Palm Oil and Man of the Forest

Here in Malaysia, there is a tree that bears a fruit so rich in oil, that it is taking over the country. Like Japanese Knotweed, it spreads quickly, invasive; the lush tropical rainforests of Borneo are being taken over by a tree synonymous with paradise. Palms. Unlike weeds however, they are not spreading naturally- instead great trees, mangroves and flora are being pulled up, or burnt down, to make way for the plantations.

Thanks to the topic of environmentalism coming ever to the fore, many people are aware of the ecological problems that mass production of Palm Oil causes. We have seen the pictures of orphaned Orang Utans, watched the rainforests being burnt to pulp. Being in Borneo, even in Sabah where the problem isn't as endemic, it is disheartening to see miles and miles of palm trees sticking out of the ground in neat rows. Lorries containing Palm Oil are on every road, trucks bearing tonnes of the stuff drop fruits frequently on the uneven roads. Speak to most Malaysians out here and it seems that there is a dichotomy- economic vs environmental. The story of the earth.

Malaysia is the largest producer of Palm Oil, used in both the commercial food industry and for Bio Diesel. It's certainly big business for Malaysia, who export around 18 million tonnes of the thick red fat every year. Many people, me included, see biofuels as a positive step for the environment- a good, clean, affordable alternative to petrols. However this need for biofuels, which by the way isn't limited to South East Asia, but also to the European Union, means that demand is constantly growing- in forty years time, some predict we will be relatively reliant on palm oil. And there is some irony in the fact that many people buy biofuels because they are environmentally aware, not realising the effect production is having on the rainforests- which according to Greenpeace outweighs the use of biofuels for a green motive altogether.

There are several main reasons why the production of Palm Oil is detrimental. First the ecological reasons- burning and cutting down species of plants that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Many rainforests lie atop peat bogs, that when disturbed omit tonnes of carbon. And then there are the social impacts of Palm Oil- true many are benifitting from exports, but also poor working conditions and low pay could possibly lead to an elite few people getting richer, rather than the country as a whole. Finally, there is the face of Palm Oil's problems, a rotund brown leathery face framed with a shock orange hair, a curious face that with its haunting brown eyes is the sole reason why people sit up and talk about palm oil. The Orang Utan could be extinct in the wild in as little as ten years.

There are four sanctuaries in the entire world, two in Malaysia, the rest in Indonesia. Sepilok is based in Sabah, near the town of Sandakan in North East Borneo. It sits on the edge of a rainforest, and has been rehabilitating orphaned or abused orang utans since the sixties. As you enter the park forest, with walkways in a small area of rainforest, you can see the magnificent apes swing through the trees grooming, eating, playing. When you look in their eyes, it is easy to envisage man's relationship with one of its closest ancestors. It can be very emotional to see them, knowing that many will never be able to do so- certainly our children and grandchildren will only read about the Orang Utan in books, perhaps even in history books.

Orang Utans are very much like humans in their breeding patterns. Females will generally have few partners, having two or three babies in their lifetime. Their offspring- no, their children, will stay with them until they are around seven years old. Which means that even now, if steps are taken to preserve the rainforest, it will be years before we see a definitive change in numbers.

Will will probably disagree with everything I have said in this blog, and to be fair to him, he has a point. Things of beauty are being destroyed everywhere on earth- who are we to step in and disagree with what Malaysia are doing. It is impossible to boycott Palm Oil, it is simply ubiquitous. Just be aware that the butter that you buy, the chocolate that you eat, and the fuel in your car may have had an impact on the rainforests here. Whether that will deter you, who knows, my shopping habits won't change much. But to hold the hand of an Orang Utan, to be able to look into its eyes, is enough to make you want to preserve the life of our little orange relatives.

www.rspo.org
http://www.palmoiltruthfoundation.com/