Cadbury NZ stop using palm oil

The oil palm growers have initiated the RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) a few years ago knowing the consequence of bad impression of westerners on palm oil production. The cultivation of oil palm has long been associated with the destruction of tropical rain forest and also its biodiversity. The planters are always in a defensive mode when talk about the lost of forest and biodiversity due to the expansion of oil palm cultivation. We have to somehow admit that oil palm is growing on huge areas which were formerly rain forest. Just like any agriculture activities, lands are getting scare and therefore evasion into forest reserve is happening.

Agriculture is a mean to improve social economy for developing countries like Malaysia and Indonesia as the industry provide work opportunities and also improve infrastructure especially accessibility in remote areas. As an agronomist visiting plantations in remote areas in Sabah, Sarawak and Indonesia over the past 10 years, I can appreciate the development of remote areas brought about by the opening of oil palm or rubber plantations. From year to year, I can see the development of township or prosperity of remote areas as a result of plantation expansion.

However, there are irresponsible planters which are simply disobeying the good agriculture practices while doing the land clearing activities. One such example is that they use burning to clear land knowing very clearly that zero burning policy has been mandated by the government. Of course it is easier to burn as everything will turn into ash and that will make planting work much easier. At the same time, there are good planters who dedicatedly carry out agriculture activities according to the RSPO requirements. Now, can you tell me whether palm oil is good or bad as far as environment is concerned?

Whatever it is, it boils down to supply and demand. Very good example is that Cadbury New Zealand has bowed down to the pressure of NGOs to stop using palm oil in their products. Palm oil has been associated with the destruction of forests and wildlife by the environmentalists. As much as we want to dismiss the claims by the NGOs on the issue of rain forest destruction due to cultivation of palm oil, the oil palm planters must also be more environmentally conscious when clearing up new lands for oil palm. Rain forest should indeed be deemed as a world heritage and should be protected as it plays a key role to slow down the process of global warming. We can’t be felling down trees indiscriminately as these trees are also meant for future generations.