Saturday, 17 Apr 2021 09:21 AM MYT
Khairuddin (left) receives a memento from Abang Johari. — Borneo Post Online pic
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KUCHING, April 17 — The federal Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities have outlined several proposals meant to boost these sectors in Sarawak.
Minister Datuk Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali said the proposals would include Sarawak’s black pepper, commercial cultivation of bamboo in Bintulu, as well as the involvement of more local farmers and entrepreneurs in the cocoa industry, with a focus on chocolate-manufacturing.
This was highlighted during a courtesy call on Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg at Wisma Bapa Malaysia here yesterday.
by Danielle Keeton-Olsen on 18 February 2021
Under Malaysia’s federal system, state governments hold authority over most regulations regarding land usage and environmental protection.
In the Bornean states of Sabah and Sarawak, home to most of Malaysia’s remaining intact forests, politicians push against perceived interference from the central government, particularly when it comes to resource management.
Since the late 1960s, Malaysian Borneo lost much of its forest: first to timber and later to palm oil and other agricultural industries.
Both states have laws on the books aimed at protecting and managing forests, as well as sustainable forestry and palm oil certification schemes. Experts on forest management and conservation see cause for both optimism and skepticism.
Making palm oil more sustainable
3
Helping oil palm smallholders adopt more responsible practices is key to reducing the industry's environmental impact.
published : 11 Jan 2021 at 12:30
3 Most palm oil products in Thailand and Asean nations come from small and medium-sized oil palm growers. Supplied/GIZ
Palm oil has long been a major economic backbone of Southeast Asian economies, notably Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. But the undeniable environmental impact of extensive deforestation, haze and forest fires caused by oil palm plantations has given the industry a bad reputation that has been hard to shake.
To pave the way for greener practices and greater economic benefit from the palm oil sector, policymakers, businesses and consumers have key roles to play in supporting sustainable palm oil by demanding it, experts say.
How Wildlife-Friendly are Oil Palm Plantations in Malaysia?
Being
one of the megadiverse countries in the world, Malaysia is rich in
biodiversity, from the top of its highest mountains to its deepest seas. However,
many of the biodiversity are currently under threat with some already extinct.
Many initiatives have been taken by various organizations to protect and
conserve the biodiversity to be appreciated by our future generations.
Oil
palm, as the most important commodity crop for Malaysia, has been labelled as a
major contributor that drives the extinction of many flora and fauna in the
country. For example, the decrease of more than 100,000 Orangutans from 1999 to