Boycotting palm oil products not a long-term solution, Letters in Print News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Read this article before calling to #BoycottPalmoil - it's just not that simple: #RSPO

Boycotting palm oil products is not only impractical, but it could also be counterproductive ("To resolve haze woes, boycott palm oil products " by Mr Eric J. Brooks; Tuesday). Oil palm is the highest-yielding edible oilseed crop, with yields of up to nine times that of other oilseeds, like soya and rapeseed. If we want to replace oil palm with other oilseed crops, then we must be prepared to provide at least nine times as much land to grow them. The social and environmental impacts would also multiply. If a boycott does succeed in denting profits, the price of oil palm would plummet. It would then become a financially attractive feedstock for biofuels, which would continue to cause deforestation. It is not an easy journey to go palm oil free, because there are so many products derived from it. Many suppliers are unaware of the impact of palm oil, and finding alternatives ...

Full article: http://www.straitstimes.com/forum/letters-in-print/boycot...