KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Palm Oil Certification Council (MPOCC) will now be known as the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO).
Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said the renaming of MPOCC to MSPO was one of the initiatives to strengthen the rebranding of MSPO as a high-quality and world-class palm oil certification scheme.
"Efforts to promote MSPO will be further enhanced with the launch of the MSPO Strategic Action Plan 2024 to 2026.
"It encompasses three main strategies namely building a robust and trustworthy sustainability certification scheme, ensuring industry players' compliance and adding value to MSPO certification, as well as expanding recognition and acceptance of MSPO," he said during the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) 10th Anniversary Celebration and Hari Raya do today.
His speech was read by the ministry's deputy secretary-general (strategic planning and management) Datuk Abdul Hadi Omar.
Johari said during a bilateral discussion between the ministry and the European Union (EU) regarding the European Union Deforestation-free Regulation (EUDR) and MSPO, Malaysia had received positive feedback regarding its efforts to reduce deforestation rates.
"The EU has also provided meaningful recognition of Malaysia's commitment to sustainable commodity production," he said.
At the event, MSPO also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with four higher education institutions namely IIUM Higher Education Sdn Bhd, Persatuan Regenerasi dan Kelestarian Alam, Felcra College and City University.
Ten MSPO Youth Ambassadors from each institution have been selected to promote and raise awareness among other students about MSPO certification.