_{I am aware that most people think that conservation issues like this are far beyond our possibilities, but if there is just one person reading this, that was not aware of it, then this article was worth writing.}

Large areas of Indonesian and Malaysian forest have been converted to oil palm plantations, in which multinational networks are also implicated. The cheap vegetable oil is becoming increasingly popular, because, despite being high in saturated fats, it is an alternative to trans fats, which are more closely associated with heart disease, and increasingly being banned in Western countries.



So, Whats the big deal?
It is likely that many protected rain forests will be severely degraded by 2012 through illegal hunting and trade, logging, and forest fires, including those associated with the rapid spread of palm oil plantations.

Wildlife

The great apes - gorillas, chimps, bonobos and orangutans - are already under threat from habitat destruction, poaching, logging and disease.
The Bornean Orangutan is classified as Endangered by IUCN (the World Conservation Union)

The Sumatran orangutan is classified as Critically Endangered by IUCN

There are no more than 400 to 500 Sumatran tigers left in the wild. It is thought that orangutans travel in the treetops to avoid tigers. Like the Sumatran orangutan, the Sumatran tiger is Critically Endangered according to the IUCN Red List

The Sumatran rhinoceros is probably most endangered of the five rhino species. This is a mountain rain forest rhino, which browses on woody vegetation and occasionally
fruit. At most 300 individuals remain in the wild and their numbers are declining as a result of illegal hunting and habitat fragmentation.

The Asian elephant has a widespread distribution, but the two small, forest-dwelling subspecies found in Borneo and Sumatra are unique. Elephants come into conflict with humans when their forests are destroyed and they seek food in croplands. Sumatran elephants made the news in 2006, when at least seven elephant deaths were associated with new oil palm plantations



People

In Indonesia indigenous people’s land is stolen from them and given to companies for the development of palm oil plantations. Human rights abuses and violent conflict are commonly associated with land theft.

Plantation work in South East Asia often pays at below the minimum wage, is insecure, dangerous and involves unpaid work by workers’ relatives in order to meet production targets.

Associated with oil palm is widespread use of illegal chemicals, which damage health and pollute land and water. bribery and corruption are associated with the expansion of plantations.

What is Palm Oil?

Palm Oil is a form of vegetable oil obtained from oil palm trees, It is said to be the most widely produced vegetable oil in the world. Palm oil production is a basic source of income for many of the world's rural countries in South East Asia, Central and West Africa, and Central America. An estimated 1.5 million small farmers grow the crop in Indonesia, about 0.5 million people are directly employed in the sector in Malaysia. The palm represents a pillar of these nation's economies and it is a catalyst for rural development and political stability. Indonesia and Malaysia account for 83% of the global production of palm oil. The international trade in palm oil is driving forest clearance as well as being a cause of human rights abuses on a massive scale.



What it is used for:

Soaps
Washing Powders
Personal Care products
It is the cooking oil used to make margarine
Component for many processed foods and foods such as biscuits, frying oil,
sauces, mayonnaise, chips, and chocolate.
There is also an increasing market for vegetable oil as a renewable fuel (biofuel)

This “hidden ingredient” imported from monoculture plantations of South East Asia is found in more than 10 per cent of all products on the supermarket shelves.

Most companies do not even know where their palm oil comes from.

Companies have been aware for some time of the issues associated with palm oil production, but have done very little about it. This allows the trade to continue unregulated and has failed to introduce appropriate legislation.

Taken from a ‘Friends of the Earth’ report ‘Greasy Palms’ -

“Earlier this year Andy King MP introduced the Performance of Companies and Government Departments (Reporting) Bill to Parliament. ... It was supported by more than 300 cross-party MPs and a massive coalition of environment, human rights and development organisations, unions, and church groups. But the Government blocked the Bill before it could even benefit from detailed debate in committee. The message is clear: the Government supports legislation to protect the health of UK consumers, but not the human rights of Indonesian farmers or the global environment that we all depend on.”



To send a message to your MP or MEP, copy and paste the text from This PDF File to your MP by typing your postcode into the box at [link] and clicking on 'send a message to...' then paste the text and add any personal details as you wish.

Useful reading:

Last Stand of Orangutan Report

Great Ape Survival Project