Show Support for UK Government’s Efforts towards Sustainable Palm Oil

[Guest guest]

The Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, recently discussed the issues of

environmental impacts of palm oil production and logging with the Malaysian

Prime Minister, who subsequently dismissed all allegations, asserting that NGOs

involved in the campaign for sustainable palm oil are pro-soya and anti-palm.

See the link: http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=226811

 

Please take a moment to email Mr Prescott to thank him for taking this matter

to the Malaysian PM and encourage him to continue to work towards solutions with

the governments of Malaysia and Indonesia. Mr Prescott can be reached at:

john.prescott

 

Here is a sample letter:

Dear Mr. Prescott,

I would like to thank you for discussing the matter of the environmental impact

of palm oil production with the Prime Minister of Malaysia recently. I refer to

an article posted at http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=226811.

 

In response to the Prime Minister’s allegation that the NGO's behind this

campaign are anti-palm and pro-soya, I would like to refute that statement. We

do not support the development of soya in forested areas any more than we do the

development of palm oil in forested areas. We have no connections with the soya

industry, and we are in no way " anti-palm. " We are quite simply calling for the

SUSTAINABLE production of palm oil. Mr Azmi also says that no logging takes

place in gazetted areas. Conservationists on the ground in Malaysia tell a

different story. Additionally, logging, both legal and illegal, particularly

for the development of palm oil, takes place in non-gazetted areas which are

still considered High Conservation Value Rainforest. Malaysian companies and

investors also play a huge part in the conversion of High Conservation Value

Forests in Indonesia for the development of palm oil, including in the area set

aside for the Heart of Borneo. Furthermore,

many illegal logs find their way into Malaysia and are falsely given a green

light as sustainably-sourced timber. An indication to the Malaysians' lack of

commitment towards sustainable production of palm oil is the fact that they plan

to hold a major industry convention in Kuala Lumpur precisely at the same time

as the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil is meeting in Singapore.

 

I hope you will continue to discuss this matter with your counterparts in

Malaysia and Indonesia, and continue to draw attention to this most critical of

matters whilst searching for solutions.

 

Kindest regards,

 

 

 

Michelle Desilets

BOS UK

www.savetheorangutan.org.uk

" Primates Helping Primates "

 

 

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