Apical set to collaborate with various customers for its trial shipments of EUDR-compliant oil
The European Union Deforestation Regulations (EUDR), a landmark legislation targeting global deforestation, with its full impact on the supply chain of seven commodities, including palm oil, is slated to begin on December 30, 2024. The EUDR has triggered a paradigm shift in the global food and agricultural landscape, impacting stakeholders across the board.
For Apical, the leading vegetable oil processor, embracing the EUDR regulation isn’t just a compliance requirement; it is a strategic imperative to drive positive change on both the commercial and sustainable fronts – grounded by its unwavering commitment to protecting and conserving forests, biodiversity and social well-being.
“Collaboration and fostering inclusivity are critical to our proactive approach to ensuring a sustainable and deforestation-free supply chain. At present, Apical actively collaborates with stakeholders across the value chain, including smallholders, suppliers, customers, NGOs, and government agencies, to ensure EUDR compliance,” said Pratheepan Karunagaran, Executive Director of Apical.
“As customer demand for traceable and sustainable products continues to rise, companies prioritising sustainability stand to gain a significant competitive edge in the marketplace. We are confident in our ability to collaborate with various customers and successfully execute our trial shipments of EUDR-compliant oil by 2nd quarter of 2024, setting a precedent for future endeavours and reinforcing our commitment to a sustainable and deforestation-free supply chain in every aspect of our operations,” added Pratheepan.
Apical’s commitment to a deforestation-free supply chain isn’t a standalone initiative – it is a holistic approach embedded in its sustainability framework and policies. To ensure the effectiveness of its efforts, a due diligence system has been implemented that is further strengthened by third-party verifications. Apical had unveiled its Apical2030 roadmap in 2022, outlining transformative changes in the palm oil sector with a focus on positive social, environmental, and economic impacts. The roadmap establishes Apical’s commitment to achieving a 100% No Deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation (NDPE)-compliant supply chain by 2025, a key objective under the first pillar of Apical2030 – Transformative Partnerships.
By leveraging the power of innovation, technology, and collaboration, Apical is developing and rolling out a digital platform to enhance supply chain traceability of shipments and ensuring deforestation-free compliance among suppliers in alignment with the EUDR. The platform will also streamline due diligence and deliver EUDR-compliant information to customers, and support verification with transparent and efficient data management.
For Apical, embracing the EUDR regulation is a strategic opportunity to foster inclusivity across the supply chain including smallholders, enhance competitiveness, and mitigate risks associated with non-compliance.
About Apical
Apical is a leading vegetable oil processor with an expanding global footprint. Our vertically integrated mid-stream refining and value-added downstream processing makes us an integral supplier that supports the needs of various industries namely food, feed, oleochemicals and renewable fuel, including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) which enables a great reduction of CO2 emissions.
With integrated assets in strategic locations spanning Indonesia, China and Spain, Apical operates numerous refineries, oleochemical plants, renewable fuel plants and kernel crushing plants. Through joint ventures and strategic partnerships, Apical also has processing and distribution operations in Brazil, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Middle East, Africa, USA and Vietnam.
Apical’s growth is built on the foundations of sustainability and transparency, and motivated by our strong belief that we can contribute to a circular economy for a more meaningful impact, even as we continue to grow our business and deliver innovative solutions to our customers.
For more information, please visit www.apicalgroup.com
Media contact:
Corporate Communications, Apical
Email: corpcomms@apicalgroup.com
