Haze: Time for consumers to act

The commentary “More plantations, more haze to come?” (June 28) provided good coverage on the environmental impact of palm oil plantation. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong also said recently that action will be taken against any Singapore firms, or foreign companies linked to the Republic, which are responsible for causing the fires in Sumatra.

Many have blamed the people of Indonesia for burning their forests and causing the haze. However, the problem stems from our reliance on unsustainable palm oil.

The forests in Indonesia are burnt to make way for palm plantations, and palm oil is now used in most food products and even toiletries.

Indonesia is the world’s biggest producer of palm oil, and with continued demand comes the need for more land for plantations. There have been reports that link a number of these multi-billion dollar companies, responsible for mass deforestation in Indonesia, to Singapore.

Based on satellite imagery done by WWF in 2010, Sumatra has lost nearly half of its natural forest cover between 1985 and 2009. The forests were cleared at a rate of 542,000 hectares, or 2.1 per cent per year. More than 80 per cent of forest loss occurred in lowlands, where the most biodiverse ecosystems are found.

Many species of their native animals are endangered. Indonesia ranks second in the world for their level of biodiversity. They are home to over 300,000 species of animals with over 2,000 endemic species of mammals and birds found only in Indonesia. To name a few, the Sumatran tiger, Sumatran orangutan and the Javan rhino are now at the brink of extinction.

As the forest burns, thousands of animals lose their homes and die painful deaths.

Apart from causing severe damage to the wildlife and environment, many Indonesian villagers who relied on their forests for food, medicine and shelter have also lost their homes and livelihoods over the years, and are forced to abandon their culture and village lives to earn meagre salaries in town.

Let us take the lead in targeting the root of the problem. Singapore should send a strong message to the companies responsible for the fires by putting up a national trade boycott with these companies.

As long as we continue relying on unsustainable palm oil, the forest fires will continue. It is also time for food manufacturers and food & beverage operators to re-look their ingredients and replace palm oil — which is sometimes labelled as vegetable oil — with products that are clearly labelled as 100 per cent sunflower oil, corn oil or canola oil.

Do note that soybean oil is often associated with the destruction of rainforest in Brazil.