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

 

 

Michelle Desilets

BOS UK

www.savetheorangutan.org.uk

www.savetheorangutan.info

" Primates Helping Primates "

 

Please sign our petition to rescue over 100 smuggled orangutans in Thailand:

http://www.thePetitionSite.com/takeaction/822035733

 

 

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