Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil has launched the MSPO Impact Alliance, a multi-stakeholder platform established to position and strengthen Malaysia’s leadership in sustainable palm oil.
Building on MSPO as the country’s national certification scheme, the platform is backed by 28 founding members including plantation leaders like SD Guthrie and FGV; global fast-moving consumer goods companies such as Mondelez, Nestlé, Unilever and Mars; financial institutions including Maybank and CIMB, international organisations, and smallholder representatives.
In a statement today, MSPO said the platform launched today in Kuala Lumpur will provide a formal channel for stakeholders to share input and ensure MSPO remains aligned with international benchmarks, while also acting as a testbed for new solutions.
“For members, this means being able to jointly shape the evolution of MSPO standards, participate in pilot initiatives that test practical solutions ahead of new global rules and contribute to national policy discussions that guide the future of Malaysia’s palm oil sector.
“In doing so, members will also reinforce their role in advancing responsible sourcing and inclusive supply chains, while contributing to Malaysia’s growing recognition as a trusted and transparent partner in global trade,” read the statement.
The scheme quoted plantation and commodities minister Johari Ghani as saying Malaysia is committed to ensuring palm oil continues to power economic growth and provide livelihoods while meeting the highest international standards of sustainability.
“The MSPO Impact Alliance demonstrates our determination to work hand in hand with a wide range of stakeholders to create inclusive solutions that will not only protect our environment but also strengthen our reputation as a trusted and responsible partner in global trade,” he said.
MSPO said the potential pilot initiatives under the platform include those to prepare smallholders for compliance with the European Union’s deforestation regulation, as well as benchmarking MSPO standards against the responsible sourcing requirements of global fast-moving consumer goods companies.
“The MSPO Impact Alliance will also explore innovative financing instruments linked to certification, replanting strategies that restore biodiversity and a simplified complaints and grievance mechanism designed to strengthen worker protections, including foreign workers,” it said.
MSPO chairman Haris Arshad said the alliance would ensure MSPO remains relevant, credible, and globally accepted by piloting practical initiatives and shaping policies together with its stakeholders.
“This is how we make sustainability inclusive by ensuring smallholders, workers and the industry all benefit from the journey,” he said.
