Green the Film Facts

8/8/2019 Green the Film Facts

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Further Informations

Theworlddemandforpalmoilisgreedy.Itisforecasttoincreasefromitspresent

22.5milliontonsayearto40milliontonsin2020.India,China,theNetherlandsand

Germany are the main importers of crude palm oil (CPO), the primary productderived from the palm's fruit and used for a wide range of food and non-food

products.

The global trade chain counts on fundsprovided by foreign financial institutions

fromEurope,theUSandEasternAsia.

Sumatra,Kalimantan andWest Papuaare themainareas in Indonesiawherebig

conglomeratessuchastheSalimGroup,theWilmarGroupandtheSinarMasGroup

operate.Thesearethesameconglomerateswhichcontrollogging,wood-processing

andpulpandpaperindustries.


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PALMOIL

Indonesiaisthelargestpalmoilproducerin

the world and plans to expand its palm oil

plantations from the present 7 million

hectares to20millionhectares in the years

tocome.

WHEREDOESPALMOILGO?


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SELECTIVELISTOFPRODUCTSINWHICHPALMOILANDDERIVATESARECOMMONLYUSED

Foodandbeverages

Fryingoilinprocessedfoods

(e.g.forchips,doughnutsandfries)Tablemargarine

Shorteningforbakedgoods(cakes,biscuits,pastriesetc.)

Icecream

Saladdressing

Peanutbutter

Vanaspati(vegetableghee)

Coffeewhitener

Cosmeticsandpharmaceuticals

LipstickSkinlotion

Sunblock

Shavingcream

Bathoil

Perfume(assolvent)

Cleaningproducts

Soaps

Detergents

Surfactants

Industrialchemicalintermediates

Fattyacids

Fattyamides

Fattyalcohol

Glycerine

Methylesters

Metallicsoap

Epoxyplasticizers

Others

Paint

Candles

Agro-fuels

Biodiesel


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WHOCONTROLSTHEMARKET?

Palmplantationgroups Buyers Brands

SinarMasGroup(GoldenAgriResources-AsiaPulpandPaper,Indonesia/Singapore)

TheSinarMas Group, a subsidiary of the Widjaja family-owned Singapore listed Golden Agri Resources

(GAR), is one of Indonesias biggest plantations companies and has been responsible for massive

deforestationacrossIndonesia.InMarch2009,GARclaimedtocultivate396,000haofoilpalmplantations

inIndonesia,makingitoneofthelargestlistedverticallyintegratedoilpalmplantationsandproducersof

crudeandrefinedpalmproductsintheworld.GARisalsotheparentcompanyofAsiaPulpandPaper(APP),

Indonesias biggest pulp and paper producer. The companys suppliers control an estimated 1.4 million

hectaresofforestinIndonesia.InJanuary2007,SinarMasannouncedplanstoinvestUS$5.5billionwitha

Chinese state-owned firm to develop oil palm-based biodiesel production, centred on Papua and

Kalimantan.

SINARMASGROUP(Indonesia)

Cargill(UnitedStates)

GardnerSmith(Australia)

Kuok(Singapore)

MitsubishiCorporation(Japan)

KumpulanGuthrie(Malaysia)

Unilever(Netherland/UnitedKingdom)

Wilmar(Singapore)

SalimGroupisIndonesia'sbiggestconglomeratewithassetsincludingIndofoodSuksesMakmur,theworld's

largestinstantnoodleproducer.ThegroupwasfoundedbySudonoSalim.TheSalimGroupownsmajoroil

palmplantationsandloggingconcessions.

SalimGrouphasalsobeeninvolvedinPropertyDevelopmentandLeisureIndustryforaround30years.The

businessesincludehotelandresortdevelopment,golfcourses,realestates,commercialbuildings,shopping

centersandindustrialestates.


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SALIM(Indonesia)



LotteTrading

(Singapore)

Nabisco(UnitedStates)

Procter&Gamble(UnitedStates)


SafilAclan

(France)

Wilmar International Limited is a Singapore-based investment holding company engaged in providing

managementservicestoitssubsidiarycompanies.WilmarInternationalanditssubsidiariesoperatepalmoil

plantationsandrefinerymills.Theyarealsoinvolvedinprocessingandmerchandisingarangeofedibleoils

andlaurics-relatedproducts.

Savola(SaudiArabia)

Nestl(Switzerland)

VVF(India)

Procter&Gamble(Unitedsates)


WILMAR(UnitedStates/China)

NAPAN&RISJADSONPT PP London Sumatra Indonesia Tbk. (LonSum)

The group exportsmuch of its Crude Palm Oil (CPO) production via North Sumatra.. Napan group is focusedon energy mining and plantation sector in Indonesia. The groups pilot program includes an establishedplantation of more than 200HA, which is currently generating fuel for equipment and haulage truck.


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NAPAN&RISJADSON

(Indonesia)

CadburyShweppes(UnitedKingdom)

Wilmar(Singapore)


ItoShojiCo.(Japan)



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BANKSINVOLVED

Behindthecorporatesdestroyingtherainforestarethebanksfinancingthem.

Themajorbanksinvestingin

IndonesianPalmoil


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THERSPO(RoundtableforSustainablePalmOil)

WHATISRSPO?

TheRSPOisanassociationcreatedbyorganizationscarryingoutactivitiesinandaroundtheentire

supplychainforpalmoiltopromotethegrowthanduseofsustainablepalmoilthroughcooperation

withinthesupplychainandopendialoguewithitsstakeholders.TheRSPOaimstobringtogether

membersofthecommunityworkingonpalmoiltodiscussandtocooperatetowardsthiscommon

goal.

(http://www.rspo.org/General_Information_on_the_RSPO.aspx)Thatistheofficialdefinition,butwhatisRSPOinfacts?Whatisithiding?Whoisinvolvedandin

whichcontext?

Established in 2001, the RSPO was designed to set clear ethical and ecological standards for

producing palm oil, so no one would have their land stolen from them or have their forestsdemolished.

Overtheyears,thelistofmembershasgrownsoitnowincludesfamiliarglobalbrandnamessuchas

Unilever,Nestle,Tesco,andCadburysaswellas other lesswell-knowncompaniesCargill, ADM,

DutaPalma,SinarMas,AsianAgriandotherpalmoilproducersandtraders.

WHYANORGANISATIONWHICHREGULATESPALMOILPRODUCTIONISNEEDED?

Basically, the industrial production of palm oil is closely tied to large-scale monocultures which

requiretheuseoflargequantitiesofinputssuchasfertilizers,herbicidesandpesticides,withthe

consequent impacts on the health of workers and local residents and the pollution of the

environment.

Palm oil production is engaged in widespread illegal deforestation and peat land clearance in

Indonesia, practiceswhich releasevast amountsof carbondioxide into theatmosphere andhelp

Indonesiawinthetitleoftheworldsthirdlargestgreenhousegasemitter,afterChinaandtheUS.

THERSPOCRITERIA

Thekeyminimum-criteriaforpartialcertification(setoutinsection4.2.4oftheRSPOCertification

Systemsdocument)are:

Nosignificantlandconflicts. NoreplacementofprimaryforestoranyareacontainingHighConservationValue.

Nolabordisputesthatarenotbeingresolvedthroughanagreedprocess.

Noevidenceofnon-compliancewithlawinanyofthenon-certifiedholdings.

InfactstheRSPOstipulatesthatcuttingdownprimaryrainforestforconvertingthelandtopalmtree

monoculture in NOT sustainable. It does however also stipulate that converting a secondary

(degraded)forestforpalmtreemonocultureisconsideredasSUSTAINABLE.

Inshort,anyprimaryforestofIndonesiacanfirstbeloggedbythewoodindustrytothenbecome

eligibleasasustainablemonocultureofpalmtreesproducingsustainablepalmoil.


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ItisprobablysafetosaythattheRSPOisabeautifulexampleofgreenwashing.Thestampofthe

WWFmakesitevengreener.

REALITYOFFACTS

ItisobviousthatthemajorityofthemembersandaffiliatemembersoftheRSPOdonotquestionthe

expansion of oil palm monocultures. On the contrary, they are actively seeking to boost both

productionandconsumption.Whileitistruethatmanyaspectsoftheproductionprocesscanbe

improved,itisequallytruethatthemodelasawhole,evenwiththeseimprovements,continuesto

beunsustainable.

RSPOmembercompaniesoperatinginIndonesiaareabletousetheorganizationtoburnishtheir

greencredentialswhilesimultaneouslydestroyingrainforestswithimpunity.

Itsmembersincludesomeverywell-knownnamesthataretypicallyassociatedwithnegativesocial

andenvironmentalimpacts(Cargill,Unilever,Cognis,theInternationalFinanceCorporation,British

Petroleum,SyngentaandBayer).

Membersdonotrespecttheircommitments

MembershipoftheRSPOaloneisnotsufficientproofofacompanysenvironmentalcredentials.

Currently the RSPO criteria only include vague guidelines on avoiding establishment palm oil

plantations on peat lands. There are also no criteria on greenhouse gas emissions during the

productionofpalmoil.

Moreover,whileasupplyofsustainablepalmoil(CSPO)existsandisavailable,only10ofthe59

membercompaniesoftheRSPOactuallypurchaseitanduseit.

TheexempleofSinarMas,activeRSPOmember

In2008,SinarMasbrandeditselfasIndonesiaslargestoilpalmplantationcompany.

In December 2009 Unilever, the worlds largest palm oil user, announced the suspension of its

contracts with Sinar Mas in light of the evidence of greenwashing. However, major brands

includingNestle,Kraft,andProcterandGamblecontinuetobuySinarMaspalmoil.

Soifwithinthepalmoilindustrytheresawarenessofthepotentialdamagetheycouldcausetoboth

peopleandtheenvironment,whyarewestillfindingevidenceofwholesaleforestdestruction?

WestillcanfoundbulldozersbelongingtoSinarMasclearinghugetractsnearJayapurainPapua,and

yetSinarMasisanRSPOmember.Theresobviouslysomethingwrongsomewhere.

NorestrictionsorpenaltyfromRSPO

Asitcurrentlyexists,itsstandardsandprinciplesaretooweaktoreallydoanygood.ThemaincauseofthisissueisthattheresnodangerofactuallybeingpenalizedinanywaybytheRSPO.

WhatkindofcredibilitydoestheRSPOhaveifitturnsablindeyewhenitsmembersareclearing

hugeareasofforestordrainingandburningpeatlands?

FutureScenariofortheRSPO

IftheRSPOreallywantstobetakenseriouslyonsustainability,thenitmusttakeimmediatestepsto

prohibititsmembersfromconvertinganymoreforestandpeatlandintoplantations.

WithoutsuchamovetherecanbenosustainablepalmoilproductioninSouthEastAsia;ratherthe

RSPOwill be creating an illusion of sustainability while pursuing the expansion of plantations to

supplythedemandcreatedbythecountriessettingmandatorytargetsonbio-fuels.


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PROPOSITIONS

Realityonthefieldshowsthatsomethingdrasticneedstobedone,likeanimmediatemoratorium

onalldeforestationinIndonesiawhiletheresstillsomeforestworthsaving.

THEMORATORIUMWOULD

Provide the political space for the establishment ofmechanisms to permanently protectimportantforestandpeatlandareas.

Encourageproducers toprioritiesallexpansionofpalmoilplantationson nonforestareas

anderodedlands.

Thiscallforamoratoriumissupportedbymajorpalmoilusers,likeUnileverandothercompanies.

Hopefully, these large influencial corporates can push the RSPO to support the moratorium and

pressure the Indonesian government to take urgent action. The Indonesian president, Susilo

BambangYudhoyono,istheonlyonewhocanputthismoratoriuminaction.

THERSPOMUST: Takeconcrete action to stop deforestation andpeat landconversion for sustainable oil

palmexpansion.

Ensurethatitsmemberspreventlanddisputes,andproactivelyresolvecurrentconflicts.

Mustgiveitselfthemeanstopunishmemberswhodonotfollowtheguidelines.

THEEUROPEANGOVERNMENTSMUST:

Supportthecallforamoratoriumonfurtherdeforestationandpeatlandsclearance.

Allocatefundstoprotectforestsandpeatlands.

Refrain from policies that stimulate the expansion of the palm oil industry, like the

mandatorytargetforbio-fuels,andsubsidiesforpalmoilinelectricityproduction.

PALMOILCONSUMERSMUST:

Stopconsumingpalmoilasmuchaspossible.

Demand that the brands using palm oil support a moratorium on forest and peat land

clearance

Demand that thebrandsusingpalmoilimmediately cancelcontractswith anydestructive

companylikeSinarMas.

PALMOILPRODUCERSMUST:

Implementanimmediatemoratoriumonforestandpeatlandclearance.

Useonlywastelandtoexpandfurthertheirplantations.

INVESTORSWHOFINANCIALLYSUPPORTTHEPALMOILSECTORMUST:

Stopallfinancingofpalmoilcompaniesuntiltheyimplementamoratoriumonfurtherforest

clearance.


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Therefore,whatis most importantnow is to intensify these struggles andcampaigns to curb the

advanceofthisdestructiveindustry.Weneedswiftactiontobringdeforestationtoanend.

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