To gather both qualitative and quantitative information, the primary research process involved interviewing players from both the supply and demand sides. Executives from integrated palm oil plantations, refineries, and oleochemical manufacturers made up the supply side, along with directors of plantation operations, VPs of sustainability, and supply chain managers. Procurement directors from food and beverage corporations (Ferrero, Unilever, Nestlé, P&G), cosmetics ingredient suppliers, biofuel manufacturers, pharmaceutical industry purchasers, and commodities dealers from the trading centers of Rotterdam and Singapore made up the demand-side sources. Primary data was used to verify production yield estimates, sustainability certification premiums, inventory management methods, and changes in demand patterns for edible oil compared to industrial applications. It also uncovered insights into regulatory adaption tactics (EUDR/ISPO/MSPO), inventory management methodologies, and altering demand patterns.
Primary Respondent Breakdown:
By Designation: C-level Primaries (28%), Director Level (42%), Others (30%)
By Region: Asia-Pacific (45%), Europe (22%), North America (15%), Rest of World (18%)
By Value Chain Position: Upstream Plantations (35%), Midstream Refining/Oleochemicals (30%), Downstream FMCG/Retail (25%), Trading/Logistics (10%)
Global market valuation was derived through production volume mapping and price realization analysis. The methodology included:
Identification of 60+ key stakeholders across Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Nigeria, Colombia, and emerging production regions in Central America and Africa
Product mapping across crude palm oil (CPO), palm kernel oil (PKO), palm stearin, palm olein, palm kernel cake, and refined derivative categories (oleochemicals, biodiesel, specialty fats)
Analysis of reported and modeled annual revenues specific to palm oil business units, segregated by food versus industrial versus energy applications
Coverage of plantation groups and refiners representing 75-80% of global CPO production capacity in 2024
Extrapolation using bottom-up (hectarage × yield per hectare × extraction rate × CPO price by country) and top-down (company revenue validation against Bursa Malaysia and Indonesia Stock Exchange filings) approaches to derive segment-specific valuations. Additional modeling incorporated RSPO certification premiums, biodiesel blending mandate impacts (B30/B35/B40 policies), and oleochemical margin spreads to refine market value calculations across conventional versus certified sustainable supply chains.