'Palm oil is God's gift': Malaysia fights international
criticism with new slogan
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[July 29, 2020] By
Mei Mei Chu
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia, the
world's second largest palm oil producer and exporter, has said it will
fight growing anti-palm oil sentiment around the world with a new
slogan: "Palm oil is God's gift".
A Malaysian government official said on Tuesday the country would use
the slogan, first introduced last week at a national level,
internationally to fight widespread criticism about palm oil's negative
impact on the environment.
"The government is committed to marketing the new slogan locally and
internationally," Willie Mongin, the deputy minister of the Plantation
Industries and Commodities Ministry, told parliament on Tuesday.
It replaces a previous "Love my palm oil" campaign introduced
domestically last year to instill national pride for Malaysian palm oil
amid widespread international criticism.
Malaysia, which accounts for 28% of the world's palm oil production and
33% of global exports, introduced the new slogan as part of efforts to
counter growing anti-palm oil lobbyists in the European Union, a major
palm importer.
The EU last year decided to phase out palm-based transport fuels from
its renewable energy sector by 2030 and is expected to set new safety
limits on food contaminant 3-MCPD esters found in refined vegetable
oils, including palm.
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A palm oil seed is seen at a plantation in Pulau Carey, Malaysia,
January 31, 2020. REUTERS/Lim Huey Teng/File Photo
The world's most widely consumed vegetable oil is used by major international
companies to make everything from cereal to lipstick and detergent.
Environmental groups say its cultivation is responsible for excessive
deforestation and the killing of endangered animals.
The Southeast Asian nation is also gearing up to follow a move by Indonesia, the
world's biggest palm oil producer and exporter, to file a World Trade
Organization suit against the EU over its ban on palm-based biofuel.
Palm oil is Malaysia's fourth major export product, with the US$60 billion palm
industry accounting for 4.4% of the country's total exports in the first half of
this year.
(This story has been refiled to remove extraneous word in headline)
(Reporting by Mei Mei Chu; Editing Ana Nicolaci da Costa)
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