BOS reply to Malaysian Palm Oil Promotion Council

[Guest guest]

In response to statements made by MPOPC earlier this month

(http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news_business.php?id=183844),

I submit the following reply:

 

Dear Sir:

To accuse those who protest at the escalating destruction of

tropical rain-forest, a natural habitat of this planet, and the

imminent extinction of much biodiversity, including one of our

closest relatives – the orang-utan – of economic sabotage, of being

almost terrorists, is an appalling disgrace. In these sensitive

times one would have expected much better of a former director-

general of a national organisation. He clearly does not realise

that tropical rain-forest, exploited sustainably is far more

productive economically in the long term than any monoculture. He

does not seem to understand the immense value of these forests in

reducing flooding and soil erosion, and in preventing the continual

destruction of human habitation and their crops. He is clearly not

interested in the global role of tropical rain-forest in preventing

global warming and in promoting biodiversity, which bring

immeasurable benefits to ecological balance and to economics. Tan

Sri Dr Yusuf Basiron, and the Malaysian Palm Oil Promotion Council

(MPOPC) seem interested only in getting rich quick, whatever the

costs!

 

It is irrelevant that palm oil is so much better than any other oil,

or that a conservation fund is being generated - especially as it

clear that they would not know what to do with it! What is relevant

is that these economic saboteurs of the MPOPC show no concern for,

or understanding of, the escalating clearance of tropical rain-

forest, with the irreplaceable losses and irreversible changes that

they are causing. If oil palm is so important, the focus for

developing plantations should be on land already cleared. It is

unbelievable that MPOPC feels it is necessary to defend such

devastating vandalism, especially as they live among this

irreplaceable resource, are watching its demise, suffering from the

floods, droughts and fires, and still cannot understand the long-

term importance of tropical rain-forest or the catastrophic effects

of their policies.

 

We have not tried to organise a boycott of palm-oil products, we

have not tried to destroy the palm-oil industry of Malaysia and

Indonesia. All we have ever done, through the Roundtable on

Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is to encourage companies to relocate

future development and establish plantations on the millions of

hectares of degraded land that are lying idle, rather than cause

further conversion of such valuable rain-forests. The campaign in

the U.K. is to raise awareness of current problems within the

industry, centred on the orang-utan, so that consumers will be

motivated to put pressure on retailers and manufacturers to source

palm oil from " sustainable " sources. All we are trying to do is

create a market for `sustainable' palm oil.

 

Let us please see the " exploiters " thinking about what they are

doing, and showing real responsibility towards their communities by

markedly changing their policies.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Michelle Desilets

Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation UK