PNGBLOGS

The revelations from research by the James Cook University on oil palm being used by developers as a cover for logging should not come as a surprise to Papua New Guineans. “It is crucial that the real intentions of developers are understood and highlighted so the PNG Government can manage the property appropriately. At present a lot of people around the world think that buying products containing palm oil encourages deforestation, but boycotting those products at the supermarket is not going to stop loss of forest in PNG,” he added. The controversy relating to the Government’s Special Agriculture and Business Lease (SABL) is well documented in PNG, compelling the government of then acting Prime Minister Sam Abal in 2011 and a year later PM Peter O’Neill to support and establish a commission of inquiry. It is a pity that the commission of inquiry into the SABLs is yet to hand a final report to the Government as the findings of the research co-authored by the JCU’s Dr Paul Nelson and Jen

The revelations from research by the James Cook University on oil palm being used by developers as a cover for logging should not come as a surprise to Papua New Guineans. “It is crucial that the real intentions of developers are understood and highlighted so the PNG Government can manage the property appropriately. At present a lot of people around the world think that buying products containing palm oil encourages deforestation, but boycotting those products at the supermarket is not going to stop loss of forest in PNG,” he added. The controversy relating to the Government’s Special Agriculture and Business Lease (SABL) is well documented in PNG, compelling the government of then acting Prime Minister Sam Abal in 2011 and a year later PM Peter O’Neill to support and establish a commission of inquiry. It is a pity that the commission of inquiry into the SABLs is yet to hand a final report to the Government as the findings of the research co-authored by the JCU’s Dr Paul Nelson an