Recent News

5 November 2008
The view that the Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is merely a way of making companies appear politically correct without making difference to de-forestation could be about to change if agreement on an important new resolution is reached.

30 October 2008
Massive forest conversions, rising demand for timber and infrastructure projects are the main causes for Indonesia's world-leading rate of deforestation, a new study has found. The study by the Indonesian Forest Watch (FWI) categorically blamed deforestation on forest conversions into palm oil plantations conducted by big companies.

28 October 2008
Nine-year-old Yuni held on tight to her mother's hand as a large orangutan approached an enclosure window of the Smutzer Primate Center in Ragunan Zoo, South Jakarta.

28 October 2008
A middle-aged man sat on a chair in his pet shop at an animal market in East Jakarta, waiting for his customers. He sells many kinds of birds, snakes, turtles, cats, dogs and monkeys.

20 October 2008
Palm oil plantations are encroaching on rain forest reserves on the Indonesia island of Borneo, where the endangered primates live.

20 October 2008
The Tripa area of peat swamp forest is being logged to make way for new palm oil plantations and the effects will have dire consequences for the people and wildlife that live there.

11th October 2008
The ten governors of Sumatra — along with four federal ministers — have signed an agreement to protect forests and other ecosystems on the Indonesian island, according to WWF.

8 October 2008
In the Guinness Book of Records (GWR) 2009 Edition released this month, Indonesia is once again referred to as the country with the world's highest rate of deforestation.

7 October 2008
Malaysian palm oil exported for use in food, biofuels and cosmetics is far from 'green' - contrary to claims by Malaysian palm oil producers - shows the new report "Malaysian Palm Oil: Green Gold or Green Wash?" released today (October 7) by Friends of the Earth groups.

19 September 2008
"We should choose between human interests or those of the monkeys," said Agriculture Minister Anton Apriyantono

16 September 2008
Lead author, Emily Fitzherbert from the Zoological Society of London and University of East Anglia said: "There has been much debate over the role of palm oil production in tropical deforestation and its impacts on biodiversity. We wanted to put the discussion on a firm scientific footing."

9 September 2008
Pressures are mounting to save endangered orangutans in Central Kalimantan, where most of the world's only great ape lives under increasingly bleak conditions due to declining forests -- their habitat.

9 September 2008
Blamed for pushing orangutans out of their habitat, palm oil companies are being urged to help conserve the endangered species in Kalimantan.

31 August 2008
Indonesia is facing challenges meeting growing demand in the international market for certified palm oil products, as none of the country's producers have obtained sustainable palm oil certification.

28 August 2008
Developed country governments should re-direct biofuel subsidies toward preventing deforestation for a far better climate outcome, a UK think-tank claims. Policy Edge has produced analysis suggesting that doing so would produce far greater savings in greenhouse gas emissions for every dollar spent on climate change mitigation.

27 August 2008
Disheartening news from Indonesia as palm oil companies oppose any moratorium on forest and peat land conversions.

21 August 2008
Australia released an initial US$2 million Tuesday out of a US$13.7 million fund for Asia-Pacific nations to help protect forests and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the government announced Tuesday. The first two beneficiaries will be Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.