The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a biofuel relief package on 4 October which it said would “ensure that more than 15bn gallons of conventional ethanol are blended into the nation’s fuel supply beginning in 2020”.

Indonesia is pushing its domestic airlines to stop purchasing European Airbus planes in retaliation for curbs imposed by the EU on palm biodiesel usage.

The state of Louisiana and its governor John Bel Edwards have committed US$20M to complete a rail project for the Port of Greater Baton Rouge which will allow grain, soyabeans, corn and other commodities to be transferred more efficiently from farmers to export vessels.

Finnish renewable diesel producer Neste and chemicals giant LyondellBasell have successfully produced bio-based polypropylene and low-density polyethylene at a commercial scale, the companies announced on 18 June.

French oil giant Total is set to start up its La Mede biorefinery after several delays and controversy over its use of imported palm oil as a feedstock.

Italian extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) producer, Certified Origins Italia, is expanding its use of blockchain technology to track and trace its products, reported Enterprise Times on 1 April.

Global confectionery group Ferrero announced on 1 April that it had agreed to buy the cookie, fruit snack, ice cream cone and pie crust businesses of Kellogg Company for US$1.3bn.

Soyabean production in Brazil’s key producing states is expected to fall by 5-30% as a result of drought conditions, according to a 22 February Global Agricultural Information Network report from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Malaysia plans to halt all expansion of oil palm plantations this year in a bid to tackle concerns about deforestation, Malaysian Minister of Primary Industries Teresa Kok said in an interview with the Taipei Times on 1 March.

The Indonesian food firm Indofood has withdrawn from the Rountable of Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification scheme after recent allegations of labour violations and an audit on its palm oil plantations last summer, just-food reported 30 January.

German chemical company Bayer AG’s shares rose more than 6% on 4 January after a US district court judge agreed to its request to split evidence presented in upcoming bellwether trials over whether glyphosate weedkiller causes cancer.

Dutch used cooking oil biodiesel (UCOME) producer Sunoil has bought bankrupt Biodiesel Kampen’s plant for an undisclosed price.

Malaysia’s Sime Darby Plantation (SDP) announced a sustainable palm oil partnership with global NGO Conservation International on 4 October.