Some fabulous
eco-warrior-type sites and blogs began reporting this month that as a result
of concentrated pressure by campaigns led by Rainforest Action Network, Friends
of the Earth, Forest Heroes, and a host of other NGOs who mobilized a
groundswell of grassroots support, “the number of multinational companies
that say they are committed to supplying and using only deforestation-free palm
oil is growing fast. More than 20 global food companies have now made
no-deforestation pledges and the big traders Wilmar International and Golden Agri-Resources (GAR)
have both made commitments that are far stronger than the standards established
by the much-maligned Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).” [which is about time--have I not been saying for years
that RSPO is a circuitous crock?]
Heavy machinery makes new
terraces for oil palm trees in freshly cleared forest inside the Leuser
Ecosystem. Local activists say this clearing is illegal. Photo: Michael Bachelard. See Michel’s video of Aceh rainforest destruction at http://www.smh.com.au/world/acehs-leuser-ecosystem-pays-a-high-price-for-the-peace-dividend-20140502-zr1qh.html
“What a difference a season
makes!” commented Forest Heroes, reporting that IOI
Loders Croklaan,
the world’s largest palm oil trader and recently labeled “The Worst Company You’ve Never Heard Of” by
FH, established a palm oil policy this month requiring zero-deforestation
sourcing requirements. http://www.forestheroes.org/
However, like me, the gang
at Forest Heroes is not so easily charmed by well-paid rhetoric. “This can’t just be a policy on paper,”
said FH Director Deborah Lapidus. “Given IOI’s record, they need to move rapidly to
make their supply chain transparent, address serious human rights issues, and
secure participation from a credible implementation partner. While we welcome
IOI’s commitment to apply the new policy to IOI Group, third party suppliers
and subsidiaries, we urge IOI Group to formally adopt the zero-deforestation
policy right away.”
Most
of the companies leaping onto the we-promise-to-be-good-honest-we-do bandwagon
have stated compliance dates for some
of their holdings/farms/subsidiaries by the end of 2015. “Wilmar
has committed to no development of High Carbon Stock (HCS) forests or High
Conservation Value (HCV) areas, no burning, a progressive reduction of
greenhouse gas emissions on existing plantations, and no development on peat,
regardless of depth. Its commitment also
includes zero tolerance of
child, forced and bonded labour and no exploitation of local communities. This
includes respecting the rights of indigenous and local communities to give or
withhold their Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) to operations on lands
to which they hold legal, communal or customary rights.”
“A significant initiative was taken in New York in
September. Wilmar, Cargill, GAR, and Asian Agri signed the Indonesia Palm Oil
Pledge, [see The Forest Trust at http://www.tft-forests.org/news/item/?n=19862]
an agreement that includes a commitment to greener palm oil development
policies, more social benefits for workers, and further cooperation in
establishing a mechanism to implement pledges. The signatories have also called on the Indonesian
government to do more to protect forests.” [I’ll just bet
they have.]
In all of these cases, there’s language there that to my
mind still keeps the door open for expansion.
And as far as monitoring all of this . . . well that has always been the
issue and I cannot find any information on any of these announcements how
accurate monitoring (and maintaining) of these policies is to be conducted.
Call me an old pessimist, but . . . no, just go ahead and
call me one. JMD lives right next to
these plantations. I’ll ask the gang how
many armed plantation protectors disappear within the next few months—the
disgruntled and jobless ex-combatants who are now paid to make sure no one gets
too far in to hear the chainsaws or see the women being assaulted. I’ll bet I
know the answer.
However, this may (and I stress “may”) signal a tiny new
trend. Palm oil is too lucrative for the
very powerful few to go away any time soon.
The Wilmars and Cargills and Dunkin Donuts of the world can (and might)
forgo a little profit in order to regain the goodwill of the pastry-eating
public. But the Indonesian government,
the Aceh provincial authority, and the local billionaires who cold give a rat’s
ass about their own natural resources? Getting transparent, fair and equitable
policies and implementation out of them will be damn near impossible, I am
sorry to say.
I wish I were wrong.
But I bet we will not see any time soon a headline that reads
“Provincial
and National governments abandon plan to re-zone Aceh’s protected forests for
commercial use; instead designate all remaining peat and forestland as
protected and/or World Heritage Sites”
Go ahead, Forest Heroes, Rainforest Alliance, and all the
lobbyists at Wilmar, Cargill and IOI—prove me wrong!!!
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