The Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) organized the launching of #YoungElaeis Ambassadors: Young Ambassadors of Palm Oil in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on 12 August 2023. The event presented a discussion on the topic of “Green Skills for Youth and the Roles of Palm Oil Industry to Attain a Sustainable World” that is linked with the theme of 2023 International Youth Day.
The launching is attended by the representatives of embassies of producing and consuming countries in Jakarta, youth associations, diaspora, and palm oil stakeholders. The goal of the #YoungElaeis Ambassadors programme is to engage and educate the young communities in advocating the sustainability pillars in the industry as the future actors and consumers of palm oil.
The Secretary General of CPOPC Dr. Rizal Affandi Lukman in his opening remarks reiterated the important role of young people and the current challenge of palm oil producing countries to fulfil the raising demand on palm oil. He raised the concerns of the representatives of Indonesian and Malaysian smallholders at the International Smallholders Workshop took place last month in Melaka, Malaysia. In this occasion, they that younger generations are lack of interest to continue their footsteps as oil palm farmers. “To continue fulfilling the high demand of palm oil, the potentials and creativity of the youth are greatly needed. However, it cannot be realized without the willingness to be actively involved in the industry,” Rizal asserted.
In their remarks, the Senior Officials of the respective member countries affirmed that young generations have crucial role in shaping the future of sustainable world. The Secretary General, Ministry of Plantation and Commodities of Malaysia, YBhg. Dato’ Mad Zaidi Bin Mohd Karli, underscored that the commitment to responsible production, environmental protection, and social welfare has made palm a leading example of how a commodity can be cultivated to benefit the society and the planet. In this regard, Dato’ Mad Zaidi underscored that the launching of #YoungElaeis Ambassadors programme in the International Youth Day emphasized the significant of young minds in driving change and promoting sustainability in the world today.
Deputy Minister for Food and Agribusiness Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, Republic of Indonesia, Dr. Musdhalifah Machmud reiterated that seeing the contribution and role of palm oil as part of food and energy needs, a joint action with the millennials is required to show the value of sustainability from upstream to downstream of oil palm and raise the harmonization of People, Profit, and Planet. Musdhalifah also affirmed that the role of the younger generations or millennials are the vanguard in conveying information regarding palm oil commodities following the facts will greatly determine the future of our national palm oil.
Undersecretary of State in the Office of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras, Lid Roy Lazo Rodríguez, attended the launching event held in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. In his remarks, he highlighted the youth as they played a crucial part and also the one that has big fortune and big responsibility on fulfilling the end goals. He reaffirmed that humanity without doubt should move on towards more sustainable world. More details on the #YoungElaeis Ambassadors programme are available on www.cpopc.org . The deadline for submission is 15 September 2023.