InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA–The negative stigma about the environmental issues is always cornered to palm oil products from Indonesia, such as, the forest damages, human rights violation, and the tree is not environmental for it needs much water. 

General Director of Plantation, Ministry of Agriculture, Bambang said, palm oil helps to make the areas green, from the former areas in the illegal logging in Indonesia.

“Palm oil is the balancer of environmental conservation. It balances the damaged forest from the illegal logging. It improves the environment. But the issue always hits us,” he said in Jakarta when saying his speech in the ISPO Certification event.

The other accusation about palm oil, he continued, is that the tree needs much water which makes, it is not environmental for the surroundings.

“It is good that palm oil tree needs much water. The roots would absorb the rain and it would be evaporated again. But it is blamed, the tree needs much water. Palm oil has been planted in many regions in Indonesia. No need to angry with. We should be proud of the golden of green,” he said.

He continued, palm oil tree in Indonesia gives significant economic development in the plantation areas. “Palm oil areas could be said well cultivated when palm oil industries and the smallholders run well too,” he said.

He gave example, of the total gross domestic product in this country in last year, the plantation sector contributed Rp 411 billion, and palm oil contributed the biggest one, reaching Rp 239,4 billion.

"Palm oil also hires, at least, 82 million men onfarm only but not off farm. It contributes to the vegetable energy when the fossil energy is about to decrease,” he said. (T3)