The RSPO and sustainable palm oil.

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is a global nonprofit to encourage sustainable harvesting of palm oil to meet the worldwide demand for the oil.   The RSPO has a certification program in which companies must meet strict criteria from each level of the production process.  Click here to view the RPSO Principles and Criteria for Sustainable Palm Oil Production.  The RSPO defines sustainable palm oil production as being comprised of legal, economically viable, environmentally appropriate and socially beneficial management and operations. 

The RSPO has a very detailed certification process but there are still some concerns about the program.  One concern is from the end product it is very hard to identify the real sources where the palm oil is being collected.  Most companies that utilize palm oil do not know where it is coming from.  Consider this: in 2004, Malaysia and Indonesia together accounted for 85% of global palm oil production. There is a direct correlation between the rise of palm oil and the fall of habitat for wildlife especially orangutans.  If you have not read "Cruel Oil, How palm oil harms health, rainforest and wildlife" published by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, please click here to read it.

During the conference, there were many small palm oil plantation holders present trying to encourage the RSPO to help them get their land back.  Many of the small holders have had their land taken by the government of are over run by larger companies.  The small holders have an uphill battle when trying to become certified by the RSPO.  The certification requires them to commit to many criteria and when they are not in compliance of the criteria they rack up fees.

Antonia

Preparations for the trip.

I just finished up the last enrichment program for Orangutan Caring Week here at the El Paso Zoo.  All week we have been celebrating orangs and bringing awareness to the critically endangered species.  Ibu, our resident female sumatran orang put on quite a display today as she swung through her exhibit in search of enrichment items.  Here is a video of Ibu today, from one of our guests:

Just as Antonia boarded her plane en route to Malaysia I recieved a text from her that said, "Heading to Malaysia with Ibu as my inspiration!" 

Armed with passport and airline ticket and ready to embark on her journey!

I have Antonia's itinerary and throughout her trip if you don't hear from her on this blog, hopefully you will get an update as I sit in my comfy office and she is out exploring the rainforest with her leech protecting socks! 

I am so excited about Antonia's trip to Asia and I know she had a lot of preparations to do before this trip.  We joked that once she was on the plane it would be the easy part.  Take a look at some of the items she packed in her bag!

A backpack full of goodies for the rainforest!



Antonia made her own socks out of pillow cases to try and be a deterent from leeches, backpack cover to keep everything dry, mosquito netting, flashlight, camera and of course the El Paso Zoo Palm Oil Shopping Guides.  You can download your own shopping guide right here!

Since Antonia started working at the zoo she has become very passionate about the Palm Oil Crisis.  The opportunity to discover what is happening first hand in Malaysia will be the trip of a lifetime.  If you are unfamiliar with the Palm Oil Crisis watch this excellent two minute video describing what is happening.

As I write this post right now, Antonia should be touching down in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia and getting some much needed rest.  Her journey from El Paso to Kuala Lampur will be about 24 hours!  She brought lots of reading material on the places she will be visiting so she can be sure to make the most out of this amazing trip. 

Antonia is modeling her mosquito protecting net and backpack while standing in front of her display area for orangutans inside the Asia Discovery Center at the zoo.  Here you can see what kinds of products we buy everyday that contain palm oil and make a pledge to avoid palm oil. 

I am excited to track Antonia's journey and can not wait to hear that she landed safely and is on to the next adventure.  Her next stop will be another plane ride to Kota Kinabalu in Borneo to attend the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) ninth annual international meeting.  At the meeting she will have a first hand update on projects such as reforestation, ecotourism and orangutan observation research.

Naima
Education Specialist

An exciting journey to Malaysia!

I am embarking on an exciting trip to Asia representing the El Paso Zoo. The main focus of this trip is to gain firsthand experience of the Palm Oil Crisis.  As a Zoo Education Specialist, I am excited to learn about the Palm Oil Crisis in Malaysia so that I can communicate this information to our community and beyond.  This is definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am looking forward to learning about the changes we can make to help save critically endangered animals and our rainforests.

My first stop will be to Kuala Lampur, Malaysia and then on to Kota Kinbalu in the north east part of Borneo on November 19th and 20th. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)'s ninth annual international meeting is held in Kota Kinabalu on November 24. This meeting is the world’s largest meeting on sustainable palm oil with over 800 delegates from over 15 countries attending.

This is the part of the world I will be traveling to.  Keep up with my journey by following this blog!

After the RSPO meeting, we will be visiting Indonesia and Sumatra to personally see the health of the forests and the wildlife in these areas.  Throughout my trip I will be armed with a camera and computer!  I will be posting pictures, videos and posts about my adventures.  I will try to post as often as possible but keep in mind that some of my travels will be off the beaten path and it may be a while until I can get back to internet access.

I am excited to embark on my journey and to share the stories with you through this blog.

Antonia Alvarado

Education Specialist