After Bunge Limited, one of the world’s largest agribusiness companies, announced last year its suspension of new commercial activity with Malaysian palm oil company BLD Plantation Berhad, FOTO has been informed that Apical Malaysia Sdn Berhad declared in early February it will suspend trading with BLD as well until the latter addresses the issues brought up against them by FOTO and our allies.
BLD are still extensively clearing peat swamp forest and land-grabbing local communities in Sarawak, in one of their concession located near Sibu despite our attempts to stop them. No competent authority seems willing to take action.
BLD’s activities violate both Apical and Bunge’s sustainability policies. But they might not be the last to stop buying from BLD, Kirana (BLD’s wholly-owned refinery) or Sunfield Global (trading company buying from BLD)! FOTO and our allies have alerted a number of US and European companies about BLD’s unsustainable activities in Sibu and we will also email Asian companies – with which we suspect BLD is mostly dealing – in this regard very soon.
One step at a time we will continue fighting to make BLD stop!