Olam International Limited

The Korean won was muted at 1,325.9 after the Bank of Korea left its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 3% today.

And back home in Singapore, investors continue to mount news out of SJX-listed counters Olam Group and Fraser's Centrepoint Trust.

For Olam Group, the group said that neither it or Olam Agri owns or operates palm oil plantations or concessions in Indonesia.

As a result, neither has direct operational exposure to recent forest and peatland fires.

It added that Olam Agri ceased to be its subsidiary in April.

And earlier, I spoke with David Chow, Director at Asher Capital, to get his take on what the comments mean for investors.

I think the clarification is useful but I wouldn't necessarily describe it as a major confidence booster for investors.

By confirming that neither Olam Group nor Olam Agri holds or operates oil pumps, plantations or concessions in Tunisia, the company is effectively addressing concerns over is direct operational exposure to the recent forests and wetland fires.

Gerry is one of the most experienced figures in the global cocoa industry, with over 40 years in commodity trading, processing and leadership.

He began his career with EDF&Man in 1983 before joining Olam International in 1998, where he went on to lead the development of the global cocoa business.

Under Gerry's leadership, Olam grew into one of the world's leading cocoa traders and processors, including the landmark 1.3 billion acquisition of ADM's cocoa business.

Gerry retired in 2023 as CEO of Olam Food Ingredients cocoa business and the group sustainability officer.

Along the way, he's served on many different boards, including the World Cocoa Foundation, the Federation of Cocoa Commerce, and the European Cocoa Association.

Few people have had such a front row seat to the evolution of the global cocoa industry, from trading and processing to sustainability and the challenges facing producers today.

Um, you know, I think in, in commodities, especially soft commodities, we get used to, um, you know, you can strike up a conversation with someone you haven't met just through the, you know, either mutual contacts or the, the nature of a global commodity market.

But, you know, a, an Englishman, uh, trading cocoa out of West Africa for an Indian company isn't, isn't the most obvious career path.

Gerry is one of the most experienced figures in the global cocoa industry, with over 40 years in commodity trading, processing and leadership.

He began his career with EDF&Man in 1983 before joining Olam International in 1998, where he went on to lead the development of the global cocoa business.

Under Gerry's leadership, Olam grew into one of the world's leading cocoa traders and processors, including the landmark 1.3 billion acquisition of ADM's cocoa business.

Gerry retired in 2023 as CEO of Olam Food Ingredients Cocoa Business and the group's sustainability officer.

Along the way, he served on many different boards, including the World Cocoa Foundation, the Federation of Cocoa Commerce, and the European Cocoa Association.

Few people have had such a front row seat to the evolution of the global cocoa industry, from trading and processing to sustainability and the challenges facing producers today.

Um, you know, I think in, in commodities, especially soft commodities, we get used to, um, you know, you can strike up a conversation with someone you haven't met just through the, you know, either mutual contacts or the, the nature of a global commodity market.

But, you know, a, an Englishman, uh, trading cocoa out of West Africa for an Indian company isn't, isn't the most obvious career path.

When a whistleblower came forward who appeared to validate those suspicions in 2021, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission said, began an investigation.

During the last months of the Biden administration, the agency reached a settlement against one of the trading companies, Olam Group.

By that point, the same whistleblower had accused Louis-Dreyfus Company of doing the same thing.

But just as the lawyers for the CFTC were on the verge of recommending civil charges against Louis-Dreyfus, the Trump administration took over.