‘Mutual recognition’: Indonesia calls on UK to adopt same standards for rapeseed as it wants for palm oil - exclusive insights

Published 2020년 9월 8일

Tridge summary

The UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has proposed a Due Diligence policy that would require palm oil importers to declare the environmental impact of their imports and take responsibility for ensuring they do not come from countries with poor environmental records, such as Indonesia. The policy has received mixed reactions, with the Indonesian government calling for more discussion and recognition of its regulatory framework for sustainable supply chains. The policy has also sparked discussions on the need for similar standards for other vegetable oils and the potential for a common certification mark on sustainability for commodities like palm oil. However, the policy faces opposition from NGOs and farm groups in the UK who are pushing for tougher sustainability standards to protect local crops.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

The proposed Due Diligence policy would make it compulsory for palm oil importers in the UK declare whether their imports have negative environmental impacts and make them take the responsibility for these, which would increase the likelihood of them avoiding countries with poor track records – such as South East Asian countries like Indonesia. The UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) invited stakeholders, including the Indonesian government, to participate in the consultation for this – to which Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Mahendra Siregar has responded by writing to British Ambassador to Jakarta Owen Jenkins asking for more in-depth discussion before even talking about the Due Diligence framework. “I believe mutual respect and mutual benefit [for the UK and Indonesia] would be best achieved through mutual recognition of each other’s regulatory framework regarding sustainable supply chains – This is not just about Indonesian efforts at sustainability ...

Source: Food Navigator Asia