[ 2013-06-23 ]

African palm oil makers hit back at 'smear campaign'
ABIDJAN (AFP) - African palm oil producers are
hitting back at what they say is a "smear
campaign" against them by environmentalists and
health activists that risks ruining their
industry.

Countering their increasingly vocal critics was
the main aim of producers attending the first-ever
African Palm Oil Congress, hosted by Ivory Coast's
government in the economic capital Abidjan last
week.

"For some time, the aggressive attacks against
palm oil have been multiplying and they are
degrading (the sector's) image," Christophe
Koreki, president of the Interprofessional Palm
Oil Association (AIPH) told delegates.

"The smear campaign accuses palm oil of destroying
the environment or causing cardiovascular
disease," he said.

Fires currently burning in Indonesia, that have
cloaked Singapore in record levels of smog, have
brought more negative publicity for the big palm
oil companies -- Indonesian, Singaporean and
Malaysian -- which deforest vast swathes of
Sumatra.

The companies have been accused of starting fires
to clear land through the practice of
slash-and-burn, which is illegal but still
frequently used because it is the quickest and
cheapest way of preparing land for plantations.

Ivory Coast, one of West Africa's top producers of
the oil, joined forces with the AIPH to organise
the congress, which included industry
representatives from top global palm oil power,
Indonesia.

According to figures released at the conference,
the industry in Ivory Coast directly employs an
estimated 200,000 people, with two million more
dependent in one way or another on the industry --
adding up to about 10 percent of the population.

Last year, Ivorian production reached 450,000
tonnes, representing about three percent of gross
domestic product (GDP).

Palm oil producers argue that their product, which
is widely used as biofuel and in processed foods
and cosmetics, helps fight food insecurity and
contributes to development due to its versatility,
relatively high oil yields, and economic
importance to local communities.

But critics say it leads to deforestation,
threatening rare species such as orangutans and
rhinos, and displaces communities whose homes are
destroyed to make way for the plantations. Forest
clearing also adds to carbon dioxide emissions
that cause climate change.

Groups like Greenpeace have called the cost to the
environment "devastating".

Some health experts say palm oil is loaded with
saturated fats and that excessive consumption
could be linked to certain forms of heart
disease.

To protect their livelihood, participants of the
Abidjan congress adopted a declaration vowing to
defend palm oil -- in particular by fighting
against the derogatory "Palm oil free" labelling
of certain products that has resulted from a rise
in ethical consumerism in the West.

And the battle has already begun.

In December, Ivory Coast's palm oil industry
successfully sued French retail chain Systeme U
after the group staged an aggressive advertising
campaign encouraging consumers to stay clear of
palm oil due to its effects on the environment.

The AIPH won the lawsuit after arguing that the
campaign lacked credible ecological data and
scientific analysis.

Late last year the palm oil industry also narrowly
escaped what could have become a major set-back
after a French senator suggested slapping a
300-percent tax increase on palm oil. The
amendment was later rejected in parliament.

As analysts predict that palm oil production will
soar in the coming years, many environmentalists
are encouraging sustainably produced oil which
adheres to criteria set by the Roundtable on
Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) to achieve its
sought-after certification, launched in 2004.

These include recycling waste, managing the
long-term viability of plantations and regular
environmental impact studies.

African producers, who account for only 3.8
percent of the world's palm oil compared with the
86 percent manufactured by Indonesia and Malaysia,
insist they produce both a cleaner and more
environmentally friendly commodity than their
Asian peers.

Increased production "does not necessarily always
result in deforestation in Africa", says AIPH,
though strong global demand is forcing producers
to expand their plantations into forested areas,
acknowledges Antoine N'Guessan, head of the
Ivorian pro-biodiversity rights group ACB.

For Jean Atsin however, a plantation worker in the
village of Broffodoume near Abidjan, the attacks
against palm oil are a direct assault on his
livelihood.

"It's a very bad campaign that could ruin a lot of
families who live from palm oil," he said.

Village chief Mathieu Beche says he already has
concerns for the future of Ivory Coast's palm oil
sector, pointing to the "ageing plantations, the
lack of maintenance on collection tracks and
outdated tools".

The government has promised to boost the sector.
In the meantime, African producers are already
planning their next palm oil congress at the end
of this year in the Ivorian capital of
Yamoussoukro, where the focus is set to be the
"well-being" of producers.

Source - AFP

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