Friday, August 1, 2014

Palm sustainability news

Fibre production drives deforestation in Indonesia - Study debunks belief that palm-oil plantations are main culprit by Natasha Gilbert, 21 July 2014; http://www.nature.com/news/fibre-production-drives-deforestation-in-indonesia-1.15589#%2Fb1; "....Palm-oil plantations are generally though to be the main driver of deforestation in Indonesia, which is home to the world’s third-largest tropical forest and has the highest rate of forest loss. But fibre plantations — where species such as Acacia mangium are grown for use in pulp and paper production — now seem to be the main culprit.
Of the 14.7 million hectares of forest destroyed between 2000 and 2010, 12.8% was removed for fibre plantations, 12.5% for logging and 6.8% for palm-oil plantations; the remainder was removed for mixed concessions and mining1. All told, 45% of forest loss during the period occurred on land leased to industry. “Palm-oil agriculture has borne the brunt of the blame for causing deforestation in Indonesia,” says Lian Pin Koh, a conservation ecologist at the University of Adelaide...."

The world’s largest palm oil players commit to funding High Carbon Stock Study, Kuala Lumpur, 30 July 2014 - "The world’s largest palm oil players are jointly funding a comprehensive 12-month study that will:
  • clearly define what constitutes a High Carbon Stock (HCS) forest;
  • provide practical guidance on how to delineate HCS forests on the ground; and
  • establish thresholds for HCS that take account of regional socio-economic conditions and opportunities.
Malaysian companies IOI Corporation Berhad, Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad and Sime Darby Plantation, Indonesia’s Asian Agri and Musim Mas Group, and global agribusiness groups Cargill and Wilmar International, are funding the study and have committed to adopt the study’s findings in all their operations and supply chains..... The HCS study is a key component of the Sustainable Palm Oil Manifesto, which was signed by oil palm growers Sime Darby Plantation, IOI Corporation Berhad, Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad, Musim Mas Group, and Asian Agri, as well as global palm oil trader Apical and global agribusiness group Cargill. The Manifesto includes a commitment to no deforestation, creating traceable and transparent supply chains, and protecting peat areas, while ensuring economic and social benefits for the local people and communities where oil palm is grown.... To oversee this Study, a Steering Committee has been set up, independently co-chaired by Sir Jonathon Porritt, and Chief Research Scientist from Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Dr John Raison......"

Some critique of the Manifesto group here by RAN:

Palm oil productions threatens African apes by Maanvi Singh · NPR ·  Jul 11, 2014; http://www.mprnews.org/story/2014/07/12/palm-oil-productions-threatens-african-apes; ".....Now it seems palm oil production in Africa is picking up, too. And the new farms there are threatening great ape populations in West and Central Africa, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Current Biology.... "Africa seems to be the new frontier," says Serge Wich, a primate biologist at Liverpool John Moores University and the lead author of the report. Sixty percent of African oil palm concessions — or land that's been set aside for the development of oil plantations — overlaps with the ape habitats...."

Will other Asian consumer giants follow as Kao goes forest-friendly? GreenpeaceGreenpeace challenges Asian consumer companies such as India’s Godrej and ITC and China’s Liby and Nice to make similar commitments as the Japanese beauty products maker commits to forest-friendly policy; http://www.eco-business.com/news/will-other-asian-consumer-giants-follow-kao-goes-forest-friendly/

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