From The Sunday Times
\nNovember 16, 2008
\nJonathan Leake\n<\/p>\n
\nDemand for palm oil for Nature chocolate and other goods is posing a threat to vital habitats<\/strong> The millions of acres ear marked for clearance include some of the last habitats of orangutans and other endangered species such as clouded leopards and sun bears.<\/p>\n Soaring global demand for palm oil \u2013 now at 41m tons a year \u2013 has already seen the destruction of about 20m acres of rainforest in Malaysia. Another 25m acres have been destroyed in Indonesia.<\/p>\n It has also made Indonesia the world\u2019s third largest producer of greenhouse gases, emitted by decaying peat and vegetation exposed by the clearances. In Britain few consumers are aware of the scale of such destruction. A survey found 75% of consumers knew little about palm oil even though it is found in nearly half of all cosmetics and processed foods.<\/p>\n Palm oil\u2019s popularity is due to its low production costs and versatility. Cosmetics manufacturers use it to meet consumer demand for natural ingredients. There is also a fledgling but potentially huge market for palm oil in biofuels.<\/p>\n Manufacturers, who also include the makers of brands such as Olay, the beauty products group, know that consumer awareness is growing fast \u2013 and increasingly fear a backlash. This week they are sponsoring two events to try to \u201cgreen\u201d their public image.<\/p>\n Both events have been greeted with deep cynicism by environmentalists. In Europe the next few days will see the arrival of a ship carrying the world\u2019s first cargo of \u201csustainable\u201d palm oil. United Plantations (UP), will bring the 500-ton shipment into Rotterdam, with some to be sent on to Britain.<\/p>\n Customers are thought to include Sainsbury\u2019s, which wants to use it in own-brand foods, and Unilever, the world\u2019s largest buyer of palm oil at about 1.3m tons a year. Its 400 brands include Dove soaps, Flora margarine and Persil detergents, all of which use palm oil.<\/p>\n The shipment coincides with Tuesday\u2019s meeting of the Round-table on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) in Bali, an industry body controlled by Unilever. Other members include Sinar Mas, Indonesia\u2019s largest oil palm plantation company whose customers include Nestl\u00e9, the maker of Kit-Kats, and Procter & Gamble, which uses palm oil in products including Olay and Pringles.<\/p>\n Unilever said: \u201cThe RSPO is not moving as fast as we would like, but it is a step in the right direction. We\u2019re committed to drawing all our palm oil from sustainable sources by 2015.\u201d<\/p>\n The meeting is likely to be overshadowed by a report from Greenpeace alleging that UP is still clearing swathes of forest in contravention of the RSPO\u2019s policies. \u201cBritish consumers increasingly care about what they buy,\u201d said Belinda Fletcher, senior forest campaigner. \u201cThe RSPO must ban its members from destroying rainforests and peatlands and kick out companies that won\u2019t change their ways.\u201d<\/p>\n A furious reply from UP showed how far apart the sides are. A spokesman said it would continue clearing rainforest: \u201cConservation means development as much as protection. We view the RSPO as a vehicle to achieve this and will remain supportive in promoting the production, use and growth of sustainable palm oil.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nHousehold brands including Kit Kat, Flora and Dove soaps have been linked to the mass destruction of Asian rainforests for palm oil plantations.<\/p>\n
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\nNext month halting rainforest destruction will be top of the agenda at the global climate talks in Poznan, Poland, aimed at agreeing limits on greenhouse gas emissions. A report will warn that 50m acres have been earmarked for clearance in Indonesia alone.<\/p>\n