Wild Asia - Oil Palm: Good Fat, Bad Fat? What do you think?

Oil Palm: Good Fat, Bad Fat? What do you think?

by Wild Asia

From cosmetics to the food industry, palm oil has many uses. Though not as popular as other forms of oil such as corn, olive, sunflower or canola, palm oil is fast gaining global demand. Malaysia and Indonesia are the main producers of palm oil, whereas Papua New Guinea and Solomon Island are catching up fast. To meet this demand, more and more land is being put under cultivation to accommodate plantation expansions, but at what cost? Follow us as we try to make sense of the issues behind the oil.

The Asian Food Channel (AFC) special programme on palm oil "Good Fat, Bad Fat?" seeks to provide the "Facts behind the Fat" and uncover the issues pertaining to the palm oil industry. It is surprising that although 1 out of 10 products in a supermarket contains palm oil, not many people know of palm oil let alone are aware of the destructive nature this industry can have on our environment and the communities dependent upon forest resources.

Watch it tonight on AFC (Channel 703 on Astro) at 9pm, 14th July and join us as we learn more about this fascinating yet potentially controversial industry. Keep your wheels of thought running as Wild Asia will be hosting a discussion session regarding the topic of palm oil, the industry's impact on the environment and communities, and share with us your opinions and ideas on this matter.

Asian Food Channel: Good Fat, Bad Fat?

Show Time: 9pm (14th July), 11am (15th July), 12pm and 10pm (18th July) (Local Malaysian Time)
Day: 14th, 15th and 18th July 2009
Channel: Asian Food Channel (AFC), Channel 703, ASTRO

View the trailer HERE!

Wild Asia Web Talk: Cooking Up a Storm with Palm Oil

Wild Asia hosted a chat on palm oil on 17th July at 9am to help us understand the issues and we want you continue the chat with us! Conversation cannot work one way, we need your thoughts, opinions, and ideas and let us engage in a discussion on palm oil and the industry. No matter your background, no matter your location, we want to hear what you have to say. If you've seen the programme or have a thing or two to say regarding the oil palm industry do share with us your opinions.

Conversations on Oil Palm

Wild Asia organised a small chat over skype on 17th July at 9am to discuss the latest AFC TV programme "Good Fat, Bad Fat?". The discussion was joined by Reza Azmi ("boss"), Sumei (Advisor to Wild Asia), Khairun from Malaysian Youth Climate Justice Network (MYCJN), Deborah (Communications) and Sharyn (Research Assistant). We came to a conclusion that we need to separate "responsible" industrial agriculture from "sustainability". There is a window of opportunity to define what are the "sustainable values" that are needed to create a truly responsible economy and to better protect the communities dependent upon the forest resources.
Listen to this episode.

Some of the issues discussed include;

The issue of over-dependency and how it can affect our economy. Are we following the boom-burst cycle?
The definition of 'forest' according to UN's Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation in Developing Countries (REDD) programme is flawed by accepting industrial tree plantations as 'forests'. Does that mean that it is acceptable to expand palm oil plantations on the basis that it is an efficient carbon sequestration mechanism? What about the issues of biodiversity and land rights of the local communities?
The definition of 'development' is subjective. Many of these oil palm companies are using the "development" or "sustainability" rhetoric as an excuse for oil palm expansion. How do we achieve sustainable development so that we do not add pressure on the environment and exploit the local communities that are dependent upon their forest resources?
Addressing the ancient view of development and profit that is difficult to shift. Does the industry require a whole new shift in thinking about development? How do we address the ambiguity behind "sustainability" and does "responsible industrial development" a better term? What sort of regulatory body do we need?
What about food security? What does it mean to have a capitalist market controlling the industry and how do we better manage resources? As global demand rises and land is limited, how do we deal with this demand while ensuring that our environment and people are not being compromised?

Making sense of it all

Wild Asia does not sit around with a pipe. We are addressing the issues of palm oil and finding ways to alleviate the impacts through our Stepwise Suppport Programme. Learn more about our upcoming training programme to understand what are the global values that oil palm plantations should work towards. What is it?

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Original URL: http://www.wildasia.org/main.cfm/SAI/OPonAFCdiscussion

Published: 14 July 2009