8/28/2002 (The Star) - The MPOPC Seminar 2002, themed "Emerging TradeIssues for Palm Oil" will highlight the current state of the industry aswell as agricultural and environmental issues pertaining to the plantingof palm oil in Malaysia, said Malaysian Palm Oil Promotion Council chiefexecutive officer Datuk Haron Siraj.Speaking at a press briefing, Haron said the one-day conference to be heldin Ipoh next Friday would address issues such as claims from overseasorganisations that palm oil plantations were harmful to the environment."In Malaysia, as much as 72% of the country is still green, of which morethan 50% is still natural forest, with the rest in the form of plantationsand agriculture," Haron said.He said the conference would enable relevant bodies and experts to sharewith participants the facts and to educate them on what was the actualsituation regarding the foreign claims. Haron said there were still somelocal nutritionists, for example, who were not conversant with the trueand actual health benefits of palm oil and therefore did not highlightthese benefits to the population at large."We want all the participants, be they planters, millers, refiners,nutritionists or otherwise who attend, to be educated on the benefits ofpalm oil, as then they will be able to counter (foreign) accusations ofthe dangers of planting and consuming palm oil," Haron added. Haron saidhe felt that many of the issues against palm oil and its benefits thatwere raised overseas, especially those by non-governmental organisations,were actually merely a cover for trade issues.