Author: Khalil Hegarty

Khalil Hegarty is a trade and sustainability consultant based in Melbourne, Australia. He has worked with the palm oil sector in Indonesia, Malaysia and Nigeria, and consulted with industry groups in Australia on trade policy and with Australian, German and ASEAN governments on trade projects. He has worked with the forest sectors across the US, Italy, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Republic of Korea. He is currently Associate Director at ITS Global, a consultancy based in Melbourne.

An Explainer on the Malaysian 3-MCPD Walkback

Posted on May 5, 2020May 5, 2020 by Pierre Bois d’Enghien and Khalil Hegarty

Last week’s post on Malaysia deviating from the CPOPC consensus on the EU’s 3-MCPD limits drew an overwhelming response from industry, government and NGOs alike. But there was an underlying question among many observers that requires us to go back a… Read more Read More

The Malaysian Walkback on 3-MCPD Undermines Producer Unity

Posted on April 27, 2020April 27, 2020 by Khalil Hegarty and Pierre Bois d’Enghien

Reuters published an article last week that stated Malaysia had decided to walk back a unified position on 3-MCPD esters held by the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC).The intelligence came from a leaked letter from Malaysia’s Ministry of Plantation Industries and… Read more Read More

Debunking the COVID-Palm Oil Link Conspiracy

Posted on April 21, 2020April 21, 2020 by Khalil Hegarty and Pierre Bois d’Enghien

Over the past few weeks there’s been a deliberate effort by the save the rainforest types to connect infectious diseases and the COVID-19 virus to the palm oil industry. They’ve been supported by a plethora of “mainstream” news outlets such… Read more Read More

EXCLUSIVE: DEFRA’s Stealthy Plot to Undermine Britain’s Free Trade Deals in SE Asia Exposed

Posted on April 13, 2020April 13, 2020 by Khalil Hegarty and Pierre Bois d’Enghien

POM has been leaked some information on new plans from the UK Government’s Environment Ministry, known as DEFRA, that would restrict palm oil imports in the UK.Here’s the deal: DEFRA is planning a ‘write-around’ process, where other Government departments will… Read more Read More

POM Weekly Update – 31 March 2020 | UK Government Funds Anti-Indonesian Campaign

Posted on March 31, 2020March 31, 2020 by Khalil Hegarty and Pierre Bois d’Enghien

FERN, a UK-Dutch NGO, has published a new report, ‘Detoxifying Palm Oil’. The report in its own words “aims to document and describe existing initiatives and policies in relation to the palm oil trade between Indonesia and the EU …… Read more Read More

Palm Oil Monitor Weekly Update – 25th March 2020

Posted on March 24, 2020March 25, 2020 by Khalil Hegarty and Pierre Bois d’Enghien

FPP’s Suspicious Attack against Golden Agri-Resources The Forest People’s Program (FPP) has launched a complaint against Golden Agri Resources (GAR) via the RSPO. The complaints within the brief filed to the RSPO’s complain system allege deforestation and bribery; the publicly… Read more Read More

Is Norway Trying to Sink Indonesia-EFTA Over Palm Oil?

Posted on March 23, 2020March 23, 2020 by Khalil Hegarty and Pierre Bois d’Enghien

Norway’s Government appears to be throwing its support behind an effort to sink the European Free Trade Area’s trade agreement with Indonesia – and palm oil is the reason. Last week, the Norwegian Government-funded activist group, Rainforest Foundation Norway (RFN),… Read more Read More

Palm Oil Monitor Weekly Update – 16th March 2020 A New Approach from KL?

Posted on March 13, 2020March 13, 2020 by Khalil Hegarty and Pierre Bois d’Enghien

As noted last week, Malaysia’s political landscape has undergone an upheaval, with the announcement of a new cabinet.The Ministry of Primary Industries has been renamed the Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities.The new minister, Datuk Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali, has… Read more Read More

Dutch Royal visit in Indonesia: The Opportunity for the Dutch to Commit Against the EU Palm Oil Ban

Posted on March 10, 2020March 10, 2020 by Khalil Hegarty and Pierre Bois d’Enghien

This week, Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima will visit Indonesia from 10th to 13th March, following the invitation of President Joko Widodo.Ahead of the visit, Dutch Foreign Affairs Minister Stef Blok has spoken publicly about palm oil, claiming that… Read more Read More

Palm Oil Monitor Weekly Update – 9th March 2020

Posted on March 9, 2020March 9, 2020 by Khalil Hegarty and Pierre Bois d’Enghien

EU Update: WTO Members Take EU to Task, Again; A RED Relic The EU Takes a Pounding at the WTOWTO members including some of the world’s largest agricultural exporters have again taken the EU to task for continuing to ignore the concerns of… Read more Read More