KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 20 — The Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities (MPIC) is committed to improving the productivity and yield of the palm oil industry instead of expanding lands for the commodity.

Its secretary-general Ravi Muthayah said today during the virtual International Palm Oil Sustainable Conference 2020 that the government has put in place several new policies for sustainable cultivation of palm oil.

"The policy capping the total oil palm cultivated area to 6.5 million hectares and to ban the conversion of permanent forest reserve area for oil palm cultivation is aimed to ensure the sustainability of the industry.

"Other policies entail no new planting of oil palm in peatland areas and to make available oil palm plantation maps for public access, as well as to demonstrate further transparency in the supply chain,” he said.

The forum highlighted current and emerging sustainability challenges and opportunities in the Malaysian palm oil industry.

Ravi said the government initiatives would ensure sustainable palm oil production by emphasising good agricultural practices and ensuring the usage remains relevant globally.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources biodiversity management division undersecretary Khairul Naim Adham said significant achievements in the Malaysian palm oil industry include mandatory implementation of the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil certification and establishment of the palm oil wildlife conservation fund.

Sustainable management and use of biodiversity are crucial in achieving sustainable development goals, he said during the biannual conference organised by the Malaysian Palm Oil Council.

"In the context of Malaysia, biodiversity conservation is guided by the National Policy on Biological Diversity.

"The policy upholds the objective of the convention on biological diversity by emphasising the need for biodiversity conservation, sustainable utilisation, and sharing of benefits from biodiversity in an equitable manner,” he said. — AFP