Adnkronos Rome, 10 Feb. (Adnkronos) – Vincenzo Tapella to lead the Italian Union for Sustainable Palm Oil. The announcement of his appointment as president comes during the first meeting of the new Board of Directors, which he called on Friday 7 February, to define the Union's objectives and activities for the three-year period 2025-2027. Vincenzo Tapella, from Alba, graduated in chemistry, has over 40 years of professional experience in the edible oils and fats sector.
Tapella succeeds Mauro Fontana, who will lead the Union from 2022 to 2024. "I wish Vincenzo Tapella - says Fontana - good luck at the helm of the Union. His skills and experience in the sector will be essential to continue the growth path undertaken. In recent years, the Union has made significant progress in terms of representativeness and authority. Awareness regarding sustainable palm oil has increased, as has the commitment of the supply chain towards increasingly sustainable and transparent models. I am satisfied with the results achieved, the result of great teamwork that involved all the members of the Union, the Board of Directors and the Technical Scientific Committee, whom I thank for their valuable support".
Over the last three years, the Union has strengthened with the entry of eleven new members, also expanding the production sectors represented. In the second half of 2024, Socado and I.Gi. joined the Union, while this year Grepalma, the association of palm oil producers from Guatemala, also joined.
“First of all, I must thank Mauro Fontana for the excellent work he has done, which has led the Union to increase its role both nationally and internationally with extraordinary results, which constitute an important starting point for the future path – says Tapella – I am honored to take on this role and to be able to collaborate with a new, expanded Board of Directors, which is enriched with the entry of four new members representing the world of business and NGOs: Elisabetta Merlo (Zschimmer Swartz), Massimiliano Majerna (Vandemoortele), Anna Sepe (I.Gi.) and Monica Tommasi, (president of Amici della Terra Italia Onlus), as well as Carlotta Trucillo, deputy director of Assitol, one of the founding members of the Union. Today we have also confirmed the composition of our Technical Scientific Committee for the next three years, which guarantees scientific authority and objectivity to the Union's messages. I am convinced that, together, we will achieve ambitious goals, promoting an increasingly responsible, innovative and transparent supply chain. In collaboration with environmental and social NGOs and institutions, we will continue to stimulate its transition towards full environmental, social and economic sustainability".
According to Tapella, "also thanks to the work of the Union, the debate in our country is more balanced today, but we must not let our guard down because the spectre of disinformation is always around the corner and risks compromising the efforts of a supply chain that, if managed sustainably, contributes significantly to achieving the sustainable development goals and the fight against climate change. The implementation of the regulation on zero deforestation products (Eudr) will be one of the challenges of 2025 but also an opportunity. We are ready to collaborate with the competent national authority to support companies and we are firmly convinced that the new European regulatory framework (Eudr, Csrd, Csddd, Green Claims) will also foster greater consumer confidence and awareness with respect to sustainable palm oil and its positive prerogatives, which make it the only real alternative to palm oil".