JAKARTA – The Indonesian palm oil has been very often defamed by certain groups of people at home and abroad as they want to win the global market competition with other vegetable oils with dishonest manner.
Palm Oil Expert and author of book “Sawit untuk Negeri” (Palm Oil for Nation), Petrus Gunarso said that by excelling in productivity, efficiency and versatility, the Indonesian palm oil has been steadily growing, outcompeting other top vegetable oils—soybean, rapeseed and sunflower, at the global market. “With such market condition, it’s no wonder that the palm oil is vilified,” he said.
Petrus cited as an example that 10 hectares of soybean can only produce 1.0 tons of soybean oil per year, but with the same acreage oil palm plantation can produce more than 10 tons of palm oil per year. “The comparison of their productivity is one to ten (1 : 10),” he said.
“It means that if now the soybean plantation acreasge is 56 million hectares in the USA, it’s only 16 million hectares in Indonesia. In fact, the palm oil contributes 55% to the global production of vegetable oils,” he said.
Based on the facts, Petrus said that the emergence of negative campaigns, such as damaging environment, causing deforestation, disrupting orangutan habitat, was caused by global business competition. “They always make use animals as the subjects of their negative campaigns to arouse a feeling of compassion. But actually, it’s wrong as not much of the oil palm plantations located at forests. Only around 4.0% of total acreage,” Petrus said.
He said that the palm oil plantations play a very important role in Indonesia economically and socially. “Palm oil is the only commodity whose acreage and production are in balance between the companies and the general public,” he said.
According to him, unlike the oil palm plantations, the forestry industries are 98% operated by big companies, while only 2.0% by the general public. In rubber plantations, the general public control 99% and companies only one percent. But in oil palm plantations, companies’ ownerships are 55% while general public 45%,” said Petrus.
He said that the balance has created a bigger chance for smallholders to improve their welfare and create even distribution of wealth among the general public.
Petrus also denied that the oil palm trees are greedy in absorbing water. As a matter of fact, many areas that are previously dry draw a lot of water after being planted with oil palm trees.
“It’s because the oil palm trees create a cover to the dry land and cause a good infiltration of rainfalls into the land which then flows into water sources that can be used,” said Petrus.
Another example, said Petrus, is the derelict land areas dominated by reeds that can easily catch fires. But such land problem can be then solved with the planting of oil palm trees.
“I see a strong indication that the land areas of previously just reeds have become oil palm plantations. It’s a solution, especially if we relate it to absorption of carbon emissions. Reeds’ absorption of carbon is low. But with oil palm trees such absorption becomes bigger. The reeds are also more prone to fires. But after being planted with oil palm trees the potential risk of fire is negated,” he said.
Petrus noted that actually only a small part of the oil palm plantations were developed from primary forests. The rest are only conversions from derelict or degraded lands or from rubber plantations.
“But strangely, certain international groups said 98% of oil palm plantations are converted from primary forests. They attack the palm oil with unverified environmental issues. They’re wrong,” said Petrus. (*)
Source: KONTAN.CO.ID
