InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – The negative perception about palm oil industries gets more. The accusation and negative campaign about palm oil from social, economy, health, nutrition and environment aspects get more intensive and wider both in and out of this country.

“The negative perception about palm oil is not only discourse but has been transcribed into many policies in many palm oil importer countries which deliver obstacles, barriers, bans in palm oil trade internationally,” Executive Director of PASPI (PalmOil Agribusiness Strategic Policy Institute), Tungkot Sipayung said in Advokasi Sawit in Jakarta, Monday, (14/8/2023).

Sipayung also mentioned, some opinion, issue, and accusation about palm oil are not in a perception level but changed to be myth, such as, palm oil is now assumed to have cholesterol. But this plant does not produce cholesterol because cholesterol is produced by animals and human.

Meanwhile, Chairman of Board Supervisors of PASPI, Prof. Bungaran Saragih said, as the number one vegetable oil producer in the world, Indonesia takes new dynamic of vegetable oil. The competition shifts from price to non-price because non-palm oil producers cannot compete anymore.

“The issue is about sustainability both in social, economy, and environment. In fact, palm oil industries in Indonesia are committed to sustainability,” Saragih said.

If the negative accusations about palm oil keep going, about Rp 1,600 trillion of palm oil assets, more than Rp 1,000 trillion of downstream assets, about 2,5 million families, and about 17 million workers are on the edge because these industries contributed US$ 39 billion in 2022.

Deputy in Food and Agribusiness Coordination, Coordinator Ministry in Economy, Musdhalifah Machmud took every stakeholder, smallholder to love palm oil of Indonesia together.

She said, loving palm oil is because we love our country. Our country would find it difficult to develop if we negatively criticize palm oil. That is why, criticize palm oil on the right track. (T2)