Palm Oil, Trust and Global Leadership: Insights from IPOC 2025 in Bali
I have just returned from Bali, where I had the privilege to speak at IPOC 2025 in front of 1,700 participants. The conversations, the energy, and the scale of the event confirmed one thing: the future of palm oil will not be shaped only by regulations or productivity, but by trust, culture, and leadership.
Palm Oil, Trust and Global Leadership
IPOC 2025, the largest global palm oil conference, offered a unique moment to reflect on the crossroads where the global palm oil sector now stands. While much of the attention focuses on the EUDR and other regulatory pressures, the real challenge lies elsewhere. Technical compliance is necessary, but it is no longer sufficient. The next competitive advantage will come from building trust across the entire value chain.
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In my keynote, I spoke about the paradox at the heart of palm oil. It is the world’s most productive crop, a vital source of income for millions of smallholders, and a key contributor to global food security. Yet it carries one of the most difficult reputations in the global market. This gap between reality and perception is now the biggest barrier to competitiveness.
A new wave of global narratives, especially around health, nutrition and NCDs, is reshaping markets. The obsession with saturated fats, and the rise of palm oil free claims, influence consumers far more than data or scientific evidence. Productivity and innovation matter, but without cultural credibility and transparent communication, they will not translate into market value.
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Palm oil has the potential to follow a trajectory similar to olive oil: from commodity to culture, from ingredient to global icon. But this requires leadership. Producers, governments, and companies must move beyond defensive communication and embrace a new narrative built on transparency, innovation, smallholder inclusion, and pride.
Bali showed me that the sector is ready. The challenge now is to act with vision.
Palm Oil, Trust and Global Leadership: Insights from IPOC 2025 in Bali
