Sustainable Agriculture is increasingly becoming an industry buzzword. In fact these days you hear of sustainable agriculture just about everywhere – from supermarkets to restaurants everyone seems to be promoting food produced through these practices. While everyone is talking about it, it is important to know what this term really means. Essentially sustainable agriculture refers to a set of farming practices that produce food while protecting the environment and public heath. To use the techniques of sustainable agriculture implies that while we produce food for the current generation, in the process we are not endangering the ability of generations to come to produce food.

Sustainable agriculture, therefore comes with a number of advantages, primary among them being:

Preserving the environment

Protecting Public health

Sustaining Communities

Preserving the welfare of animals

This is as opposed to Industrial agriculture that relies heavily on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. While these practices can produce food at significantly low prices, there is a huge price to pay in terms of impacting the environment and human and animal health.

One industry that is extremely mindful of environmental protection is Malaysian Palm Oil. In fact The US Department of Agriculture passed a Farm bill in 1990, delineating the tenets to be followed by Sustainable Agriculture. Malaysian Palm Oil stands to fulfill each of these tenets. Here is a quick overview of the broad principles laid down by the Agriculture Department and how Malaysian Palm Oil lives up to them:

Fulfill human needs for food and fiber As per industry estimates, Palm Oil us consumed by over 3 Billion people. The fact that it is highly nutritious along with being extremely affordable makes Palm Oil widely consumed across the world. As the demand for Palm Oil skyrockets, Malaysia is fully prepared to meet the ever-growing needs.

Improve the quality of the environment and the natural resources As an industry, Malaysian Palm Oil is fully committed to the cause of protection of the environment. Oil Palm is grown in Malaysia only on legally designated agricultural land which is suited for long term plantation of the crop.

Oil Palm is not grown on land designated as a wildlife park or forest reserves.

There are decreasingly new plantings on degraded logged-over land.

There is no destruction of forest for Oil Palm Cultivation.

Wild life conservation and protecting biodiversity In fact the Palm Oil Industry in Malaysia has set up a Wildlife conservation fund that is committed to the cause of wildlife preservation. Launched with an initial funding of RM20 million of which RM10 million was a grant from the Malaysian government and the balance of RM10 million was provided by the palm oil industry. The fund studies the wildlife, biodiversity and environmental conservation and the impact of the palm oil industry on these parameters. There have been a number of projects that have been carried out using the fund, including but not limited to:

Jungle Patrol Unit, to safeguard wildlife and deter poaching

Diversity of ground vegetation

Orangutan Island

Biodiversity for plantation managers

Wildlife rescue center and several others

Efficient utilization of non-renewable resources Known to use practices such as biomass recycling, the Malaysian Palm Oil industry is extremely devoted to the cause of effective utilization of non-renewable resources and preserving them for future generations.

Ensuring that farm operations are economically viable That there should be a Case Study included by the World Bank that speaks of how the growth of oil palm has alleviated poverty for Malaysian farmers, goes a long way in stating the industry’s commitment to the cause. Other than this, the growth of Palm Oil contributes significantly to Malaysia’s economy employing in excess of 5,70,000 people. The Industry therefore contributes significantly to enhancing the quality of life of society per se. Over the years, the Malaysian oil palm industry has contributed towards narrowing of the income gap between rural and urban people. They have also helped create rural townships with adequate social infrastructure thereby reducing migration of labor from the rural to urban areas.

The Malaysian Oil Palm Industry is, therefore, fully committed to the cause of sustainable agriculture encompassing the 3 Ps of the people, planet and profit.

Please feel free to talk to us about your concerns. We can provide same day quotation or also take 24-30 hours to get you a quotation, as per requirements. To know more about Palm oil and their other derivative visit, http://kihidhoil.com.sg/palm-oil/ or contact as at http://kihidhoil.com.sg/contact-us/ or email us at info@kihidhoil.com.sg