Palm oil has been many things to many people: a commodity, a controversy, a cooking staple and an economic lifeline. But beyond the headlines and heated debates lies a treasure trove of fascinating truths – little “did you knows” that remind us just how remarkable this crop and oil really is. Examples.

A Taste of History. What do you get when you mix violets, olive oil, and saffron? You get … palm oil. At least, that’s how 15th-century Portuguese explorer Alvise Cadamosto described it: “Palm oil: It has the scent of violets, the taste of olive oil, and a colour that tinges food like saffron – only more attractive.” Five centuries later, chefs and foodies are still scrambling for tasting notes, but Cadamosto had already nailed the poetry.

Who knew the first palm oil review read less like a trade record and more like a Michelin guide?
The 90% Untapped Treasure. Only 10% of oil palm biomass is fully utilised. The other 90% sits like a treasure chest still locked – a goldmine in plain sight. Imagine the possibilities if we cracked that code with the right business models, technologie, and enabling policies. From bioenergy to biochemicals, from green packaging to carbon credits – the opportunities are immense. To leave them untapped isn’t just wasteful; it borders on neglect.

Oil Palm as a Superfruit. Too often we see the oil palm only as an “oil machine.” But look again – it is a fruit, and a mighty one. Think of it as the avocado’s tropical cousin: rich, versatile and bursting with hidden treasures. Beyond oil, the palm fruit offers antioxidants like Vitamin E (tocopherols and tocotrienols), carotenoids such as beta-carotene, plus polyphenols, sterols, and phytonutrients like squalene and lignans. Palm oil is less a one-trick commodity and more a superfruit waiting to be celebrated.

Lego Set of Chemistry. Palm oil derivatives may begin simply just C, H and O atoms, but with ingenuity, they can be transformed into thousands of useful products. From food to pharmaceuticals, cosmetics to cleaners, palm oil quietly powers countless industries. Think of it as the ultimate Lego set: the same basic blocks endlessly rearranged into everything from a humble brick to a skyscraper.

And here lies the challenge: Palm oil has never failed humanity. It is humanity – with all its science and technology – that falls short when we fail to harness its full potential.

Engaging Youths in Palm Oil Sustainability

When we talk about “palm oil stakeholders,” the usual suspects appear: growers, refiners, policymakers, NGOs, consumers. Youth? Too often, an afterthought. Yet if anyone has the biggest stake in palm oil’s future, it’s the young. They will inherit the land, the industry and the socio-environmental ledger we leave behind.

For veteran planters, palm oil conversations are about yields and pests. For policymakers, it’s trade and geopolitics. For today’s youth – digital, vocal and globally plugged-in – the story must also speak to identity, relevance and sustainability.

Outreach to them isn’t optional. It’s essential. They deserve nuance, not slogans. Give them the facts, and they’ll do more than defend palm oil with pride – they’ll become its voice of reason. In a world drowning in palm-bashing, greenwashing and hashtag activism, youth can keep the conversation honest, grounded and forward-looking.

Sembang Sawit 2025

Forget lazy Sundays. On 28 September 2025, the usually quiet halls of UCSI University, KL, roared to life. Students, professors, planters and even a few young-at-heart grandparents swapped Netflix for nuance, TikTok for thought-talk, and latte for conversation at the Sembang Sawit Seminar –  a youth empowerment showcase under the #MyPalmPride campaign, organised by REGENERASI.

This wasn’t just a youth event; it was a six-generation jamboree. From the Silent Generation (~1925–1945) to Gen Alpha (~2010–2024+). The spotlight shone on Millennials and Gen Z – digital natives set to inherit both the opportunities and the headaches of palm oil.

At 91, Academician Tan Sri Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr Augustine S.H. Ong, the father of Malaysian palm oil, showed that wisdom doesn’t retire. Beside him, 87-year-young Mr. M.R. Chandran, indefatigable sustainability advocate, proved conviction doesn’t age. And at the other end of the spectrum, 9-year-old Zahrah Laaiqah stole hearts with her palm-oil-themed rendition of Lemon Tree – reminding everyone that the future sings in young voices, not just policy papers.

Backed by sponsorship from Malaysian Estate Owners Association (MEOA) and hosted by UCSI, the half-day seminar packed more punch than a Sunday sermon and more colour. For an event pulled together in just a month, it was a strong start: solid speakers, a buzzing programme, pointed questions and intergenerational exchanges that felt fresh and hopeful. Sembang Sawit lit the spark. Now it’s up to industry, educators and youth to fan it into a flame.

How the Idea Sprouted?

This wasn’t born in a corporate boardroom with consultants and curry puffs. It began humbler with a simple wish to chat. That was the spark in my conversation with REGENERASI President, Datin Emilia Uzir.

If youths were to engage, it couldn’t be through another stiff lecture or dreaded death-by-PowerPoint. What was needed was something lighter, friendlier, stripped of jargon where ideas flowed and where both the wise and the wide-eyed could speak freely. From that seed sprouted the name: Sembang Sawit – Palm Oil Chit Chat.

Dream Team of Speakers

The line-up delivered enough “wah” moments to fill a TikTok reel: YB Dato’ Prof. Dr Ahmad bin Ibrahim hailed the oil palm as an “amazing crop” – the botanical rockstar of agriculture – and even crooned What a Wonderful World with palm oil lyrics. Dr. Sean Andrew Labansing showed how even waste can turn to gold.

Ir. Ts. Dr. Gideon Tan Xiang Yee spiced things up with gamification through his Pollinate • Protect • Prosper FGV EduGame. My session titled “To Love Oil Palm is to Know Oil Palm” blended history, Oil Palm 101 and stories – a reminder that facts inform, but stories stick. Throughout, the spirit was clear: mentorship isn’t about pedestals or ivory towers. It’s about conversation, where experience meets curiosity, and sparks fly both ways.

Youth and the Future of Sustainable Palm Oil

The seminar brought together students from the following institutions: FELCRA College, International Islamic College, UCSI University, Albukhary International University and Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Tun Dr Ismail-1. The closing dialogue showed youth carried the day. Their questions were sharp and candid. One stood out.

“What is the most important role that young people and students can play in shaping a more sustainable and prosperous future for the palm oil industry?”

The reply? Palm oil’s future won’t be written solely by planters in muddy boots or executives in glass towers. The pen belongs to the youth – the ones who can fly a drone in the morning, crunch data in the afternoon, and still post on Instagram at night.

Their role is to bridge worlds: connect science with the realities of the ground, bring empathy into boardrooms, and cut through palm-bashing and greenwashing not with slogans, but with science.

Sustainability isn’t just about yield per hectare; it’s also about dignity per household and national identity.

But with empowerment comes responsibility. Youth cannot sit back and wait for a seat; they must pull up their own chair – starting ventures, challenging stale ideas, innovating with tech and speaking with courage.

At the same time, they must stay grounded. Walk the fields. Feel the mud. Understand the industry from its roots. Beware the trap of becoming “desktop preachers,” armed only with webinars and hashtags, issuing commandments like “Thou shalt be traceable to the last frond!” or “Thou shalt achieve net zero yesterday!” Thy food does not fall like manna from the sky. Knowledge must be learned. Sincerity must be lived.

Without this grounding, even articulate voices will sound hollow.

Palm oil’s future lies not just in defending it, but in narrating it, innovating it and reshaping it. And that mantle rests firmly with the youth.

The Takeaway

The closing message was clear: be the generation that makes palm oil not just a commodity, but a proud identity. Every industry has flaws. Palm oil is no exception. But imperfection should not paralyse; it should propel progress. Flaws are signposts pointing to where we must improve. That means celebrating the doers who innovate, calling out the black sheep who taint the herd, and unmasking opportunists who profit from noise. Palm oil’s story won’t be written in glossy reports but by imperfect people choosing to improve, again and again.

Palm oil’s strengths are undeniable: unmatched productivity per hectare, remarkable versatility across food, fuel, and everyday products, and the ability to feed and fuel the world more efficiently than any other oil crop. These are not small achievements; they are why palm oil matters. But strength comes with responsibility. The industry must stay vigilant against trade wars disguised as sustainability debates, against lazy stereotypes, and against tilted playing fields that punish rather than partner.

And progress cannot be only about defence. Yes, black sheep must be taken to task, but equal energy must affirm and support the many who are genuinely driving sustainability – the growers, scientists, supply-chain actors and innovators proving palm oil can be both profitable and responsible.

That is why Sembang Sawit mattered. It showed palm oil’s story isn’t only about yields or exports. It’s about youthful fire meeting seasoned wisdom. About stripping away jargon to spark genuine understanding. About reclaiming pride in a crop that is undeniably ours. That day, it became clear: palm oil doesn’t just need defenders. It needs narrators, innovators, and torchbearers. And that mantle now rests squarely on the shoulders of the youth.

And to think – it all began with a simple wish for a chit chat. From Sembang came sparks. From sparks, a movement.

The line-up delivered enough “wah” moments to fill a TikTok reel: YB Dato’ Prof. Dr Ahmad bin Ibrahim hailed the oil palm as an “amazing crop” – the botanical rockstar of agriculture – and even crooned What a Wonderful World with palm oil lyrics. Dr. Sean Andrew Labansing showed how even waste can turn to gold.

Ir. Ts. Dr. Gideon Tan Xiang Yee spiced things up with gamification through his Pollinate • Protect • Prosper FGV EduGame. My session titled “To Love Oil Palm is to Know Oil Palm” blended history, Oil Palm 101 and stories – a reminder that facts inform, but stories stick. Throughout, the spirit was clear: mentorship isn’t about pedestals or ivory towers. It’s about conversation, where experience meets curiosity, and sparks fly both ways.

Youth and the Future of Sustainable Palm Oil

The seminar brought together students from the following institutions: FELCRA College, International Islamic College, UCSI University, Albukhary International University and Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Tun Dr Ismail-1. The closing dialogue showed youth carried the day. Their questions were sharp and candid. One stood out.

“What is the most important role that young people and students can play in shaping a more sustainable and prosperous future for the palm oil industry?”

The reply? Palm oil’s future won’t be written solely by planters in muddy boots or executives in glass towers. The pen belongs to the youth – the ones who can fly a drone in the morning, crunch data in the afternoon, and still post on Instagram at night.

Their role is to bridge worlds: connect science with the realities of the ground, bring empathy into boardrooms, and cut through palm-bashing and greenwashing not with slogans, but with science.

Sustainability isn’t just about yield per hectare; it’s also about dignity per household and national identity.

But with empowerment comes responsibility. Youth cannot sit back and wait for a seat; they must pull up their own chair – starting ventures, challenging stale ideas, innovating with tech and speaking with courage.

At the same time, they must stay grounded. Walk the fields. Feel the mud. Understand the industry from its roots. Beware the trap of becoming “desktop preachers,” armed only with webinars and hashtags, issuing commandments like “Thou shalt be traceable to the last frond!” or “Thou shalt achieve net zero yesterday!” Thy food does not fall like manna from the sky. Knowledge must be learned. Sincerity must be lived.

Without this grounding, even articulate voices will sound hollow.

Palm oil’s future lies not just in defending it, but in narrating it, innovating it and reshaping it. And that mantle rests firmly with the youth.

The Takeaway

The closing message was clear: be the generation that makes palm oil not just a commodity, but a proud identity. Every industry has flaws. Palm oil is no exception. But imperfection should not paralyse; it should propel progress. Flaws are signposts pointing to where we must improve. That means celebrating the doers who innovate, calling out the black sheep who taint the herd, and unmasking opportunists who profit from noise. Palm oil’s story won’t be written in glossy reports but by imperfect people choosing to improve, again and again.

Palm oil’s strengths are undeniable: unmatched productivity per hectare, remarkable versatility across food, fuel, and everyday products, and the ability to feed and fuel the world more efficiently than any other oil crop. These are not small achievements; they are why palm oil matters. But strength comes with responsibility. The industry must stay vigilant against trade wars disguised as sustainability debates, against lazy stereotypes, and against tilted playing fields that punish rather than partner.

And progress cannot be only about defence. Yes, black sheep must be taken to task, but equal energy must affirm and support the many who are genuinely driving sustainability – the growers, scientists, supply-chain actors and innovators proving palm oil can be both profitable and responsible.

That is why Sembang Sawit mattered. It showed palm oil’s story isn’t only about yields or exports. It’s about youthful fire meeting seasoned wisdom. About stripping away jargon to spark genuine understanding. About reclaiming pride in a crop that is undeniably ours. That day, it became clear: palm oil doesn’t just need defenders. It needs narrators, innovators, and torchbearers. And that mantle now rests squarely on the shoulders of the youth.

And to think – it all began with a simple wish for a chit chat. From Sembang came sparks. From sparks, a movement.