By the end of 2015, all palm oil used in The Netherlands will be sustainable, as certified by the RSPO (see "Holland to use only sustainable palm oil by 2015”; www. commodityonline. com). This means all imported palm oil must come from renewable plantations and not from plantations that were planted where rain­forests used to grow. In November 2010, all palm oil suppliers and buyers in the Dutch market, united in the Dutch Taskforce on Sustainable Palm Oil, pledged to work collectively towards this goal. They did so in a Manifesto that was presented to the government of The Netherlands. It is the first time a country rather than a company has committed itself to using only sustainable palm oil.

Dutch business has long been closely involved in efforts to make the palm oil supply chain more sustainable. The country has been one of the frontrunners in this respect. The Netherlands calls on other countries in Europe, North America, and Asia to follow this example. The Netherlands has a huge palm oil industry in the harbor of Rotterdam with a number of palm oil refineries from international companies. Thus, The Netherlands is a leader in Western Europe by limiting palm oil imports to certified crude palm oil only.

It is my opinion that one day the European Union will implement this law for all 27 EU members, and maybe for other biofuels like rapeseed, soybean oil and Jatropha as well. Such a law will increase the demand and search for second-generation biofuels like Jatropha switchgrass and algae.

The palm oil industry has a fantastic chance to convert itselfinto a much more greener industry by using the 90% of the palm biomass that is presently just rotting away on the plantations in Malaysia and Indonesia.

4.4