New plantings news: Philippines - Farmers, indigenous peoples thumb down expansion of oil palm plantations , PM Modi wants 2 million ha of oil palm in Maharastra and Karnataka, India

Cheaper satellite imagery, the latest online tools and dedicated NGOs are raising ever more awareness on new oil palm plantings. There is expected to be a rise in the complaints against new plantings. Notably, there are interesting categories of forest put on popular online maps - for instance, "primary degraded forest" and more.

18 July 2016: News update

New Study recommends more sustainable approach to commercial agriculture in PNG June 6, 2016 Posted by PNG Today http://news.pngfacts.com/2016/06/new-study-recommends-more-sustainable.html#ixzz4EiRY396d

Palm oil drive under review in Tanintharyi By Aye Nyein Win   |   11 July 2016 -- The government had planned to plant 500,000 acres (200,000 hectares) of oil palm in the region, rising to 700,000 acres by 2030, he said. But yields have been lower than expected due to a failure to carry out proper research, while controversies over land use have led to disputes with local residents http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/business/21301-palm-oil-drive-under-review-in-tanintharyi.html

Dawei locals launch campaign against Chinese oil refinery plans   By Nick Baker and Su Phyo Win   |   11 May 2016 -- This palm oil plantation owned by military-run Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited is planned as the site of the country’s biggest oil refinery, behind Tizit beach near Dawei.  http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/business/20230-dawei-locals-launch-campaign-against-chinese-oil-refinery-plans.html

13 December 2015: Philippines - Farmers, indigenous peoples thumb down expansion of oil palm plantations

Philippines - Farmers, indigenous peoples thumb down expansion of oil palm plantations November 5, 2015  By RONALYN V. OLEA Bulatlat.com MANILA – About a hundred farmers and indigenous peoples voiced out their opposition to the expansion of oil palm plantations in the country. In a conference held Nov. 4 at a makeshift tent set up in front of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the farmers and indigenous people from Mindanao, Bohol and Palawan thumbed down the government’s plan to devote eight million hectares of land for oil palm by 2023. - See more at: http://bulatlat.com/main/2015/11/05/farmers-indigenous-peoples-thumb-down-expansion-of-oil-palm-plantations/#sthash.9LMvGT8U.dpuf


Mindanao land grabs to worsen w/ govt 1-M has. palm oil expansion plan Oct 27, 2015 .... “Attacks against the people who defend their lands continue to intensify as land grabbing in Mindanao also worsen due to government policies allowing the massive conversion of agricultural and ancestral lands,” said KMP Chair and Anakpawis Partylist President Rafael Mariano.... http://www.boholnewstoday.com/201510/mindanao-land-grabs-to-worsen-w-govt-1-m-has-palm-oil-expansion-plan.html




20 August 2015: PM Modi wants 2 million ha of oil palm in Maharastra and Karnataka, India

PM Narendra Modi to bet $1.5 billion on palm oil plan as imports surge By Reuters | 18 Aug, 2015, 03.33PM IST India plans to spend $1.5 billion in the next three years to help farmers grow oil palm trees in (on 2 million hectares in Maharashtra and Karnataka)... Modi is targeting India's $10 billion import bill for edible oils, its third-highest overseas spend after oil and gold, and has already been considering buying oilseeds directly from farmers and boosting government support for grow .. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/48525616.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

23 June 2015: Ta Ann new NCR JV for 60% stake in 17,000 ha (60% plantable; Sibu and Kapit area) replaces 2012 agreements revoked for lack of land owners' interest; BLD questioned over new planting plan and NGO asks for "no deforestation, no peatland" policy - http://khorreports-palmoil.blogspot.com/2014/11/rspo-meeting-sabah-considering-100.html

10 June 2015: Is oil palm the answer for rural poverty in Papua?

Is oil palm the answer for rural poverty in Papua? Agustina YS Arobaya and Freddy Pattiselanno, Manokwari | Opinion | Tue, June 09 2015, 6:25 AM .Indonesian oil palm plantations have now reached more than 10 million hectares, making the country the world’s largest palm oil producer with an annual output of around 23 million tons. In Papua, the oil palm industry started in the 1980s — when state-owned PTPN II started an oil palm business in Arso and Prafi. The oil palm plantation was firstly intended to facilitate the transmigration program from other parts of Indonesia. A large part of the plantation is designed for a smallholder scheme allowing transmigrant families, mostly from Java and West Timor, together with Papuan customary land owners, to be allocated 2 hectares of oil palm per family and to sell their produce to the company.Presently as space becomes limited in western Indonesia, investors are increasingly looking to the east for new land. Data from the West Papua Oil Palm Atlas show that currently there are 21 companies starting operations in Papua. Twenty other companies are in an advanced stage of the permit process and appear to be almost ready to start land clearing whilst dozens more are still applying for the permits they need. - See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/06/09/is-oil-palm-answer-rural-poverty-papua.html#sthash.J3boVDme.dpuf

7 June 2015:  Oil Palm Could Revitalize Colombian Agriculture - news link

Oil Palm Could Revitalize Colombian Agriculture RESTREPO, Colombia – Production of oil palm has the potential to become a growth engine for Colombian agriculture, the president of the National Federation of Oil Palm Growers, or Fedepalma, told Efe.
“Palm is one of the best positioned alternatives for the future development of Colombian farming,” Lens Mesa said, pointing out that the crop already accounts for 6 percent of Colombia’s agricultural gross domestic product.
http://laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2389808&CategoryId=12393

28 May 2015: FGV to supply 1.1 million seeds oil palm seeds in Mindanao

FGV to supply premier oil palm seeds in Mindanao Monday, 25 May 2015 KUALA LUMPUR: Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd (FGV) subsidiary Felda Agriculture Services Sdn Bhd (FASSB) has ventured into the Philippine market to supply its premier oil palm seeds to planters in Mindanao. FASSB signed a Memorandum of Collaboration with the Philippines' Bali Oil Palm Produce Corporation (BOPPC) recently to explore the possibility of collaborating in agriculture-related products and services, said FGV in a statement here.  Under the collaboration, which will be a springboard for Mindanao to become one of the major world-class palm oil exporters together with FGV and other top world producers, FASSB is committed to delivering the first oil palm seeds to the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) and BOPPC this year. It is also to deliver 110,000 and one million DxP oil palm germinated seeds to PCA and BOPPC respectively, commencing June this year.
FGV produces over 25 million seeds annually and its export markets include  Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Honduras, Cambodia, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia,  Myanmar, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Gabon.
http://www.thestar.com.my/Business/Business-News/2015/05/25/FGV-to-supply-premier-oil-palm-seeds-in-Mindanao/?style=biz

24 May 2015:  Indian edible oil industry tries to increase oil palm plantation in North East India

Indian edible oil industry tries to increase oil palm plantation in North East India By ET Bureau | 21 May, 2015, 03.52PM IST Arunachal Pradesh has a potential of nearly 1.20 lakh hectare of oil palm plantation.Arunachal Pradesh has a potential of nearly 1.20 lakh hectare of oil palm plantation. PUNE: The edible oil industry in the country is exploring the possibility of increasing oil palm cultivation in the North East. It has asked for transport and plantation material subsidies to boost its cultivation in the region.  A seven members team of SEA under Leadership of Dr. Anupam Barik, Additional Commissioner (Oilseeds), Ministry of Agriculture visited North East states of Mizoram, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh during May 10 and May 15, 2015 to evaluate the scope from oil palm cultivation.  Oil palm cultivation in some of North East states has good potential. Mizoram has already taken initiative and nearly 20,000 hectares are under oil palm plantation having potential to expand to 80,000 hectares.  Similarly Arunachal Pradesh has a potential of nearly 1.20 lakh hectare of oil palm plantation. Assam too offers good potential for oil palm plantation and beginning is already done. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/cons-products/food/indian-edible-oil-industry-tries-to-increase-oil-palm-plantation-in-north-east-india/articleshow/47371045.cms

22 May 2015: 9,400 hectares of closed-canopy Amazonian rainforest removed for two oil palm plantations in the Peruvian region of Ucayali since 2011 - MAAP study; linked to Dennis Melka / United Cacao - Mongabay

Primary rainforest cleared for massive palm oil plantations in Peru by  John C. Cannon  May 20, 2015; More than 9,400 hectares of closed-canopy Amazonian rainforest has been removed for two oil palm plantations in the Peruvian region of Ucayali since 2011, according to scientists working for MAAP, the Monitoring of the Andean Amazon Project. The two plantations are linked to Czech entrepreneur Dennis Melka.  Melka is the CEO of United Cacao, a Cayman Islands-based company that has been accused by scientists and NGOs of clearing more than 2,000 hectares of primary forest for a cacao plantation in another part of Peru while claiming to espouse a “sustainable” approach. He is also the founder, director, chairman, and CEO of United Oils, headquartered in the Cayman Islands according to some associates, and is a Singapore-based “palm oil refiner” according to others. Based on the public statements of at least one American investor, it appears that United Oils has also claimed that its operations are also sustainable.  Based on an analysis of satellite images going back to 1990, a total of 12,188 total hectares of standing forest had been leveled through the end of April, MAAP reported on April 27. MAAP is an initiative by a group of scientific and conservation organizations to accessibly present technical information about threats to the Amazon.  Seventy-seven percent of the total deforested area had not been cleared – in other words, it had been primary forest – for at least the last 25 years. Nearly another 20 percent, or around 2,300 hectares, was secondary forest that had been cleared at one time but had since grown back, the analysis showed.
Read more: http://news.mongabay.com/2015/0520-mrn-gfrn-cannon-amazon-forest-cleared-for-palm-oil.html#ixzz3ap57Gkgh

The new name behind the threat to Cameroon’s Forests, Feature story - May 6, 2016 -- After the slowdown of the destructive Herakles Farms palm oil project in Cameroon, following extensive environmental and social opposition, we had hope for the future. However, it now looks like the infamous operation is being resurrected under a new identity, with ambitions to to destroy vast areas of forest and local community land. Since 2013, Greenpeace and other local and international organizations have been sounding the alarm over the Herakles Farms palm oil project in Cameroon’s Southwest Region While nobody was looking, Herakles Farms appears to have sold its palm oil project to new investors.  Reports from local workers and villagers pinpoint this transition to the summer of 2015, however according to company filings, it was not until November that a British man, Jonathan Johnson Watts, was named the new Chairman and General Manager of the SGSOC plantation. Jonathan Johnson Watts is no stranger to taking over struggling palm oil projects.  Watts was also involved in the purchase of a struggling palm oil project in Ghana, which as it turns out, was also sold to him by its previous owner, Herakles Farms a few years ago. The Volta Red plantation, as it is now know, is growing and palm oil production has begun.... http://www.greenpeace.org/africa/en/News/news/The-New-Name-Behind-the-threat-to-Cameroons-Forests/


Unprecedented deforestation in old Herakles plantation, now under new management 6 May 2016 / John C. Cannon -- After a spate of inactivity, a palm oil plantation in western Cameroon has come back to life. https://news.mongabay.com/2016/05/unprecedented-deforestation-old-herakles-plantation-now-new-management/

9 March 2015: Palm oil firms in Peru plan to clear 23,000 hectares of primary forest

Palm oil firms in Peru plan to clear 23,000 hectares of primary forest by David Hill Saturday 7 March 2015 21.14 GMT; Four oil palm plantations connected to the same company are proposed for Peru’s northern Amazon.... Operations on two plantations called Maniti and Santa Cecilia which would involve clearing more than 9,300 hectares of primary forest could start imminently following a recent government decision.... “We’ve done an extensive analysis of satellite images of the project area and conclude that 84.6% of Maniti and Santa Cecilia is primary forest,” says a media statement from the Association for the Conservation of the Amazon Basin (ACCA), in Peru, and the Amazon Conservation Association (ACA), in the US. “That means deforesting 9,343 hectares - almost 13,000 football pitches - of primary forest!”... The companies involved in Maniti and Santa Cecilia, Islandia Energy and Palmas del Amazonas, are both receiving “technical and financial support” from Palmas del Espino, the leader in Peru’s oil palm industry and part of the country’s powerful Romero Group.
While the area under oil palm cultivation in Peru is much less than neighbouring Ecuador and Colombia, or other countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia, expansion in recent years has been dramatic. The national and some regional governments have taken steps to promote and incentivise cultivation and almost 1.5 million hectares have been identified as potentially suitable, leading some people to see oil palm as now one of the biggest threats to the Peruvian Amazon.... http://www.theguardian.com/environment/andes-to-the-amazon/2015/mar/07/palm-oil-peru-23000-hectares-primary-forest

Food reformulations and lifestyle change: China's plan to cut meat consumption by 50% , McDonald's swaps margarine to butter, Nestle reduces sodium, sugars, trans-fat, total fat, calories or artificial colourings

25 June 2016: China's plan to cut meat consumption by 50% 

China's plan to cut meat consumption by 50% cheered by climate campaigners - New dietary guidelines could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1bn tonnes by 2030, and could lessen country’s problems with obesity and diabetes by Oliver Milman and Stuart Leavenworth in Beijing Monday 20 June 2016 21.08 BST  https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/20/chinas-meat-consumption-climate-change?

Infographic - Less Meat, Less Heat from WildAid https://vimeo.com/170833983

Eat less meat to avoid dangerous global warming, scientists say - Research led by Oxford Martin School finds widespread adoption of vegetarian diet would cut food-related emissions by 63% and make people healthier too. Livestock-rearing is a major cause of greenhouse gases, in part because of the methane produced by the animals. Photograph: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images. BY Fiona Harvey 21 March 2016 https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/mar/21/eat-less-meat-vegetarianism-dangerous-global-warming

23 June 2016: McDonald's swaps margarine to butter, Nestle reduces sodium, sugars, trans-fat, total fat, calories or artificial colourings 

It Took McDonald's 6 Months to Swap From Margarine to Butter—and That Was Fast by   Leslie Patton June 22, 2016 -- The switch back to the original recipe (with butter) for the Egg McMuffin occurred in September, just before the national introduction of all-day breakfast... McDonald’s also recently changed its English muffins, now baked with unbleached flour instead of the bleached version....  “The change to butter was extremely fast. That’s probably the quickest change that we’ve made.”.... In late August, Grassland Dairy Products Inc. found out it needed about 2.4 million pounds of butter for the swap. The family-run operation started working overtime. The company’s three facilities went to seven days a week, up from six. And the dairy also had to push its cardboard-box supplier to make the McDonald’s packaging in just four weeks instead of the usual eight.... 

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-06-22/tweaking-mcmuffins-speeds-mcdonald-s-ahead-of-breakfast-rivals?



Big brands are pushing up on reformulations - Nestle reports for 2014 6,973 products with reduced sodium, sugars, trans-fat, total fat, calories or artificial colourings (up from 3,317 and 4,221 number of products changed in 2012 and 2013). Reducing sugar and fat in ready-to-drink products (product example: 54% total sugar reduction, 45% total fat reduction, 25% more protein), substitute partially hydrogenated oil with high oleic soybean oil (product example, 45% SFA reduced, 25,800 tonnes oil substituted and 9,900 tonnes trans fat removed), full fat ice cream case study (new mix recipe: -28% fat, increased protein content, no starch), instant noodle case study (15% sodium reduction whilst improving taste, 50% SFA reduction through pre-drying and oil blend optimization), micronutrients (example, biofortification of maize, cassava, what etc).

source: Nestle presentation, December 2015

Indonesia deforestation policy: Reference on Papua forests protection, GAR/PT Smart statement, Entire process for new palm oil permit issuance ends: Minister - Environment and Forestry Ministry - nationwide extension of current moratorium, Quantifying the drivers of South American deforestation

30 May 2016: Quantifying the drivers of South American deforestation

Quantifying the drivers of South American deforestation - New research uses spatially and temporally explicit data to better understand deforestation trends in South America. by SAMUEL MCGLENNON 27 May 2016 http://blog.cifor.org/41685/quantifying-the-drivers-of-south-american-deforestation?fnl=en

13 June 2016: Reference on Papua forests protection

Editor's note: In the wake of the Jokowi proposal (quickly implemented by Ministry Environment Foresty) to stop forest conversion for oil palm concessions, eyes will be on the protection of the forests in Papua. A key NGO in tha treigon is Awas MIFEE, https://awasmifee.potager.org/. 

26 May 2016: GAR/PT Smart statement on the new nationwide moratorium on forest conversion

Thanks to a reader for forwarding the GAR/PT Smart statement on this issue... "in the short term the moratorium would provide impetus to the nation's One Map project.... (needed) longer term discussion on how to meet the food oil needs of a growing global population" 

12 May 2016: Entire process for new palm oil permit issuance ends: Minister - Environment and Forestry Ministry - nationwide extension of current moratorium area removes Papua and other areas from conversion 

Entire process for new palm oil permit issuance ends: Minister thejakartapost.com | Jakarta  May 1 2016, “I have put a stop to the entire process for the issuance of new permits for palm oil expansion under my authority, from A to Z. This is a concrete proof that we are following up President Jokowi’s directive,” she told foresthints.news, as quoted by Greenomics Indonesia.... The environment and forestry minister has the authority to release convertible production forests located in state forest areas for development purposes outside the forestry sector, such as for palm oil plantations... Citing an example, the minister said millions of hectares of state forests in Papua and West Papua could be qualified as convertible production forest, in which they fell outside the existing moratorium map. Thus, the forests could be legally released for development purposes, including for palm oil, she added.... “We are applying the moratorium on new palm oil permits in those millions of hectares even though the area falls outside the existing moratorium map. I have already given the order to stop issuing new permits for palm oil in convertible production forests. The authority for this rests with me,” Siti said.... http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/01/entire-process-for-new-palm-oil-permit-issuance-ends-minister.html

18 April 2016: Jokowi seeks moratorium on new oil palm plantations whilst Indonesia government seeks to disband zero-deforestation pledge of dominant firms accused of cartel behaviour

Jokowi Seeks Moratorium on New Indonesia Palm Plantations, Mines 2016-04-14  By Chris Brummitt (Bloomberg) -- Indonesia’s government is planning a moratorium on new concessions for palm oil plantations to protect the environment, its president said. Current permits are sufficient and palm yields could be doubled through planting techniques and seed selection, President Joko Widodo said... “Now prepare for a moratorium on oil palm plantations and mine areas,” Widodo, known as Jokowi, said to an audience including the environment minister, police chief and activists. “We have to be brave to do that, we have to be concrete, real,” he said, before releasing turtles and eagles while barefoot on a beach. A moratorium could curb industry expansion in Indonesia, the world’s largest exporter of palm oil, coal for power stations and tin. There is already a moratorium on new permits for developing natural forests until 2017, though legal enforcement is often weak.... 

Jokowi announces moratorium on new permits for oil palm plantations, mining activities.. http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/jokowi-announces-moratorium-on-new-permits-for-oil-palm-plantations-mining-activities



Govt looks to disband zero-deforestation pledge - The Jakarta Post 12-Apr-2016 Hans Nicholas Jong, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The government is campaigning against a "zero deforestation" pledge (IPOP) signed by leading palm oil producers in Indonesia. This stands in stark contrast to Indonesia's commitment to promoting sustainable agro-forestry practices.  The Agriculture Ministry said on Tuesday the government was looking for a legal basis to disband the pledge. The pledge was initially designed to promote sustainable practices in Indonesia, the world's largest producer and exporter of palm oil. "The point is that we oppose the IPOP. The Business Competition Supervisory Commission KPPU has issued a letter saying that there are indications of a cartel in the IPOP. We will coordinate with the KPPU first and that letter can be used as a basis for its disbandment," the ministry's plantations director general, Gamal Nasir, told The Jakarta Post.... http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/13/govt-looks-disband-zero-deforestation-pledge.html

19 Feb 2016: IPOP in disfavour is a problem for RSPO 50% goal targeted at refineries (updated policy-maker and GAR statements)

Editor's note: It is reported that the Director General of Plantations Gamal Nasir at a press conference themed ‘Bermartabatlah Sawit Kita!’ (dignify our palm oil) in Jakarta, on Wednesday 17 Feb, discussed the implications of the deal among five companies (major plantations cum refiners) that prohibits them from buying fresh certain fruit bunches (FFB) from farmers and crude palm oil (crude palm oil / CPO) of oil palm plantations - those that do not meet the criteria of their IPOP grouping. Gamal said that this is to the detriment of the Indonesian palm independent smallholders, many of whom are planting on peat and marginal land (not favoured by IPOP which leans on RSPO and other voluntary international standard requirements; that many of its members pledge that they will seek to extend). Indonesia says that the hectarage of oil palm plantations managed by independent smallholders almost half of the total acreage of oil palm plantations in Indonesia, 10.5 million hectares.

This will make it hard for RSPO to implement its strategy of 50% usage of RSPO palm oil for Indonesia (and Malaysia) - which necessarily implies that the spotlight is on refineries must be asked to comply. Currently, the major refineries work to various options including certification RSPO, customised (non-certification) traceability by The Forest Trust and others.

The news that a parliamentary committee will look into issues related to IPOP is also circulating in the industry. Also at the 'Bermartabatlah Sawit Kita!’ press conference, Firman Soebagyo (Member of Commission IV of the House of Representatives), raised concerns about cartel and monopolistic behaviour. He also argued that it is the role of the Chamber of Commerce (Kadin is also part of IPOP) and companies to counter issues raised by foreigners via NGOs, not just to obey foreign demands.

However, Purnomo points out to Kontan that Golden Agri will always complied with government rules, denying affecting IPOP member farmers. Indeed, members of IPOP do not buy fruit from conservation and forest "If we buy oil from there, later called us with receiving illegal oil palm fruit," he said. Thus, it may not only IPOP that is asked to bow to apparent smallholder interests, but also ISPO standards?



Thanks to reader for the links in Indonesia media on the subject of Indonesia vs IPOP: 

Terlampir berita terkait konferensi pers hari ini yang telah di release oleh beberapa media online, media-media lain akan me-release esok hari;
http://m.kontan.co.id/news/kemtan-ancam-bubarkan-perusahaan-anggota-ipop
http://poskotanews.com/2016/02/17/perkebunan-kelapa-sawit-rakyat-terancam/
http://m.jitunews.com/read/31212/punya-ispo-perusahaan-sawit-tak-perlu-ikuti-aturan-asing
http://perkebunannews.com/2016/02/17/bubarkan-ipop-untuk-kesejahteraan-petani/


Terlampir berita konferensi pers terkait masalah IPOP di media online, belum termasuk berita di media koran dan tabloid.
http://ekbis.sindonews.com/read/1086096/34/kementan-nilai-perjanjian-ipop-bebani-petani-kelapa-sawit-1455708611
http://ekbis.sindonews.com/read/1086101/34/teken-perjanjian-ipop-5-perusahaan-besar-sawit-disebut-langgar-uu-1455710065
http://m.suarakarya.id/2016/02/17/gamal-nasir-bubarkan-ipop
http://www.infovesta.com/infovesta/news/readnews.jsp?id=a4394764-b670-446c-b39e-e9fbc9dfe744
http://m.kontan.co.id/news/anggota-ipop-kaget-ancaman-kemtan
http://m.republika.co.id/berita/ekonomi/makro/16/02/17/o2onsk383-indonesia-jangan-mau-didikte-asing-soal-sawit
http://m.republika.co.id/berita/ekonomi/makro/16/02/17/o2ovho383-perjanjian-ipop-menekan-petani-sawit-indonesia
http://m.cnnindonesia.com/ekonomi/20160217190743-85-111628/kementan-paksa-5-perusahaan-sawit-indonesia-keluar-dari-ipop/
http://www.kabarbisnis.com/m/read/2864807/intervensi-kebijakan-negara-kementan-usul-pembubaran-ipop

Food sector news (update 7): European Agency for Food Safety warns on contaminants in palm oil in its May report, insights into processed food reformulations and sustainability

We've been keeping an eye on the food and processed foods sector, and shall try to post up some on some interesting trends or shifts here. Note the billion dollar snacks! Some reckon Hot Pockets and its spin-offs are a $2 billion business. By comparison, Unilever's Magnum is over EUR 1 billion in annual sales.

Also check, Khor Reports' Food Watch http://khorreports-palmoil.blogspot.my/p/khor-reports-food-watch.html

31 Jan 2017: EU food safety body to look again at palm oil health risks

EU food safety body to look again at palm oil health risks, Jan 27, 2017 -- Barilla, Italy's largest producer of baked goods, eliminated palm oil after EFSA's opinion, but Nutella maker Ferrero mounted an advertising campaign to defend its use. EFSA scientists will take into account a report the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) published in November....http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-palmoil-eu-idUSKBN15B1YP

24 May 2016: European Agency for Food Safety warns on contaminants in palm oil in its May report, insights into processed food reformulations and sustainability

Editor's notes: 

• The measure against palm oil shown in the EFSA report is much higher than any I've seen on the same issue from the industry. At a recent talk on food safety at MPOB several weeks ago, the differential was shown was much closer, about 3x (also having improved over time). There is a clear need to reconcile such a wide range of indicated measures on the 3MCPD issue. It would also be good to find out what the real story is on trace contaminants in processed oils and fats. Are there also other trace contaminants arising form the chemical (including hexane) processing of soybean and other oils? Palm oil is different in being physically (rather than chemically) processed, and it clearly needs to address the EFSA position.
• Russia has removed the palm oil tax idea on concerns about raising prices.

For palm oil, the moment of truth has arrived written by Marta Strinati May 17, 2016... On May 3, the European Agency for Food Safety (EFSA) published a substantial report warning that the contaminants in palm oil are cancerous and genotoxic, meaning it causes damage to DNA that can be transmitted to children. For one of those toxins, 3-mpcd, the EFSA set a threshold of 0.38 micrograms per kilogram of body weight, a dosage which, today, has been largely exceeded by the population, especially by children, teens and even infants. According to EFSA’s opinion, the food industry made a last attempt to misinform, claiming that the processing contaminants have also been found in other refined vegetable oils. But the report is clear: Palm oil contains six to 10 times more.... Big Food has known for 12 years that the palm oil used in food carries with it toxic and cancerous contaminants. Documents from the authorities and multinational food producers clearly show that the risks connected to consumption of low-quality vegetable fat were known. Those parties discussed possible solutions, but never offered up a remedy....But the rainforests are far away, and saturated fats aren’t very scary. Knowing that a food eaten so much by children contains substances that cause cancer has set, again, the spotlight on the battle against palm oil.... http://ilmanifesto.global/for-palm-oil-the-moment-of-truth-has-arrived/


Big brands are pushing up on reformulations - Nestle reports for 2014 6,973 products with reduced sodium, sugars, trans-fat, total fat, calories or artificial colourings (up from 3,317 and 4,221 number of products changed in 2012 and 2013). Reducing sugar and fat in ready-to-drink products (product example: 54% total sugar reduction, 45% total fat reduction, 25% more protein), substitute partially hydrogenated oil with high oleic soybean oil (product example, 45% SFA reduced, 25,800 tonnes oil substituted and 9,900 tonnes trans fat removed), full fat ice cream case study (new mix recipe: -28% fat, increased protein content, no starch), instant noodle case study (15% sodium reduction whilst improving taste, 50% SFA reduction through pre-drying and oil blend optimization), micronutrients (example, biofortification of maize, cassava, what etc). 

Source: Nestle presentation, December 2015

18 April 2016: Food safety issues in veg oils, Russia mulls tax on sugar and palm oil?

Editor's note: In AmBank news update, "Putin said that Russia should consider labelling palm oil products. As an alternative, Russia may consider an excise duty on palm oil products." A reader who checked with Russia trade specialists said that is not true. At an annual televised call-in, a question on putting cigarette-style health warning on palm oil products, Mr Putin replied that it not clear that palm oil is quite as bad as tobacco.

Vladimir Putin: $2bn linked to Panama Papers was spent on expensive classical instruments - and what else we learnt from Russian President's phone-in by Roland Oliphant, moscow  14 APRIL 2016; .... Intermission II: Cows, sanctions and unhealthy palm oil: Another intermission, this time to a cattle farm. The farmers have two questions: first, what happened if Western sanctions against Russia are cancelled, and consequently Russia's retaliatory embargo on Western food. That measure has been a boon for Russian farmers, allowing them to squeeze into sectors, including cheese, that had been dominated by foreign imports..... The second question is a request to put cigarette-style health warnings on palm oil products. Mr Putin says he doubts sanctions will be cancelled soon, but that "other support" may be considered for farmers when they are. And it is not clear that palm oil is quite as bad as tobacco, he adds. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/14/vladimir-putins-phone-in-with-russia/

Russian Government to Introduce Tax on Sugar and Palm Oil The Moscow Times Feb. 05 2016; ... The list of goods subject to the new tax include palm oil and sugary drinks. The list may also include electronic cigarettes, potato chips and other products with high levels of fat and sugar, two unidentified federal officials told Vedomosti. The idea was supported by Russian President Vladimir Putin, both officials said..... According to an unidentified representative of the Ministry of Economic Development, the issue is already being developed. “We have the instructions from the government on this subject and in the near future (within a few weeks) will present suggestions and calculations,” he was quoted by the newspaper as saying. The representative pointed out the new measure is aimed not only at bringing money into the federal budget but also at reducing the consumption of products with high levels of sugar and fat.... http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/russian-government-to-introduce-tax-on-sugar-and-palm-oil/558796.html

At MPOB PAC Forum, 14 April 2016, a presentation by Prof Dr Aishah on food safety issues, and a useful slide on edible crud oil risk matrix - pesticids, PAH, mineral oil, dioxins and PCBs and heavy metal (lead):

22 June 2015: India  PepsiCo to cut down salt, sugar content in packaged foods and FSSAI setting up an expert committee to regulate salt, sugar and fat in foods

PepsiCo to cut down salt, sugar content in packaged foods By Ratna Bhushan, ET Bureau | 22 Jun, 2015; NEW DELHI: PepsiCo has stepped up work on reducing salt and sugar in the beverages and snacks it sells in India amid growing public concern over high levels of some ingredients in packaged
foods available in stores.  The US-headquartered food and beverage giant is likely to roll out the refined products ahead of schedule, executives aware of the development said. Last week, the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had said that it is setting up an expert committee to regulate salt, sugar and fat in foods ..

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/47762685.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

28 May 2015:  The rising distrust of Big Food (largest 25 companies saw their control slip from a combined 49.4% share in 2009 to 45.1% share in 2014) and the beef-leather consumption divergence

Big Food's Big Problem: Consumers Don't Trust Brands - Industry Giants Shift Strategy To Win Back Health-Focused Americans By E.J. Schultz.   Published on May 25, 2015;
This rather unappetizing statement was tucked into a request for proposals recently sent to ad agencies: "Most of our food supply comes from factory farms, is dependent on GMOs and chemicals, and is not sustainably grown or raised." The inflammatory language sounds like the typical musings of a fiery activist ready to take on Big Food. But it actually came from the Kashi brand owned by industry giant Kellogg Co. The brand is seeking ideas to "re-establish our identity in the natural foods movement." The RFP, which was recently obtained by Ad Age, is a small but telling example of how the food industry has been shaken from its core, forced to reinvent itself in the face of shifting consumer demands. Families once reliably heaped their plates with products such as Stove Top stuffing from Kraft Foods, Hamburger Helper from General Mills and Kellogg cereals, along with similar products from other processed food titans. But now those consumers are increasingly migrating to smaller, upstart brands that are often perceived as healthier and more authentic.....The rapidly shifting tastes have forced executives into taking some dramatic steps. They are racing to reformulate iconic products like Kraft's Mac and Cheese, while acquiring smaller brands in hopes of reinventing themselves to appeal to today's finicky consumers. But their search for growth comes amid intense pressure to cut costs as bottom-line focused private equity firms such as 3G Capital lurk.
Some $18 billion in sales have shifted from large to small companies from 2009 to 2014 across all consumer packaged good categories, according to report by Boston Consulting Group and IRI. Credit Suisse recently isolated the changes in market share among food and beverage companies and found that the largest 25 companies saw their control slip from a combined 49.4% share in 2009 to 45.1% share in 2014. Their "dominance of the core U.S. market seems to be slowly eroding," Credit Suisse stated in a report..... http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/big-food-falters-marketers-responding/298747/

Your Salad Lunches Are Killing American Leather - Diets and droughts have made cattle hide more expensive, creating a leather shoelace crisis May 27, 2015 by James Tarmy; “Two years ago the hides cost me $50, and that didn’t seem so bad. But now they’re $112,” Howlett sighs. “Twelve bucks starts to feel like a pretty raunchy deal.” As a middleman between cattle ranchers and shoe sellers, Howlett has limited ability to pass along her rising costs. Auburn’s sales have begun to decline, to $19 million in 2014 from $20 million the year before, and net profit has been cut in half.
Leather has always been a byproduct of the meat industry, and as Americans’ beef consumption grew over the 20th century, the leather industry grew with it. The past three decades, though, have seen a decline of about 28 percent in Americans’ appetite for beef, and the supply of hides has dwindled accordingly. At the same time, drought in the Midwest has pushed up feed prices. The result is that America has fewer and more expensive cows. Meanwhile, the world’s consumers still want leather goods.... http://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2015-05-27/your-salad-lunches-are-killing-american-leather?cmpid=BBD052715

19 April 2015: Fight for $15 minimum wage and unionization may raise fast food prices; zero food price inflation may trigger supermarket price war and more according to Citi Research, Majority of Australia sold packaged foods found to be unhealthy, Coles fined A$2.5 m for 'fresh' bread claims

Burger King Founder Says Higher Wages Could Kill Off ‘Dollar Menus’ by Nolan Feeney @NolanFeeney   April 15, 2015  “I see a lot of $10 hamburgers arriving on the scene,” David Edgerton says. Burger King co-founder David Edgerton says fast food workers pushing for higher wages could spell the end of the “dollar menu,” and usher in an era of higher-quality, more expensive convenience restaurants. Edgerton, 87, spoke to TIME on Wednesday as fast-food workers around the world staged protests and strikes—some at Burger King locations—as a part of the “Fight for $15” campaign, which calls for a $15 per hour minimum wage and the right to unionize. “What’s going to happen, really, is you’re going to see less and less of the quick and dirty kind of places,” said Edgerton, who founded the fast food giant with James McLamore in 1954 and now serves on the board of Avantcare, a company that makes nutritional products to help treat addiction. “You’re not going to be able to run these places [paying workers] $15 an hour or whatever it will be.”... http://time.com/3823384/burger-king-founder-minimum-wage-mcdonalds-protests/?xid=newsletter-brief

Next blow for Woolies, Coles: zero food price inflation Apr 15 2015| BRISBANE TIMES| Stalled prices for goods such as wheat, sugar and dairy are likely to cost Australia's supermarket giants more than a price war, according to Citi Research.... http://www.afr.com/markets/commodities/agriculture/next-blow-for-woolies-coles-zero-food-price-inflation-20150414-1mkh5e

Majority of packaged foods found to be unhealthy Down Under 13 April 2015 http://mobile.foodnavigator-asia.com/Markets/Majority-of-packaged-foods-found-to-be-unhealthy-Down-Under/?utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=14-Apr-2015&c=g5U1F%2FHXoYolJTQnOm2tj2KnTMZZv3qc#.VTMgcJ2wqTN
Coles fined A$2.5 m for 'fresh' bread claims 10 April 2015 http://mobile.foodnavigator-asia.com/Policy/Coles-fresh-bread-claims-Fined-A-2.5m/?utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=14-Apr-2015&c=g5U1F%2FHXoYoCEJZoZiNQwvxcC%2Bf8IObS#.VTMgbZ2wqTN

14 March 2015: Ferrero plans first factory in China

Ferrero plans first factory in 'strategic' Chinese market 11-Mar-2015; Mars holds a 39% value share of the Chinese chocolate market, but lost some ground in 2014 to Ferrero and Hershey, both of which grew their share to 12%, according to Euromonitor International.... Local news reports claim the Xiaoshan factory will produce 30,000 metric tons of chocolate and candies annually... According to Euromonitor, Ferrero has doubled chocolate sales in China over the past five years ot reach $190m in retail value sales in 2013...the firm currently manufactures toys for its Kinder brand in China, but products are imported from outside the country. Ferrero operates 20 plants worldwide including ones in India, Russia and Australia...Euromonitor expects a further $1bn of sales in chocolate confectionary in the next five years, representing a compound annual growth rate of 7%... Euromonitor recently wrote: ".. seasonal products and a culture of gift giving are prevalent in the Chinese market, which makes it a particularly conducive market for both Lindt and Ferrero.... "
http://mobile.foodnavigator-asia.com/Business/Ferrero-China-factory-plans-revealed/?utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=12-Mar-2015&c=g5U1F%2FHXoYppeWyjc906DKwECOgNgUCZ#.VQQPJZ2wqrR

16 February 2015: Ferrero patriarch - "the richest candy man on the planet" - dies at age 89; Milka-Cola premium milk beverage

World’s Richest Candy Maker and Nutella Founder Died on Valentine’s Day by Maya Rhodan @m_rhodan   1:15 PM ET; Owner of Italian chocolate company Ferrero dies at age 89. Michele Ferrero was the patriarch of the Ferrero family, whose company spawned Ferrero Rocher chocolates
Ferrero’s father created what would later be widely known as Nutella during World War II when cocoa was in short supply. He used hazelnuts to stretch the little chocolate he had. Years later, Nutella is among one of the most beloved treats in Italy and across the world. Forbes described Michele as the “richest candy man on the planet.”.... http://time.com/3710479/michele-ferrero/

Got Coke? Soda maker starts selling 'premium milk' by Associated Press February 3, 2015, 4:02 PM
Coca-Cola is coming out with premium milk that has more protein and less sugar than regular milk. And it's betting people will pay twice as much for it..... The national rollout of Fairlife over the next several weeks marks Coke's entry into the milk case in the U.S. and is one way that the world's biggest beverage maker is diversifying its offerings as Americans continue turning away from soft drinks.... It also comes as people increasingly seek out some type of functional boost from their foods and drinks, whether it's more fiber, antioxidants or protein. That has left the door open for Coke to step into the milk category, where the differences between options remain relatively minimal and consumption has been declining for decades.... "It's basically the premiumization of milk," Sandy Douglas, president of Coca-Cola North America, said at an analyst conference in November. If developed properly, Douglas said, it is the type of product that "rains money.".... Fairlife, which Coca-Cola formed in partnership with dairy cooperative Select Milk Producers in 2012, says its milk goes through a filtration process that's akin to the way that skim milk is made. Filters are used to separate the various components in milk. Then more of the favorable components are added, while the less desirable ones are kept out. The result is a drink that Fairlife says is lactose free and has 50% more protein, 30% more calcium and 50% less sugar than regular milk.... The same process is used make Fairlife's Core Power, a drink marketed to athletes that has even more protein and calcium than Fairlife milk..... http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-coke-milk-20150203-story.html

11 February 2015: PepsiCo and Coca-Cola show North Am growth to offset ROW slowdown; news links on food sector giants - Coke, Pepsi, McD, Unilever, General Mills, Mondelez/Kraft, Nestle... headlines on USD impact, earnings drag on demand in recent months

 PepsiCo’s Fourth-Quarter Profit Tops Analysts’ Estimates 'By' Duane Stanford 8:11 PM AWST  February 11, 2015 (Bloomberg) -- PepsiCo Inc., whose stable of brands includes beverages and the Frito-Lay snack division, posted fourth-quarter profit that topped analysts’ estimates even as currency headwinds eroded sales.... PepsiCo generated organic sales growth of 5 percent last quarter, helped by gains at its snack and beverage businesses. While currency fluctuations turned that increase into a 1 percent drop, the results showed overlying strength at the company. It also pledged to return $8.5 billion to $9 billion to shareholders through dividends and share buybacks in 2015..... PepsiCo right now has a lot of momentum,” Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston said in an interview. The company has increased U.S. sales by $1 billion, lifted by new products such as Naked Juice Kale Blazer and Mountain Dew Kickstart, Johnston said..... New products now account for 9 percent of sales, compared with 7 percent earlier years ago, a sign the company’s innovation push is paying off.
Chief Executive Officer Indra Nooyi also has forged a truce with activist investor Nelson Peltz’s Trian Fund Management LP, who had insisted she split the company’s snack and beverage businesses.....  Coca-Cola also beat estimates with its fourth-quarter results on Tuesday, saying that North American growth was helping offset a slowdown in the rest of the world..... That’s the case with PepsiCo too, Johnston said..... Overall, currency will reduce earnings growth by 7 percent this year, PepsiCo said. The company expects organic sales growth in the mid-single digits.... http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-11/pepsico-profit-tops-estimates-after-growth-offsets-currency-woes

Unilever Profit Rises Despite China Sales Slump - Consumer-Goods Group Reports 6.8% Rise in Full-Year Net Profit on a 2.7% Fall in Revenue, By  Peter Evans; LONDON—Unilever PLC said weakening demand in emerging markets, especially China, has showed no sign of firming up this year even as the consumer-goods group reported a rise in profit in 2014... “There are still huge amounts of uncertainty in the world,” Jean-Marc Huët, Unilever’s chief financial officer, said Tuesday. “We’re not going to be too bullish at this time.”... http://www.wsj.com/articles/unilever-profit-rises-despite-china-sales-slump-1421739275

Coke Says 2015 Will Be a ‘Challening Year’ - WSJ
http://www.wsj.com/articles/coke-says-2015-will-be-a-transition-year-1423572751?mobile=y

55% - The decline in Coca-Cola’s fourth-quarter profit, which was pulled down by weakening foreign currencies and one-time charges. The company warned that overseas business conditions could worsen this year. .. http://tk.wsjemail.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbXNpZD0xJmF1aWQ9Jm1haWxpbmdpZD01NjkyNDMxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD04Njg5MDAmZGF0YWJhc2VpZD02ODIwMDAmc2VyaWFsPTE2OTY1MzQ1JmVtYWlsaWQ9eXVsZW5na0BnbWFpbC5jb20mdXNlcmlkPXl1bGVuZ2tAZ21haWwuY29tJnRhcmdldGlkPSZmbD0mZXh0cmE9TXVsdGl2YXJpYXRlSWQ9JiYm&&&1012011142&&&http://www.wsj.com/articles/coke-says-2015-will-be-a-transition-year-1423572751?mod=djem10point

Pepsi Traders Brace for Dollar Impact on Overseas Sales: Options  Earnings -  Feb 10, 2015; 
rating on the stock, said by telephone Feb. 5. “Pepsi in particular has large exposure to volatility in Russia.” PepsiCo Earnings Analysts forecast PepsiCo on Wednesday will say fourth-quarter net...
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-10/pepsi-traders-brace-for-dollar-impact-on-overseas-sales-options

What McDonald's Problems Say About American Taste  industries -  Jan 30, 2015  
invented the concept of fast food. It promised meals that were inexpensive and convenient, that could be eaten on the go and even with one hand while driving. The food wasn't necessarily healthy...
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-01-30/what-mcdonald-s-problems-say-about-american-taste

Unilever Sees No 2015 Improvement; Sales Miss Estimates  Jan 20, 2015; Unilever, whose detergents and deodorants are used by 2 billion consumers daily, said full-year performance will be similar to last year after posting quarterly sales growth that trailed analysts’...
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2015-01-20/unilever-sees-no-2015-improvement-sales-miss-estimates

General Mills Falls as Slump Prompts Company to Cut Forecast; General Mills Inc., the maker of Cheerios, Bisquick and Yoplait, fell 3.6 percent after slow growth in emerging markets and a lingering slump at home forced the company to cut its forecast. Earnings...
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-11-07/general-mills-tumbles-as-slump-prompts-company-to-trim-forecast

Mondelez’s Cost Cuts Fuel Profit Gains Amid Sluggish Demand  - Earnings -  Nov 5, 2014  
pressure for cutbacks at the company. Mondelez named Peltz to its board in January after Peltz’s Trian Fund Management LP abandoned a proposal for Mondelez to merge with PepsiCo Inc. to spur growth... http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-11-05/mondelez-tops-quarterly-earnings-estimates-increases-forecast


Nestle’s Shocking Miss Puts 5% Growth at Risk: Cox  Asia -  Oct 16, 2014; Jon Cox, head of Swiss equities at Kepler Cheuvreux, examines results from Nestle as nine-month sales failed to meet expectations and looks at the economic factors in Asia and Europe that may...
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2014-10-16/nestles-shocking-miss-puts-5-growth-at-risk-cox

Nestle Revenue Misses Estimates Amid Price Pressure  Europe -  Oct 16, 2014  
Nestle reported nine-month sales that missed analysts’ estimates as deflationary pressure eroded revenue in Europe, providing a setback for the world’s biggest food company in reaching its full-year... http://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2014-10-16/nestle-revenue-misses-estimates-amid-price-pressure

Low Oil Is a Help to Consumers: MacDonald  Oil -  Jan 15, 2015  
Allianz Global Investors CIO Global Equities Lucy MacDonald discusses the consumer goods sector in Asia, India's surprise rate cut, and the strengthening U.S. dollar with Bloomberg's Stephen...

23 October 2014:  MCD regionalism, Hot Pockets  & food stamps

McDonald's Discovers Its Inner Locavore and Learns to Love Regionalism By Venessa Wong, October 22, 2014; "McDonald’s (MCD) is taking a new approach to its menu, and it’s all about you... “Customers want to personalize their meals with locally relevant ingredients,” McDonald’s Chief Executive Don Thompson said on Tuesday, after the fast-food giant again posted disappointing earnings. Starting in January, he said, McDonald’s will simplify the core menu to highlight popular items, cut back on items that don’t sell well, and begin to allow regional groups of franchisees to offer more localized versions of burgers, beverages, and chicken and breakfast items...." http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-10-22/mcdonalds-discovers-its-inner-locavore-as-sales-struggles-continue?campaign_id=DN102214

Every Food Trend Goes Against Slumping Hot Pockets, Even Government Spending By Venessa Wong, October 22, 2014; "Just about every major food trend is working against Hot Pockets, and Nestlé (NSN:VX) clearly knows it has a problem brand on its hands.... The company tried to revive its line of microwavable meat pouches last year with a foodie makeover, boasting of “premium cuts of meat” and “real cheese” in the new and improved version. But even these quasi-gourmet touches can’t mask the fact that Hot Pockets are processed food sold at a time when consumers are seeking freshness at the expense of frozen options. A beef recall earlier this year also hit Hot Pockets, putting the product at odds with increasing consumer focus on food safety.... Now executives at Nestlé are pointing to another factor in the long-running Hot Pocket cold streak. A temporary boost in federal food-stamp assistance that was introduced in 2009 was allowed to expire in late 2013. Recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are ”a big part of the consumption of this particular product,” said Chris Johnson, executive vice president of Nestlé Business Excellence, during a sales call last week.... “For our Hot Pockets brand, it was not surprising to understand the value our products offered to the SNAP consumer,” said Molly Fogarty, Nestlé vice president for government relations, wrote in an e-mail. A two-pack of Hot Pockets costs about $2.50, she said, and the 12-count package, for around $11, is even more economical.... Reductions in the food-stamp program haven’t just affected Hot Pockets. Such large grocers as Wal-Mart Stores (WMT), which gets roughly 4 percent of its revenue from food stamps, have also said the SNAP reductions have hurt their U.S. business...." http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-10-22/behind-the-hot-pockets-slump-nestl-battles-every-food-trend#r=lr-sr

Nestle: Inside the Hot Pocket Plant; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23Tn1kOlyR8

Factoids: Hot Pockets Nutrition, http://caloriecount.about.com/hot-pockets-nutrition-m1493 
Calories in Pepperoni Pizza, 290 calories with 99 calories from fat; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_Pockets cites this: Hot Pockets were invented by Paul Merage and David Merage in the 1970s. They founded the company Chef America Inc. and began producing Hot Pockets in 1983. In 2002 Chef America was sold to Nestlé, and (as of 2012) Hot Pocket products are "now a $4.5 billion category of frozen sandwiches and snacks."

Peat (update 3): Norway to develop peatland-friendly agriculture in Indonesia, Haze Can Only Be Overcome Through Peat Soil Management - Dr Lulie Melling, MOEF 50 boreholes, US$67 million in grants for peat lands restoration

26 May 2016: Haze Can Only Be Overcome Through Peat Soil Management - Dr Lulie Melling

Haze Can Only Be Overcome Through Peat Soil Management, Says Expert MEDAN, May 21 (Bernama)...Dr Lulie Melling said the cooperation would also help solve the haze problem which has affected the socio-economy and health of citizens in the region. "One of the most appropriate methods to resolve the problem of peat fires is by compacting the soil using excavators and this will consolidate the peat soil. "Consolidating the soil will increase the soil bulk density and increase the moisture holding capacity of the soil. The moisture content of the peat soil is increased via a better capillary rise of the soil, thus, at the same time, it will moisten the peat to prevent the occurrence of fire," she told Bernama here recently.....  http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v8/newsindex.php?id=1248103#.V0GChQKeIvQ.facebook

12 May 2016: Norway to develop peatland-friendly agriculture in Indonesia, MOEF 50 boreholes, US$67 million in grants for peat lands restoration 

Norway to develop peatland-friendly agriculture in Indonesia, 4 Mei 2016, "Well help Indonesia in mastering how to cultivate plants without drying the peat lands, and how to increase the value added of the plants. There are some plants that can grow without drying the peat, such as sago," Traavik said here on Tuesday.... He added that the Norwegian government will also help to market the commodities produced through peat-friendly agricultural practices.... The Ambassador said in principle, Norway is ready to support all efforts to prevent damage that land and forest fires cause. According to him, the important thing to prevent forest fires, especially in peat lands, is not to let the lands dry up. "If the land becomes dry, then no technology in the world can cope with it. And if it burns, Indonesia will have a very big problem," he explained... During the visit, the ambassador, the agency, as well as the representatives of the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry inaugurated 50 boreholes which serve to moisten the lands. Earlier, in February 2016, the government of Norway had allocated a grant of US$50 million to help the peat lands restoration program in Indonesia. Meanwhile, the US government has also allocated a grant of $17 million.... http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/104461/norway-to-develop-peatland-friendly-agriculture-in-indonesia

2 March 2016: MPOC paper 'A Historical Perspective of Peat Exploitation in Europe and its Sustainability,'  Indonesia's transmigration and two mega fires, USA $1 billion price tag on methane emission disaster, Sabah socio-political impasse on Kinabatangan environmental corridor project

Editor's note: I will start to prepare my summary paper for the 15th International Peat Congress 2016, 15-19 August, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. The paper is entitled "Haze control and the oil palm farmer – a review of policy options." This builds on earlier work published by The Habibie Center:  Haze Control through the Sustenance of Indonesian Oil Palm Smallholders by Khor Yu Leng, Johan Saravanamuttu and Deborah Augustin. You can find the article by downloading the Nov 2015 newsletter by The Habibie Center by clicking on this link:  http://admin.thcasean.org/assets/uploads/file/2015/11/Thinking_ASEAN_November_2015.compressed.pdf. Referring page: http://www.thcasean.org/publication - newsletters section. Below also a link to how a more litigious society handles an air pollution crisis with climate damage - the case of SoCalGas in the USA. The issue of rural livelihoods also comes to the fore in the reported problem in Sabah about unwillingness of enough local peoples to contribute their land to a Kinabatangan project - state politicians sound neither keen to pay for the land and nor push for compulsory land acquisition. Again the question arises: who pays?

Info below on Sarawak hosting IPC 2016 and click here: http://www.ipc2016.com/


MPOC has just published a new paper titled 'A Historical Perspective of Peat Exploitation in Europe and its Sustainability'  at its Journal of Oil Palm, Environment and Health (JOPEH)...In the same period (1990-2008), Malaysia lost about 31,500 hectares, or about 1% of its peatland area. This figure only represents about less than 3% of the total peatland loss in Asia. (The highest peat loss in Asia during this time frame is in Indonesia, which lost about 450,000 hectares)... http://www.jopeh.com.my/

Suharto and Haze BY VERDINAND ROBERTUA 29 Feb 2016; ...As greater numbers of transmigrants went to outer Indonesia in the early to mid-1980s, the forest areas designated for transmigration projects were not adequate and protected forests were cut down. The catastrophic East Kalimantan fire in 1983 which destroyed 3,000,000 hectares of primary and secondary forests is considered as impact of massive sponsored transmigration. In the 3 million hectare area covered by the 1982-1983 fires in Kalimantan, only 11 percent of old-growth forest burned, while over 80 percent of logged areas burned..... The second disaster was the million-hectare peat-swamp project in Central Kalimantan. Beginning in 1995, the Suharto regime embarked on its last and most disastrous megadevelopment project – a scheme to transform peat forests covering more than 1 million hectare in the heart of Kalimantan into a rice-growing region colonized by more than 1,5 million transmigrants from Java. The region in question constitutes a large part of the largest peat-swamp floodplain in western Indonesia and contains some of the oldest and deepest peat deposits on the planet... https://verdinand633.wordpress.com/2016/02/29/suharto-and-haze/

How Do You Stop the Biggest Gas Leak Ever? Inside the efforts to plug SoCalGas’s methane disaster. by Karen Weise  Bloomberg Businessweek Reprints February 10, 2016; ...The leak had been spewing for about two weeks. Southern California Gas Co., the subsidiary of Sempra Energy that owns the facility at Aliso Canyon, had tried and failed to kill it..... Based on Conley’s readings, the state would estimate that in less than a month, Aliso released more than 68 million pounds of methane. Since then, it’s leaked 132 million pounds more, the state says, based on Conley’s subsequent flights... Aliso potentially the largest-ever single release of methane into the atmosphere—at least, the largest ever recorded....Sempra Energy, has said it has more than $1 billion in insurance coverage that it believes will cover many of the current and expected claims....in a worst-case scenario, Sempra could face a bill of as much as $900 million, says Brandon Barnes, an energy litigation analyst for Bloomberg Intelligence. If the leak is stopped by the end of March, the total cost could be about $250 million, he estimates. That includes roughly $115 million to stop the leak and relocate families, $40 million for civil liabilities, and $11 million in state fines. One of the biggest expenses could come from mitigating the climate damage, which the state says it will require. Buying carbon offsets would cost about $92 million, according to Barnes’s calculations.....  http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-02-10/how-do-you-stop-the-biggest-gas-leak-ever?cmpid=BBD021016_BIZ

Sabah’s ‘Corridor of Life’ hits snag as landowners say no to acquisition BY JULIA CHAN March 1, 2016; Sabah is facing a major stumbling block in its Kinabatangan “Corridor of Life” wildlife conservation project as landowners in the highly cultivable region are unwilling to give up their plots for conservation purposes....  the state was not keen, however, to use the Land Acquisition Act to compel the landowners to give up or sell their land as they do not want to upset any party. “We want them to be partners in conservation but they won’t be good partners if we force them to sell their land. We want it to be as amicable as possible, through friendly persuasion. “The other option is land acquisition but buying land is not cheap and we hope to avoid this. We feel the best situation is when the people feel they have ownership of the programme, so that they are willing to help and want to contribute to the success of the programme.“We are not giving up. Sooner or later, the owners will see the logic in the corridor,” he said.... http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/sabahs-corridor-of-life-hits-snag-as-landowners-say-no-to-acquisition?sthash.tmltatpM.mjjo#sthash.tmltatpM.tYBOhzKS.dpuf

19 May 2015: Peat classification based on USDA.

Editor's note: Just as we were writing this blog posting we receive courtesy of Dr Param, a copy of his recent presentation:

"ROLE OF UNIFIED PEAT CLASSIFICATION IN THE MSPO CERTIFICATION SCHEME"  Paper presented at the MPOA Forum: Sustainability the MSPO Way  30th April 2015 by Paramananthan, S., Ramadasan, K., Tan, Y.A.

Do contact the authors and/or MPOA for a copy.

Key slides include the following:

• 4: Definition ORGANIC SOILS VS. MINERAL SOIL
• 11: SUITABILITY CLASSES FOR OIL PALM ON PEAT
• 12: SUMMARY OF FINDINGS: Malaysian Unified Peat Classification – BETTER characterizes Tropical Peat Soils. Separates fibric / hemic / sapric
• Recognizes Depth Classes - Topo, Ombro. Recognizes: Presence / absence of wood. Nature of wood: Decomposed, Undecomposed.  Identifies – underlying mineral substratum
• 14: MSPO vs RSPO: RSPO makes blanket ruling – NO OIL PALM ON PEAT. MSPO must be realistic - Need to eradicate poverty (smallholders) What to do with oil palms already on Peat. Can these areas be replanted.
• 16: NEW AREAS ON PEAT
• 17: EXISTING AREAS ON PEAT
• 18: CRITERIA TO BE USED FOR DECISION - TECHNICAL SUITABILITY YIELD ON DIFFERENT PEAT TYPES Example: Peat Characteristics and Its Impact on Yield (Ramesh et al., 2014)
• 19: MEAN YIELD OF FRESH FRUIT BUNCHES (2003-2013)
• 24: MEAN COST OF DEVELOPMENT (COD) TO MATURITY BY SOIL TYPE AND SOIL MANAGEMENT GROUP

Source: Paramananthan et al. 30 April 2015

Info below on Sarawak hosting IPC 2016 and click here: http://www.ipc2016.com/

14 May 2015: Smaller producers and smallholders drive expansion into marginal areas?

Editor's note: I had an interesting chat with one of the highly respected planters of the Malaysia palm oil sector last night. I was interviewing him for the Felda smallholder case study report (now in completion stage). He expressed the view that it is most likely that most plantable areas will become planted (barring a big discouraging price drop) including forest and peat zones; because of the consumption boom and also the desire for profits and livelihoods.

Just after attending a full day of the Singapore Dialogue hosted by Simon Tay / SIIA where the smallholder word kept popping up again and again, the reasoning is clear. It is widely understood that areas that cannot be planted under pledges made by the largest plantations is likely to be planted by smaller producers and smallholders. That is, unless the big plantation might hold on to the set-aside areas. At the forum there was talk of a new type of land licence that might permit the largest plantations to do this in Indonesia. This seems to be in place for Olam's project in Gabon with its big set-asides. What about elsewhere? The Bunge representative also spoke of a need to make natural capital markets pay i.e. is there a premia or payment to retain forests and peat zones?

Read more here:
Singapore Dialogue (update 1a): SIIA / Simon Tay dialogue in Singapore centered on palm oil sustainability, Indonesia extends moratorium, ASEAN banks under WWF spotlight http://khorreports-palmoil.blogspot.com/2015/05/attended-siia-simon-tay-dialogue-in.html

Peat has become a controversial area for new oil palm development. It has been increasingly declared "no go" ever since the December 2013 Wilmar-TFT-Greenpeace associates deal and the Greenpeace HCS Approach. It seems to be part of the Indonesia Palm Oil Pledge (IPOP). The Sustainable Palm Oil Manifesto's (more centered on Malaysia plantations with some Indonesia cross-over participation with IPOP members too) HCS is looking at it too. The reality is that most big plantations avoid peat anyway as they focus on their land banks in lower development cost zones. Those left to contemplate oil palm on peat are most likely the smaller producers and smallholders living in those areas (with few other options to move away and no better profit / earning generating crop or non-crop livelihood option available).

We understand that there has been substantive work in Malaysia on the different types of peat and its suitability for planting. This topic has been replete with rhetoric but specialists point out that it has been rather too short on scientific data from within the tropical peat zone. On this point, we can look forward to what new empirical work is being done by the Manifesto's HCS. And likewise, scientific data is being discussed by the Tropical Peat Research Laboratory of Sarawak (the work of the irrepresible Dr Lulie Melling has been cited by the very important Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change/IPCC and many others: http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=dvbFMzYAAAAJ&hl=en). This is no surprise given the surfeit of peat in the East Malaysian state and their facing the prospect of having limited promising alternative economic projects for their peat zone peoples.

So, there will be an important International Peat Congress, 15-19 August 2016 (next year) in Sarawak. Dr Lulie Melling says: "We are going to create a few histories.... The International Union of Soil Science has agreed to support this congress....which means this is a scientific forum in which no one can conveniently disqualify scientific publications.... On top of that we also have lead partners from Indonesia in this Congress."

Links are below.

...................
http://www.ipc2016.com/

Dear all,

Greetings from Sarawak. The Malaysian Peat Society (MPS) in partnership with International Peat Society (IPS) will be hosting the 15th International Peat Congress 2016 (15th IPC 2016) for the first time outside of Europe and North America.

The theme of the congress is ‘Peatlands in Harmony– Agriculture, Industry & Nature'. As the theme suggests, this congress will relate to an integrated global perspective for the responsible use of peatlands and the preservation of their unique dynamics and natural biodiversity. The Congress will also provide for researchers, academics and practitioners, an ideal platform to congregate, share information and discuss their scientific results and experiences, with particular reference to peat and peatlands in tropics.

On behalf of the Organizing committee, we hope that you could participate as a participant or present a paper. For paper presentation, we would be very grateful if you could send us the title and an abstract of not more than 300 words.

I believe that this Congress will provide you with a fruitful intellectual experience as well as a memorable visit to Sarawak. We look forward to seeing you on our shores!

Enclosed is the First Announcement.  If you require any further information, please feel free to visit us at www.ipc2016.com.

We look forward to your acceptance and welcoming you in Kuching, Sarawak and your participation in this forthcoming Congress.

Regards
Lulie Melling, PhD
Director
Tropical Peat Research Laboratory
Chief Minister's Department)
Lot 6035, Kuching-Kota Samarahan Expressway
94300 Kota Samarahan
Sarawak MALAYSIA
Tel : +6082-662491 (0) +6082-662495 (D)
+6082-662497 (Fax)