Selection of oil palm for sustainable palm oil and social responsibility

As an actor of a supply chain, seed producers must take into account the impact of their work on sustainability. This is particularly true when one works on palm oil, a highly sensitive crop which is questioned on its social and environmental impact. Breeders act directly on yield thus increasing profitability, while for the same production, decreasing land-use pressure. In addition, breeders act on duration of the plantations - which is critical for a perennial crop - making strategic choices selecting for lasting resistances to diseases. They can seek rustic selections, which help the work of small holders and enable them to a better social insertion in the supply chain. In the long trend, the promotion of sustainable palm oil is an excellent opportunity for palm oil seed distributors. Corporate and Social Responsibility of PalmElit, company recently created, is presented. It defines its aspirations, its values, its direct and indirect responsibilities and finally proposes an operational code of conduct.