MARKET DEVELOPMENT
KL, Jakarta team up to repel anti-palm oil moves
KL, Jakarta team up to repel anti-palm oil moves
26/5/07 (NSTP) - MALAYSIA and Indonesia, the world's top two largest palm oil producers, have teamed up to combat palm oil smear campaigns being launched against them in the West.
Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui said many misleading allegations on palm oil had been widely publicised in the US and Europe, undermining the commodity's image worldwide as a "green" oil.
"These allegations include environmental damage, deforestation, climate change, biodiversity, the slaughtering of orangutans as well as destruction of their natural habitats to open plantation land."
"This is not true and it is incumbent upon the industry to provide real information on government policy and plantation practices such as zero burning and no destruction of natural forest," Chin told reporters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
Chin had earlier represented Malaysia at the Second Joint Committee Meeting on Bilateral Cooperation on Commodities between Malaysia and Indonesia. The republic was represented by its Agriculture Minister Dr Anton Apriyantono.
Chin said the numerous environmental campaigns in Europe last year had halved the usage of palm oil for electricity generation to 500,000 tonnes.
Europe is Malaysia's second largest buyer of palm oil and its related products and is the world's largest user of biodiesel which includes palm oil-based biodiesel.
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as Friends of the Earth, meanwhile, said almost 90 per cent of orangutan habitat has now disappeared and if the destruction continues, Asia's only great ape could become extinct in 12 years.
Another NGO, Greenpeace, said Indonesia has the fastest pace of deforestation in the world between 2000-2005 with an area of forest equivalent to 300 soccer pitches destroyed every hour.
Malaysian Palm Oil Council chief executive officer Tan Sri Dr Yusof Basiron said international NGOs had misrepresented the facts and were sowing doubts about palm oil in the minds of consumers.
"We don't like our oil to be damaged in terms of reputation or image for no good reason. Obviously it is not tolerable especially since this is our most important commodity and we have to correct this image," said Yusof.
Anton, meanwhile said, the allegations by NGOs were baseless because Indonesia does not destroy its natural forest and they only plant on land already earmarked for agriculture.
Chin said Malaysia will be organising a seminar to address the issue in Brussels, Belgium, on June 6, which Indonesia has agreed to participate.
Similarly, Malaysia will be participating in a seminar organised by Indonesia in London in July.
Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta have also agreed to set up a technical group to mount a palm oil pro-industry campaign in Europe.
Malaysia and Indonesia each produced 15 million tonnes of palm oil last year. Indonesia however, is expected to overtake Malaysia as top producer as early as year-end.
Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui said many misleading allegations on palm oil had been widely publicised in the US and Europe, undermining the commodity's image worldwide as a "green" oil.
"These allegations include environmental damage, deforestation, climate change, biodiversity, the slaughtering of orangutans as well as destruction of their natural habitats to open plantation land."
"This is not true and it is incumbent upon the industry to provide real information on government policy and plantation practices such as zero burning and no destruction of natural forest," Chin told reporters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
Chin had earlier represented Malaysia at the Second Joint Committee Meeting on Bilateral Cooperation on Commodities between Malaysia and Indonesia. The republic was represented by its Agriculture Minister Dr Anton Apriyantono.
Chin said the numerous environmental campaigns in Europe last year had halved the usage of palm oil for electricity generation to 500,000 tonnes.
Europe is Malaysia's second largest buyer of palm oil and its related products and is the world's largest user of biodiesel which includes palm oil-based biodiesel.
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as Friends of the Earth, meanwhile, said almost 90 per cent of orangutan habitat has now disappeared and if the destruction continues, Asia's only great ape could become extinct in 12 years.
Another NGO, Greenpeace, said Indonesia has the fastest pace of deforestation in the world between 2000-2005 with an area of forest equivalent to 300 soccer pitches destroyed every hour.
Malaysian Palm Oil Council chief executive officer Tan Sri Dr Yusof Basiron said international NGOs had misrepresented the facts and were sowing doubts about palm oil in the minds of consumers.
"We don't like our oil to be damaged in terms of reputation or image for no good reason. Obviously it is not tolerable especially since this is our most important commodity and we have to correct this image," said Yusof.
Anton, meanwhile said, the allegations by NGOs were baseless because Indonesia does not destroy its natural forest and they only plant on land already earmarked for agriculture.
Chin said Malaysia will be organising a seminar to address the issue in Brussels, Belgium, on June 6, which Indonesia has agreed to participate.
Similarly, Malaysia will be participating in a seminar organised by Indonesia in London in July.
Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta have also agreed to set up a technical group to mount a palm oil pro-industry campaign in Europe.
Malaysia and Indonesia each produced 15 million tonnes of palm oil last year. Indonesia however, is expected to overtake Malaysia as top producer as early as year-end.