Greenpeace activists block a shipment of palm kernel animal feed from Indonesia, entering Tauranga Port and destined for Fonterra dairy farms. They are calling on John Key to halt imports of the product due to its impact on climate change and address intensive dairy farming in New Zealand. 14 activists have boarded the East Ambition, several kilometers from Tauranga port, and have locked themselves to the vessel and its cargo cranes to prevent the ship unloading when it berths.
The activity follows an expose three weeks ago in the Sunday
Star Times, which implicated Fonterra in rainforest
destruction.
The 12 activists who have boarded the East Ambition, several
kilometers from Tauranga port, have locked themselves to the
vessel, the anchor chain and its four cargo cranes to prevent the
ship unloading. News footage shows them holding banners which read
"Fonterra Climate Crime."
"Fonterra's involvement in rainforest destruction and the
massive climate impact this causes is criminal," said Jo McVeagh an
activist locked to one of the cranes.
"This ship's cargo has contributed to the release of up to
364,000 tonnes of carbon emissions (1). That's the same as the
emissions from 127,000 cars over a year (2). Fonterra and John Key
have taken no steps to stop this climate crime which is why we're
taking action today."
Greenpeace New Zealand climate campaigner Simon Boxer said
millions of hectares of Indonesian and Malaysian rainforest are
being destroyed to grow palm.
"Currently PKE is a nasty product every step of the way. New
Zealand's imports of 1.1million tonnes of palm kernel animal feed
in 2008 contributed to the release of up to 20 million tonnes of
greenhouse emissions in the process (3). It's then used as a
supplementary feed for New Zealand's increasing intensive dairy
sector, which further increases emissions."
"Over the last weeks Fonterra has done nothing but mislead New
Zealand about its links to rainforest and climate destruction in
Indonesia and Malaysia. This is not acceptable (4)."
Most of the PKE in the shipment will be used by dairy farmers
who are shareholders in the cooperative. Fonterra also has direct
links with the PKE supply chain through its half-owned subsidiary
RD1 (5).
"Fonterra's intensification of the dairy industry is fuelling
rainforest destruction, increasing greenhouse gas emissions here
and abroad, putting pressure on the health of our land and
threatening our clean, green reputation.
"We have no hope of slowing climate change if we continue to
raze and burn the world's remaining rainforests," said Boxer.
The import of palm kernel animal feed for Fonterra undermines
the New Zealand Government's negotiating position at
Copenhagen.
"On the one hand, the New Zealand Government argues in
international negotiations that New Zealand should get off lightly
on tackling climate change due to our agricultural emissions and on
the basis we're doing everything we can to reduce those
emissions.
On the other hand it is allowing the intensification of dairy
farming, and Fonterra's contribution to rainforest clearance, even
when palm-based animal feed is not needed. If John Key continues to
stand by and allow this kind of hypocrisy, New Zealand's
credibility in the negotiations could be damaged," said Boxer.
Last year New Zealand imported 1.1 million tonnes of PKE, one
quarter of the world's production, at a cost of around $300 million
(6).
Greenpeace is also calling on the Indonesian Government to
implement an immediate moratorium on forest and peatland
destruction for the sake of climate stability, biodiversity and to
protect the livelihoods of forest dependent peoples.
Notes for Editor
(1) Based on an average cargo of 20,000 tonnes of PKE. According
to data from carbon footprint research of the palm industry
rainforest destruction of peat lands for palm plantations gives
rise to 96,565 kg of greenhouse gas emissions per hectare per year
of production (GHG emissions from palm oil production Literature
review and proposals for amendments of RSPO Principles &
Criteria, July 2009). According to carbon footprint methodology by
a Malaysian Government research agency for industrial development
the production of one kg of PKE gives rise to a footprint of up to
18.2 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions (The LCA Approach to
Illustrate Palm Oil's Sustainability Advantage S.S.Chen SIRIM
Environmental & Bioprocess Technology Centre, Malaysia. SIRIM
Berhad is a wholly-owned company of the Malaysian Government under
the Minister of Finance Incorporated).
(2) Based on average car driving 14,000 km per year
(http://labelling.fuelsaver.govt.nz) and the average car emitting
203.8g CO2/km in 2009 (Press release by The Minister for Transport,
28 August, 2009) giving an average annual emissions of 2.853 tonnes
of CO2/year/car.
(3) See footnote 1
(4)
http://www.greenpeace.org/new-zealand/press/reports/palm-kernel-briefing
(5) In 2008 Fonterra's joint venture subsidiary RD1 entered
into a joint venture with one of the world's biggest rainforest
destroyers for palm oil and kernel production, Wilmar
International. The resulting company, International Nutritionals
Limited was incorporated on 22 July 2008 (according to the NZ
Companies Office).
(6) Statistics New ZealandGreenpeace stops palm kernel shipment
coming into Tauranga
Tauranga, 16 September 2009 - Greenpeace activists have blocked
a shipment of palm kernel animal feed from Indonesia, entering
Tauranga Port and destined for Fonterra dairy farms. They are
calling on John Key to halt imports of the product due to its
impact on climate change and address intensive dairy farming in New
Zealand.
The activity follows an expose three weeks ago in the Sunday
Star Times, which implicated Fonterra in rainforest
destruction.
The 12 activists who have boarded the East Ambition, several
kilometers from Tauranga port, have locked themselves to the vessel
and its cargo cranes to prevent the ship unloading when it berths.
News footage shows them holding banners which read "Fonterra
Climate Crime."
"Fonterra's involvement in rainforest destruction and the
massive climate impact this causes is criminal," said Jo McVeagh an
activist locked to one of the cranes.
"This ship's cargo has contributed to the release of up to
364,000 tonnes of carbon emissions (1). That's the same as the
emissions from 127,000 cars over a year (2). Fonterra and John Key
have taken no steps to stop this climate crime which is why we're
taking action today."
Greenpeace New Zealand climate campaigner Simon Boxer said
millions of hectares of Indonesian and Malaysian rainforest are
being destroyed to grow palm.
"Currently PKE is a nasty product every step of the way. New
Zealand's imports of 1.1million tonnes of palm kernel animal feed
in 2008 contributed to the release of up to 20 million tonnes of
greenhouse emissions in the process (3). It's then used as a
supplementary feed for New Zealand's increasing intensive dairy
sector, which further increases emissions."
"Over the last weeks Fonterra has done nothing but mislead New
Zealand about its links to rainforest and climate destruction in
Indonesia and Malaysia. This is not acceptable (4)."
Most of the PKE in the shipment will be used by dairy farmers
who are shareholders in the cooperative. Fonterra also has direct
links with the PKE supply chain through its half-owned subsidiary
RD1 (5).
"Fonterra's intensification of the dairy industry is fuelling
rainforest destruction, increasing greenhouse gas emissions here
and abroad, putting pressure on the health of our land and
threatening our clean, green reputation.
"We have no hope of slowing climate change if we continue to
raze and burn the world's remaining rainforests," said Boxer.
The import of palm kernel animal feed for Fonterra undermines
the New Zealand Government's negotiating position at
Copenhagen.
"On the one hand, the New Zealand Government argues in
international negotiations that New Zealand should get off lightly
on tackling climate change due to our agricultural emissions and on
the basis we're doing everything we can to reduce those
emissions.
On the other hand it is allowing the intensification of dairy
farming, and Fonterra's contribution to rainforest clearance, even
when palm-based animal feed is not needed. If John Key continues to
stand by and allow this kind of hypocrisy, New Zealand's
credibility in the negotiations could be damaged," said Boxer.
Last year New Zealand imported 1.1 million tonnes of PKE, one
quarter of the world's production, at a cost of around $300 million
(6).
Greenpeace is also calling on the Indonesian Government to
implement an immediate moratorium on forest and peatland
destruction for the sake of climate stability, biodiversity and to
protect the livelihoods of forest dependent peoples.
Other contacts: Simon Boxer, Greenpeace New Zealand climate campaigner, 021 905 579
Suzette Jackson, Greenpeace New Zealand communications manager, 021 614899
VVPR info: Phil Crawford, Greenpeace New Zealand communications and media, 021 22 99 594