The thick haze that has blanketed much of South-east Asia for the last month carries the ashy remains of Indonesian forests and peatlands - burnt in many cases to clear land for producing palm oil, the world's most popular edible oil. It is an annual occurrence dating back decades, and this year it is particularly bad. According to one report, the fires this year have emitted enough greenhouse gases to rival Germany's annual output of carbon dioxide. And they are growing worse.
Many proposals to fix the problem target the palm oil supply chain - from farmers and refiners, to the bankers and politicians who fund and license companies. But to be successful, such efforts have to address demand as well. Unless consumers insist on buying palm oil that has been sourced sustainably - and are willing to pay for it - companies and middlemen will continue to look for the cheapest possible ways to clear land, which means burning.
For several years now, campaigns promoting sustainable palm oil- oil produced with as little impact as possible on the surrounding environment - have been gaining momentum in Europe. The Netherlands has committed to using only sustainable palm oil by the end of this year. Indeed, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) - an industry group founded in 2004 - says that all of the palm oil used in the European Union will be certified sustainable by 2020. Public education, advocacy and consumer pressure have all had an impact.
The problem is that the EU represents only around 11 per cent of the market for palm oil. The world's biggest consumer is India, which accounts for 15.6 per cent of palm oil consumption globally, and 21 per cent of all imports. China is the world's third-largest importer, after the EU, and fourth-largest consumer. Together, India, China, Pakistan, Egypt, Bangladesh and Myanmar account for nearly half of global palm oil imports.
http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/why-india-and-china-are-key-to-ending-the-haze
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