A ruling by the Belgium advertising watchdog has banned an advert by the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) because it makes false claims that the production of palm oil is ‘sustainable’.

The decision by the Jury d'Ethique Publicitaire (JEP) follows two earlier rulings in the UK on previous MPOC advertising campaigns. MPOC represents the Malaysian palm oil industry.  In September 2009  a similar MPOC advertisement "Palm Oil: The Green Answer" was sentenced by the Advertising Standard Authirity and had to be withdrawn.

Rising global demand for cleaner energy from biomass could drive more land acquisition in poorer nations where food security and land rights are weak, an International Institute for Environment and Development report said. "If left unchecked, the growing pressure on land access could undermine livelihoods and food security in some of the world's poorest countries," the London-based nonprofit research group said, calling for more public scrutiny into global biomass expansion plans.