Greenpeace Not Against Palm Oil But Against Deforestation

Environmental watchdog Greenpeace Indonesia has responded to a statement from the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) and the Indonesian Oil Palm Farmers Association (Apkasindo) that called on the government to take firm action against Greenpeace, which they said was harming Indonesia’s economy, The Jakarta Post reported on November 25. “To be clear, Greenpeace is not anti-palm oil, it is anti-deforestation,” Kiki Taufik, head of Greenpeace Indonesia Global Forest Campaign, said in a statement to The Jakarta Post.   

Apindo and Apkasindo made their statement in response to Greenpeace’s rally on a Wilmar International-owned tanker transporting crude palm oil from a refinery in Dumai, Riau, to Europe. The ship was in the Bay of Cádiz in Spain when the activists boarded and unfurled banners that read “Save Our Rainforest” and “Drop Dirty Palm Oil”.  The industry group said Greenpeace’s campaign had insulted the dignity of Indonesia with accusations of dirty palm oil.