International

Colombian palm growers have one of the most robust and active trade associations in the agricultural sector, the National Federation of Oil Palm Growers, Fedepalma, whose actions have been decisive to consolidate the agribusiness in the country. Fedepalma is a corporate organization that identifies the needs and values of its members to respond to their interests and expectations. Its mission is to bring oil palm growers together, help them define their interests, and guide them in all aspects related to their activity.

Since its foundation in 1962, Fedepalma has promoted all types of initiatives aimed at increasing competitiveness and promoting the sustainability of the oil palm sector, prioritizing the activities that producers and other individuals are not able to efficiently carry out on their own.

Due to its corporate nature, Fedepalma studies the inherent risks in the oil palm business, analyzes the markets, performs prospective exercises, explores alternative uses, and advises entrepreneurs on the reality of the palm-growing activities so that they may make their own investment decisions based on comprehensive, accurate, timely, and adequate information.

For Fedepalma, it is clear that the two key aspects of the sector’s competitiveness are research and technology transfer. Therefore, in 1990, it created the Colombian Oil Palm Research Center, Cenipalma, which would later become the cornerstone to the solution of phytosanitary problems that affect oil palm crops, providing producers with efficient scientific tools to advance in issues such as yield, quality, and costs.

In Colombia, we could say that oil palm research is aimed at making the sector more competitive and ensuring quality of its products, sustainable development, and compliance with its social purpose.

Cenipalma develops technology transfer programs on its research in biology, genetic improvement, oil palm diseases, integrated management of pests and pollinators, integrated water management, integrated soil management, crop physiology and nutrition, irrigation, production of varieties adapted to Colombian conditions, benchmarking, and productivity of the extraction processes of palm oil and its derivatives.

Additionally, it supports the dissemination of information on the uses and benefits of palm oil for human health and nutrition.

For more information, visit our website (Available in Spanish only).

Cenipalma: www.cenipalma.org/