—in places like Malaysia and Indonesia—account for 35 to 45 percent of palm oil production,” said Len Sauers, VP P&G Sustainability. 

But brands aren't the only ones having to make decisions with sustainability in mind. New tools and online tracking technologies aim to help better understand consumer behavior with respect to sustainability such as supercookies, browser fingerprinting, location-based identifiers and behavioral tracking.

In laboratories, research on “the neuroscience of consumer decision-making using implicit associations (people's subconscious responses to brands), EEG (a cap to measure brainwave activity), and fMRI techniques (to measure changes in neuron activity in the brain)” is advancing the understanding of “the conscious and sub-conscious processes driving emotional engagement," The Guardian reports. 

However, a majority of retailers and brands “still depend on simplistic surveys and focus groups to study sustainability concerns and commitments of consumers.” Like public television surveys of yore where “self-esteem” answers led to flawed results, "social desirability" on sustainability surveys similarly skews the data.

“While brands have been remarkably successful at feeding universal human drives, such as the desire for adventure, power or status, sustainability has not been seeing the same success in its messaging," the site notes. “What sustainability needs to create the same impact is a similar level of insight into the best way to embrace the full range of human emotions. Because it's human emotion that's at the heart of what motivates us.”

Practical tools in the marketplace like Ethical Barcode’s new app lets consumers access real-time data on companies that embrace their values on issues like child labor, animal testing and deforestation. 

More Sustainable Branding:

- Macy's is installing 17 free-to-operate vehicle (EV) charging stations outside of eight stores in the Los Angeles region by this fall, bringing the total to 33 EV charging stations in southern California. It's also installing energy-efficient LED bulbs in all Macy’s store nationwide by year’s end; 20 additional solar energy systems; and is working with vendors to reduce the use and waste of packaging materials, integrating recycled fibers into garment tags and using FCS-certified paper hangtags.

- The NHL, which just released its 2014 Sustainability Report, plans to reduce the use of natural resources in business operations while tracking and measuring the environmental impact of the sport. The League's carbon footprint—approximately 530,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually—compares favorably against annual emissions from the single largest coal power plant in the US at 23 million metric tons.

- Sustainability in the Tire Industry 2014 reports that green tires are driving the industry as legislation in the developed world demands “vehicle makers and their supply chains to minimize fuel consumption and emissions of greenhouse gases, and corporate brand managers are insisting on differentiation.”

- Hyatt Hotels is pursuing a benchmark for sustainability efforts among its competitors in the hospitality space. “You have to compare among peers and among the industry segment itself to make it meaningful," Hyatt Hotels CFO Gebhard Rainer told the Wall Street Journal. “We’re all releasing numbers and we’re all talking more and more about sustainability, but very often it is hard to get that tangible comparison and know what the benchmark is, or even how that relates to somebody else’s benchmark.” 

original article

Invest Malaysia - PM Najib announces liberalisations

Source link
KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has announced new liberalisation measures to further promote investments in a broader spectrum of assets.

The Prime Minister said one of the measures was the removal of the mandatory requirement for credit ratings effective Jan 1, 2017.

He said a gradual approach was being adopted to provide industry players sufficient time to further refine mechanisms necessary to operate under the new regime.

"From Jan 1 next year, flexibilities will be accorded with regards to credit ratings and the tradability of unrated bonds and sukuk," he said in his keynote address at Invest Malaysia 2014 on Monday.

The Prime Minister also announced that the equity shareholding for credit rating agencies would be liberalised.

International Credit rating agencies with full foreign ownership will be allowed in the Malaysian market from Jan 1, 2017, he added.

"The entry of international agencies will further enhance the quality and standard of rating services, introduce a more competitive fee structure and widen both expertise and the range of credit rating services on offer," Najib said.