DEPUTY Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof has hit out at the anti-palm oil lobby, which blames the crop for the decline in orangutan populations, saying hunting poses a far greater threat to biodiversity compared with oil palm plantations.
“Here’s the truth – the (orangutan) numbers have remained rock solid at 11,000 for the past five years. It’s time to redirect our focus,” he said in his keynote address titled “Sustainable Trade and Responsible Business Practice in A New Global Area” at the International Sustainable Palm Oil Forum in London today.