BIOLOGISTS from the University Of York have set up a new international partnership.

The knowledge exchange network will help inform international policy on the production of palm oil in South East Asia, and is funded by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Oil palm is a highly productive tropical crop with many uses and is the world’s primary source of vegetable oil.

About 80 per cent of global production of palm oil comes from Malaysia and Indonesia, and the industry is vital for local economies.

Professor Jane Hill and Dr Jennifer Lucey, of the university’s department of biology are working with scientists from Alterra–Wageningen University and the Royal Society SE Asia Rainforest Research Programme, and launched the new initiative in Singapore.

Prof Hill said the new network would help improve “effective communication between policy developers and scientists”.