Hope for Tripa
Main decisions of the 7th RSPO Round Table RSPO has emerged the major networking forum on oil palm with more than 800 participants at this RSPO. Yet it was globally a depressing event. The RSPO members could not agree in any target and time table on greenhouse gases emission. They let each RSPO member to decide individually on its own target in a voluntary manner. In practice, this means that further expansion on peat land and forest land is allowed. This «low common dominator» contentious reflected the gaps between growers and non-growers. While non-growers are for the establishment of clear greenhouse gases criteria and targets, growers are against them as they feel it will restrain their freedom. However, the decision did not cause an uproar among the participants, as the December Summit on Climate change has not yet taken place, and it is therefore difficult to take any decision in the world context. A working group on greenhouse gases will be established and report to the next RSPO General Assembly. This means that the current RSPO palmoil is yet far from being sustainable, at least from a climate perspective. The General Assembly narrowly adopted the controversial proposal by the Growers, requesting each member to support RSPO palmoil. PanEco involvement and achievements The RSPO General Assembly adopted the decision «Moratorium on Bukit Tigapuluh Ecosystem». This ecosystem is crucial for PanEco's activities as it contains the only release site for Sumatran orangutans. Over 100 orangutans are living in this area. The decision means that RSPO members found involved in forest clearing in that area will be «expelled from RSPO». The decision was proposed by The Sumatran Orangutan Society after extensive discussions with PanEco and other stakeholders. PanEco made two presentations, one during the Biodiversity seminar to present the interim results of the «Oil palm Pilot Study» that seeks to develop oil palm on fallow land and cancel palm-oil concessions in Tripa. The second presentation took place during the working session «Is RSPO relevant?» and was focussing on the challenges of sustainability within the world contest. PanEco and its local partner organisation YEL were strengthened at the RSPO and supported two government representatives from the plantations and forest department of the Nagan Raya and Abdia Districts, where the Tripa peat swamp forest is located. Teuku Mustafa, Head of the plantation section within the Bureau of Forestry and Plantation (Kepala Bidang Per Kebunan, Dinas Kehutanan dan Perkebunan) at Nagan Raya District, and Yur Nismal, head of the Bureau of Forestry and Plantation (Dinas Kehutanan dan perkebunan), both attended the conference. The RSPO however did not report on the implementation of the «Tripa Decision» adopted last year, which requests RSPO to «take action to stop the destruction of Tripa». PanEco had to take the floor during the General Assembly to point that flaw. The RSPO executive board did not take action on this matter even though they promised. PanEco was more successful with bilateral meetings with RSPO members. An independent investigation in early 2009 confirmed problems with the expansion of palm oil plantations in Tripa. In this context, the expansion of an Astra concession has been slowed down by AAL and Jardines themselves. Also additional loans to AAL that Jardines asked for in July 2009 were refused. Therefore, the expansion of palm oil plantations in Tripa has at least slowed down for the moment. |
