Date: April 29, 2024

Darmstadt, Germany – Since October 2023, True Assets has been a member of the Forum for Sustainable Palm Oil (FONAP). On April 25, 2024, the annual FONAP member meeting took place, where True Assets was also represented.

Upon invitation by the Federal Association of the German Food Industry (BVE), the membership gathered at the House of Nutrition and Agriculture in Berlin to elect a new board and make groundbreaking decisions for the future of FONAP.

Highlights of the meeting included a video message from Dr. Bärbel Kofler (Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)) and speeches by Bernt Farcke (Head of the Department for Forests, Sustainability, and Renewable Resources at the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture) and Olivier Kölsch (Managing Director of the Federal Association of the German Food Industry (BVE)). Bernt Farcke emphasized on this occasion that, in his view, the oil palm is the best biomass among fat-producing plants not only because of its land efficiency. He couldn’t imagine a better one.

Another key highlight of the day was the keynote address by H.E. Arif Havas Oegroseno, the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia, who provided comprehensive insights into the perspectives of the main producing country and urged EU states to use truly reliable best technology in terms of traceability and land transparency and to work more closely with palm oil producing countries like Indonesia to jointly provide a sustainable model for demonstrating deforestation-free supply chains. At the same time, he advocated for the recognition of the Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) standard and the new Indonesian palm oil traceability system.

Following these speeches, the board election took place, in which Sascha Tischer, representing True Assets, was elected with a strong result. True Assets had also nominated Dr. Reza Azmi, Executive Director of Wild Asia, for a board position in the association. Dr. Azmi was also elected to the board with a large majority.

In the afternoon, an engaging dialogue between science and practice took place. Experts Dr. Marie Diekmann from the German Institute for Human Rights, Prof. Dr. Meike Wollni, and Sophie-Dorothe Lieke from the University of Göttingen enriched the discussions with their expertise and perspectives on human rights, biodiversity, and communication in the palm oil sector.

True Assets‘ ongoing commitment to sustainability was once again demonstrated here, in working groups on the expert contributions. The continued dedication to sustainability remains an indispensable commitment for True Assets!