Malaysia/Indonesia partnership proposed to counter environmental complaints over palm oil
Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.comOctober 18, 2010
Tun Dr Lim Keng Yaik, formerly the head of the Minister of Primary Industries (now the Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry), said both countries should allocate funds to establish the council, which would be headed by "an articulate person" to attend forums organized by groups campaigning against damaging practices by the palm oil industry.
"The person must be prepared to debate with them based on well-researched facts and figures on our side," Bernama quoted Lim as saying in a keynote address at the Second International Conference on the Future of Palm Oil Business 2010 in Kuala Lumpur Monday.
 Oil palm plantation adjacent to tropical rainforest. |
The palm oil industry has been criticized by local, national, and international groups for a number of ills including deforestation, pollution, social conflict, and poor labor practices. Industry bodies maintain these criticisms are unfounded and have been prompted by energy and agricultural interests in the United States and Europe seeking to protect their markets from palm oil, which is among the cheapest sources of vegetable oil.
"Our success in global markets due to a superior and less costly product prompted Western competitors and their trade and labour union allies to react. They would like to block our product from their markets if possible," said Lim.
"So, we are able to sell our goods freely, satisfying rising global demand in the process, at least for the time being."
 Oil palm fruit |
Despite the campaign, some palm oil companies have implemented safeguards to minimize the impact of their operations, which once established, can be a highly productive source of vegetable oil that requires less land than other oilseeds.
Complaints with palm oil generally center around "new plantings" or expansion into forest areas and land contested by local communities, rather than existing plantations or estates established on non-forest land. However the conduct of "bad actors" tends to tarnish the entire palm oil industry, leaving it exposed to criticism.
