Palm oil: nature's gift to Malaysia and Malaysia's gift to the world
2007
Mohd. Basri Wahid | Chan, K.W.
Oil palm has a long history in Malaysia having arrived at its shore in 1817. This article gives an overview of the history of palm oil in Malaysia, its core features of development nearly 100 years of the long-term relevance, the outlook over the next 100 years to 2107 and the options of moving it forward as an important topic with negotiations on international agreements in many fields of food, fibre and fuel security, and climate change and energy responses. The last 50 years since Malaysia's independence has seen Nature's gift of this crop to the nation however the next 100 years may be concluded that the major developments are now more convincing than ever that it will play a greater role in the global economic, political and social agenda of both developed and developing countries as Malaysia's gift to the world. Thanks to its continuing aggressive R and D programme at the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) palm and kernel oils and their products are seen as components as food and as a nutritional supplement at the table while the biomass has uses including contributions to the making of the table itself, as an energy source, as an efficient sequester of carbon dioxide to slow down climate change etc. All these are due to the commitment of MPOB to further strengthen the techno-economic advantage of the products of this oil crop through the many novel discoveries and applications of the palm oil, kernel oil and the biomass and highlighting these nutritional, environmental and social benefits as Malaysia's gift to the world. The essential requirement will be implementation of the commitments of the developed and developing countries to engage in serious discussions about the appropriate role of oil palm as a driver in both their domestic and international agreement. Finally, the crucial question is whether there is a political will to explore this together thereby bringing Malaysia's gift to even greater height.
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