Mexico City, Mexico — Palm oil companies have signed agreements with Profepa (Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection) to curb their environmental impacts in Chiapas. In the new agreement, they will support the removal of palm plantations located within the La Encrucijada National Park in the state of Chiapas, the Profepa (Procuraduría Federal de Protección al Ambiente) reported.
With the goal of conserving biodiversity, environmental services and ecological balance within the Protected Natural Area, La Encrucijada Biosphere Reserve, Profepa and 11 African palm oil extraction companies signed an agreement.
Those involved have agreed that the African palm oil mills undertake to allocate the necessary human, material and financial resources to implement the African palm plantation conversion program within the natural protected areas in accordance with the provisions of the management program for that area.
They have also agreed to implement the program for the elimination of dispersed oil palm and to implement a training program for oil palm producers on environmental legal obligations. A working group will be established to monitor these measures.
The companies will contribute to the removal of African palm plantations currently located within the protected natural area of the La Encrucijada Biosphere Reserve. They will also participate in ecological restoration programs, reforesting the affected areas with native species from the region, in order to recover the affected ecosystems and strengthen local biodiversity.
Companies will regularize their environmental procedures with the competent authorities at all levels of government in order to obtain the corresponding permits and authorizations.
They also undertake to ensure that all wastewater discharges strictly comply with applicable Mexican official standards. They do not exceed the authorized water use volumes and that they adopt prevention and control measures to avoid public health risks and prevent negative impacts that could cause ecological imbalances in the region.
These actions are aligned with the current legal framework on environmental matters, including the General Law on Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection and applicable Mexican official standards. They seek to ensure the legality, transparency and environmental responsibility of production processes.
The plants that have committed include Zitihualt, Palm Oils, Oleopalma, Pakal Consultants, Huehuetan Group, Dassa, Oleosur, Seopalma, Chiapaneca La Palma Oil Company, Union of Palm Growers of the Chiapas Coast and La Primavera. The meeting took place on April 29 in the city of Tapachula de Córdova y Ordoñez.
