Malaysia palm oil council defends 'green' TV ads

Straits Times 12 Jan 08;

KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIA'S palm oil council yesterday defended advertisements claiming its plantations were environmentally sustainable after they were declared misleading and pulled from British television.

The Advertising Standards Authority, an independent British watchdog, this week criticised the commercials, saying they wrongly implied that Malaysia's vast palm oil plantations were good for the environment.

The Malaysian Palm Oil Council said on its website that it was 'extremely disappointed' with the verdict.

'We do not feel that the advertisements mislead in any way, and we stand by our claim that Malaysian palm oil is produced sustainably,' it said.

Environmentalists had taken issue with the choice of words used on the television commercials aired last July on BBC World, such as 'its trees give life and help our planet breathe, and give home to hundreds of species of flora and fauna'.

Friends of the Earth International spokesman Paul de Clerck said: 'It is a complete lie to advertise palm oil as sustainably produced. It has devastating impacts on the environment and local communities.'

Palm oil producers - including Malaysia, which is the global leader - have fought a long battle against allegations that plantations destroy rainforests, annihilate orang utans, exploit workers and cause air pollution.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, ASSOCIATED PRESS, THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

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