CPOPC Brings Youth Voices to the Palm Oil Conversation through #YoungElaeis Ambassadors Batch 2

Jakarta, 11 June 2026. The Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) brought together 12 young ambassadors from palm oil producing and consuming countries to share their personal learning experiences from the #YoungElaeis Ambassadors Induction Week 2026.

Held under the theme “A Journey Through Palm Oil: People, Policy, and Progress” and the tagline “Discover. Learn. Share. Inspire.”, the Induction Week took place from 6 to 12 June 2026 in Malaysia and Indonesia. The programme was designed to provide the #YoungElaeis Ambassadors, also known as #YEAs, with direct exposure to the palm oil sector through institutional visits, field learning, policy discussions, and media engagement.

This year’s programme comprised 12 young ambassadors from Indonesia, Malaysia, Ghana, Guatemala, India, and Pakistan. They represent diverse backgrounds and winning categories, including Smallholders and Social Impact, Reuse and Recycle, Climate Action, and Health and Nutrition.

CPOPC Secretary General, Mdm. Izzana Salleh, highlighted the importance of creating space for young people to understand the palm oil sector through firsthand experience.

“Through the #YoungElaeis Ambassadors programme, CPOPC seeks to provide young people with the opportunity to learn directly from the palm oil sector, which supports more than 24 million jobs globally, and to share the insights they gain from first-hand experience on the ground. We believe that youth voices and perspectives are important in making the palm oil conversation more relatable, more informed, and more connected to people’s lives, not only in producing countries but also in consuming countries,” she said.

During the Induction Week, the #YEAs visited key institutions and field locations in Malaysia and Indonesia. In Malaysia, the programme included visits to the Ministry of Plantation and Commodities of Malaysia (KPK), the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO), and SD Guthrie in Carey Island. 

In Indonesia, the #YEAs visited GAR Sinar Mas in Riau to learn about plantation practices and field-level operations. The programme continued in Jakarta with a courtesy engagement with the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, and a visit to the CPOPC Secretariat.

The media briefing focused on the personal experiences of the #YEAs. Some representatives of the #YEAs Batch 2 shared their personal reflection as follows:

Reh Desiva Christima Br. Ginting (Indonesia, 1st Winner of Smallholder & Social Impact)

“I saw how palm oil can support livelihoods through training, scholarships, innovation, good agricultural practices, and responsible approaches such as integrated pest management using owls. For me, the Induction Week helped young
people like us understand palm oil more fully, from upstream to downstream, while reminding us that a more informed conversation must include people, collaboration, and real experiences from the ground.”

Rashpreet Singh Anand (India, 2nd Winner of Reuse & Recycle)

“What inspired me most is seeing how palm oil by-products can be turned into something useful again. From converting mill waste into renewable biogas to recycling empty fruit bunches into natural soil nutrients. It showed me that the palm oil sector is not only about production, but also about setting a global benchmark for zero-waste agriculture.”

Nur Adibah Binti Roslan (Malaysia, 1st Winner of Climate Action)

“Seeing practices such as the use of Palm Oil Mill Effluent gave me a clearer picture of how innovation can support better production practices. For me, this experience reinforces the important role of young people as bridges between science, industry, and the public, so we can contribute to a more informed conversation and be part of practical solutions for environmental challenges,”

Badar Ahmad (Pakistan, 2nd Winner of Health & Nutrition)

“This Induction Week has given me a deeper and more personal understanding of a sector that is often seen from a distance, and sometimes misunderstood, in my country. By learning directly from institutions and field visits, I was able to see palm oil beyond the headlines and understand the people, processes, and efforts behind it. I hope to bring these insights back to Pakistan and help encourage a more balanced and informed conversation on palm oil,”

José Rodrigo Sandoval Gómez (Pakistan, 2nd Winner of Smallholder & Social Impact)

” The Induction Week has been a truly meaningful experience. It gave us the opportunity to see the palm oil industry firsthand beyond assumptions and headlines. I was especially inspired to learn how innovation, technology, employment, and community opportunities are shaping the sector’s positive contribution to people and society. As young voices, we have an important role in sharing these experiences and supporting a more informed, balanced public conversation on palm oil,”

Through this initiative, CPOPC aims to support a more balanced and evidence-based public conversation on palm oil by bringing forward youth perspectives from different countries and backgrounds. The programme also reflects CPOPC’s commitment to investing in the next generation of communicators who can help explain complex commodity issues in a more accessible and constructive way.

Media Contact
Suci Haryati
Senior Staff, Communication and Promotion
Email: suci.haryati@cpopc.net
WhatsApp: +62 816 1609 243

*About CPOPC*
The Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) is an intergovernmental organization established by Indonesia and Malaysia in 2015. Its current membership comprises Indonesia, Malaysia, Honduras, Papua New Guinea, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Together with its observer countries, Nigeria, Colombia, and Ghana, CPOPC accounts for 88.8% of global palm oil production, demonstrating the Council’s pivotal role in supporting cooperation and shaping the future direction of the palm oil sector.