Who can blame oil palm growers in Malaysia and Indonesia if they are wary of Western non-governmental organisations (NGOs)? After all, the plantation players have endured constant anti-palm oil campaigns spearheaded by environmental NGOs over the years. But lately, one US-based NGO, World Growth, has become an ally by championing the palm oil industry’s role in eradicating poverty in developing countries.

AFTER the exit of Datuk Mohd Bakke Salleh, the task of managing Felda Global Ventures Holdings Sdn Bhd and Felda Holdings Bhd is once again entrusted in the hands of another Felda outsider, Datuk Sabri Ahmad.

 The chairman of an Indonesian palm oil producer hit by a boycott over allegations it is destroying tropical rainforest deliberately says its plantations are 100 per cent sustainable.

Greenpeace, the UK-based environmental group, published the latest in a series of reports this month, alleging that Singapore-listed Golden Agri Resources and other forest products companies controlled by Indonesia’s Widjaja family have destroyed rainforest areas and undermined endangered species.

The latest Greenpeace report accuses Golden Agri, which accounts for 10 per cent of Indonesian palm oil production, of violating promises to become sustainable and seeking to expand its land area vastly to continue the practices.

However, Franky Widjaja, chairman and chief executive, said Golden Agri had abided by every requirement of the Indonesian government and the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, a monitoring group that includes the WWF, formerly the World Wildlife Fund, in making its plantations fully sustainable.

The Indonesian palm oil industry claims to be the victim of a “black campaign” waged by European biofuel producers through Greenpeace and the EU’s renewable energy directive.

Fadil Hasan, executive director of the Association of Indonesian Palm Oil Producers (Gapki), said the recent Greenpeace campaign against Indonesian conglomerate Sinar Mas and the EU directive were partly designed to make Indonesian palm oil producers less able to compete with European biofuel producers.