16th Jun 2011 – Senate Motions - DeforestACTION Program - Support + include palm oil as declared ingredient

The majority voted against a motion introduced by Greens Senator Christine Milne, which means the motion failed.

Motion text

*That the Senate— *

(a) notes:

(i) the dire situation facing wild orang-utan populations in southeast Asian forests are being destroyed as a rate equal to 300 soccer fields every hour,

(ii) that orang-utans are predicted to be extinct in the wild within 10 to 15 years due largely to the palm oil industry replacing native forest with palm plantations,

(iii) that only three vegetable oils, namely peanut, sesame and soybean, are required to be labelled as food products under Australian labelling laws allowing palm oil to be hidden as vegetable oil,

(iv) the DeforestACTION program run in 350 Australian schools and in many other schools worldwide raises awareness of forestry impacts and fundraises for international wildlife and forest conservation projects, and

(v) the DeforestACTION program's objectives are to:

(a) raise funds to buy back and preserve rainforests (initially in Indonesia),

(b) regrow a full forest ecosystem (initially 50 000 hectares),

(c) create the world's largest orang-utan sanctuary, allowing people to interact remotely with the animals,

(d) monitor rainforest via satellites to provide real time intelligence require to halt illegal deforestation,

(e) develop a proven model for 21st century learning to be embraced by schools globally, and

(f) create global awareness of the dangers of destroying forest for monoculture farming, especially palm oil;

(b) recognises and congratulates Tasmania's Taroona High School students and staff for their awareness and fundraising activities for the DeforestACTION program resulting in recognition of Taroona High School as the world's leading school for the program; and

(c) calls on the Government to:

(i) include palm oil as a declared ingredient in food and cosmetic products under current labelling laws, and

(ii) support the DeforestACTION program by showing leadership in protecting native forests in Australia and primary forests around the world.