Sustainable palm oil sector is a shared responsibility

Singapore

WORKING towards a sustainable palm oil sector and helping smallholder farmers - blamed by many firms to be the cause of forest fires - is a shared responsibility, said Indonesian palm oil company Asian Agri on Thursday.

Governments need to provide easier ways for smallholders to get certification; non-governmental organisations have to understand the issues on the ground; and palm oil users must be ready to buy certified palm oil, said Asian Agri managing director Kelvin Tio at the 4th Singapore Dialogue on Sustainable World Resources.