Both ENDS

En
Nl
Search
News / 23 October 2014

Local organisations on the daily practice of soy and palm oil

IMG_6258.JPG

Many of our food products contain palm oil and soy in one form or another. To meet the growing demand, they are being cultivated on an increasingly large scale. This has unfortunately been the cause of many problems. Deforestation, environmental pollution and ‘land-grabbing’ are rampant in South-East Asia and South America. Of course, these paractices should stop. But what are the most sustainable, ethical, and – above all – feasible ways to achieve this? And how do you get all parties to cooperate? To explore the answers to these questions, the Ecosystem Alliance (Both ENDS, IUCN NL and Wetlands International) is organising a conference on October 30.

Stories from the field

We have invited local organisations from palm oil- and soy-producing countries, such as Indonesia and Argentina, to talk about the daily practices of their business. On a day-to-day basis, the people for and with whom these organisations work undergo the harmful consequences of the large-scale production of these plantation crops. More so than governments, businesses and scientists in Europe, the organisations fortunately have many practical ideas about what has to change in their region. Their knowledge and experience are therefore indispensable when it comes to creating new solutions. Representatives from a total of twelve local organisations will be present at the conference.

 

The Netherlands should  push for fair and sustainable production.

Alongside the local organisations from palm oil- and soy-producing countries, the Dutch government, businesses and civil society organisations will also be widely represented at the conference. The Netherlands is a large importer of soy and palm oil, for national consumption as well as for processing them in products and exporting these to other EU-countries. For this reason, we are certainly in the position to influence the conditions under which these products are made. It is therefore a very good sign that all parties will be present at the conference speak about actions to take to make palm oil and soy supply chains more sustainable.

 

The conference, ‘Certification and beyond: solutions for responsible agro-commodity governance’, will be held in the Glazen Zaal in The Hague.

 

Thursday October 30th (13.30-17.00) (reception from 17.00 onwards)

 

In order to attend, signing up is necessary (possible via this link).

Read more about this subject