SYNOPSIS

Sustainability is a holistic concept, and encompasses three key elements, often referred to as the 3Ps. –People, Planet and Profit. These key concepts are derived from the ‘Brundtland Commission’ which stated that “sustainable development seeks to meet the needs and aspirations of the present generation without compromising the ability to meet the needs of those in the future.” Based on this definition, sustainability is all about the efficient management of present resources to meet future needs. In the context of the Malaysian oil palm industry, “sustainability is all about the long-term security of the supply chain if the oil palm business is to continue with brand values and consumer trust.

This talk provides a clear picture of how the oil palm industry in Malaysia is strives to strike a holistic balance between social, environmental and economic needs of country and people in achieving its sustainable development through three major needs:

•    Social development of the Malaysian people.
•    Conservation and management of the environment.
•    Ensuring progress of the nation as a whole via economic development.

BIODATA OF SPEAKER

Ir. Hj. Izhar Mahmood graduated from Universiti Pertanian Malaysia in 1979 with a Bachelor of Engineering (Agriculture) and holder of 1st Grade Steam Engineer’s Certificate since 1985. He is a MPOA Council member since 2011, a MPOB Committee Member on Training Palm Oil Milling and the industry’s panel advisor at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) since 2010 and Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) for bio-processing engineering since 2012. He is a Member of Program Advisory Committee (PAC) until 2016 and a Chairman of MAPA sub-committee on Palm Oil Mill since 2010. Ir. Hj Izhar Mahmood has worked as Mill Manager on 1990 to 1994, General Manager of Mill 1994 to 2002, Director of Engineering 2002 to 2013 and Director of Special Projects until his retirement on 1 July 2014.