Palmoilmagazine.com, JAKARTA – More than 50 (fifty) civil society organizations (CSOs) from the world sent open letter for consumer brands so that they should immediately stop palm oil supply chain from the second biggest palm oil plantation company in Indonesia - Astra Agro Lestari (AALI) to deliver solution for what the people complained about.
The letter was aimed to “Forest Positive Coalition” of Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) – the world advance brand consortium heading to the conference at New York City Climate Week that the companies would discuss their commitment to end such commodities that have something to do with deforestation and human rights violation.
“Consumer brands which their products derive from AALI should stop palm oil purchase and apply their influence to solve the complaint which is happening with the people,” Head of National Executive Campaign Division, Wahana Lingkungan Hidup (Walhi) Indonesia, Hadi Jatmiko said, as in the official statement to Palmoilmagazine.com, Wednesday (28/9/2022).
He also mentioned, the powerful consumer brands are in charge to defend the smallholders, local community, and the workers who suffer from the environmental damages, area losses, and sources of living because of AALI operation “If the consumer brands do not do it in three months, we can conclude that they have fake commitments,” Hadi said.
Prior a report released in March by Friends of the Earth, United States of America and Walhi Indonesia revealed that the biggest environment advocacy organization in Indonesia accused AAL and its subsidiary that damaged the environment, violated human rights, robbed the areas, did violation to the local people in some regions in Indonesia. Apart from the extensive documentation about the violation, at least, 17 brands in the global level – many of the numbers are the members of “Forest Positive Coalition” CGF, failed postpone source of palm oil from AALI.
Senior Forest and Area Campaigner of Friends of the Earth United States of America, Gaurav Madan told, such companies delivered lip service about human rights while their supply chain has something to do with area robbery and violation to the indigenous people.
Gaurav also mentioned, the powerful consumer brands intentionally ignored the evidences of human rights violation and environment damages while claiming themselves as the champions of ‘sustainability’. “They talk non-sense as long as their business model is based on violation and exploitation,” he said.
The letter also described the claims of CSO to Astra Agro Lestari, including the effective complaint mechanism, the disobedient protocol, policy implementation and human rights procedures to confirm zero tolerance for violation, intimidation, kill, criminalization of environment and human rights defenders. (T1)
