Malaysia’s Reaction To Marks & Spencer’s Sustainable Palm Oil Campaign

Malaysia has hit out against British retailer, Marks and Spencer, in relation to its anti-palm oil campaign. According to news reports, the country is not destroying its forests to plant oil palm trees. Sabah Finance Assistant Minister, Tawfiq Abu Bakar Titingan, was reported to have said that Malaysia has adopted a firm policy and forestry laws that clearly state that forest reserves should remain untouched.

Marks and Spencer’s website states:

Palm oil

We’ve identified all our food and beauty products that contain palm oil. Our suppliers have been asked to avoid the use of palm oil wherever possible and where an oil is present in a product, it will now be labelled by its name e.g. palm oil or rapeseed oil.

We’re active members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), and we’re encouraging the RSPO to implement a robust certification process for sustainable palm oil. For further information visit www.rspo.org.

We are also funding a WWF project to re-plant forests in Borneo that have been affected by the palm oil and logging industries.

In response to five-foot stands in London outlets, stating, “We think destroying rainforests for palm oil is too high a price to pay for a biscuit”, Tawfiq was quoted as saying:

Our government has identified agriculture and plantation areas. The government has already gazetted those areas… Actually, people who try to discredit palm oil are those who are jealous of Malaysia’s success in turning the country into one of the world’s biggest palm oil producers.

According to the news report, Tawfiq did not deny forest encroachment but these were isolated cases.

Meanwhile, another news report quoted Marks and Spencer UK corporate public relations representative, Emma Johnson, as saying:

This is not a Malaysian-specific issue — it is about Marks & Spencer sourcing sustainable palm oil from its suppliers regardless of where they are based. It does not single out Malaysia in any way and is in no way disrespectful to the people of Malaysia.

We recognise that palm oil is an important source of income for many countries, including Malaysia, and that achieving a fully sustainable source won’t happen overnight.

On the same news report, Executive Director Orangutan Land Trust Member, RSPO, Michelle Desilets, commented:

So, am I to understand that Malaysians disagree with M & S’s suggestion that “destroying rainforests for palm oil is too high a price to pay for a biscuit?” Producing RSPO Certified Sustainable Palm Oil is the way forward if Malaysia intends to grow in this market and develop its economy. Certified Sustainable Palm Oil is about supporting the needs and rights of local people as much as it is about considering the environment. Why should Malaysia bulk so much at the idea? Just to clarify, as an NGO concerned with promoting the sustainable production of palm oil, we receive no payments from competing oil-seed industries, contrary to allegations. We are concerned with the protection of ecosystems and the valuable services they provide to humanity and the planet. Why anyone would find this objectionable is beyond me.