Apparently, it is not only indigenous people or threatened species who are harmfully affected by the deliberately lit forest fires that clear way for new palm oil plantations—something I wrote about in a previous blog post.

In July, a forest fire in the Indonesian province Riau, caused a record-breaking haze that spread throughout Southeast Asia. Deadly smog travelled to Malaysia and Singapore. Schools closed down, masked public servants evacuated children from playgrounds, and tensions arose between governments of Southeast Asian countries.

People wearing masks in Singapore’s Orchard Road shopping area
© Edgar Su / Reuters

What can be done to resolve such issues? 

Doing what is right may not always be easy, but when one is obviously doing more bad than good, action needs to be taken. Fault needs to be recognised. Palm oil businesses need to take responsibility for the harms they have caused. Leaders of the corporations need to think about what they’re doing. They need to remember that their priorities lie in satisfying their stakeholders: consumers, local communities, and regional and national governments, who have all been crying out for better management practices. Only when palm oil corporations recognise and respect their stakeholders will they listen to them, and through this, they can promise to better their ways.