<p class="title">Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Friday said linking the production of palm oil to deforestation was "baseless, unfair and unjustified", and that the industry has grown responsibly.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Malaysia is the world's second-biggest producer of palm oil, a widely consumed commodity used in everything from chocolate spread to lipstick. Several studies have shown that palm oil is a major contributor to deforestation, along with cattle ranching and soybean production.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The European Union passed a law earlier this year to phase out palm oil from renewable fuels by 2030 due to deforestation concerns.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The claims linking palm oil to deforestation is baseless, unfair and unjustified," Mahathir said at an event on Malaysian forests.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"These claims bring negative impact to Malaysia which depends highly on the palm oil industry to raise the socio-economic well-being of our people," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Mahathir also said the palm oil industry in Malaysia has been developed sustainably and responsibly.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a Switzerland-based group of governments, conservation organizations and scientists, has said oil palm expansion is a major driver of deforestation and degradation of natural habitats in parts of tropical Asia and Central and South America.</p>.<p class="bodytext">At least 50% of all deforestation between 2005 and 2015 in Borneo - an island shared by Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei - was related to oil palm development, the IUCN has said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Malaysia and Indonesia, the world's largest palm oil producer, supply around 85% of global palm oil, much of which is used in foods.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Environmentalists and locals have alleged deforestation continue to this day in Borneo and other parts of Malaysia.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Mahathir also said Malaysia was focused on improving productivity and yields of oil palm, rather than expanding land.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He said the government would limit oil palm cultivation at 6.55 million hectares (16.2 million acres) by 2023, reaffirming an earlier target set by the minister in charge of palm oil.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Earlier this week, Reuters reported that Malaysia has launched a global public relations and lobbying effort to protect the reputation of palm oil, especially in Europe.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The campaign is centered around smallholder farmers, carried out by platforms that say they represent farmers but are created or run by public relations firms hired by a government agency responsible for promoting palm oil.</p>
<p class="title">Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Friday said linking the production of palm oil to deforestation was "baseless, unfair and unjustified", and that the industry has grown responsibly.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Malaysia is the world's second-biggest producer of palm oil, a widely consumed commodity used in everything from chocolate spread to lipstick. Several studies have shown that palm oil is a major contributor to deforestation, along with cattle ranching and soybean production.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The European Union passed a law earlier this year to phase out palm oil from renewable fuels by 2030 due to deforestation concerns.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The claims linking palm oil to deforestation is baseless, unfair and unjustified," Mahathir said at an event on Malaysian forests.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"These claims bring negative impact to Malaysia which depends highly on the palm oil industry to raise the socio-economic well-being of our people," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Mahathir also said the palm oil industry in Malaysia has been developed sustainably and responsibly.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a Switzerland-based group of governments, conservation organizations and scientists, has said oil palm expansion is a major driver of deforestation and degradation of natural habitats in parts of tropical Asia and Central and South America.</p>.<p class="bodytext">At least 50% of all deforestation between 2005 and 2015 in Borneo - an island shared by Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei - was related to oil palm development, the IUCN has said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Malaysia and Indonesia, the world's largest palm oil producer, supply around 85% of global palm oil, much of which is used in foods.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Environmentalists and locals have alleged deforestation continue to this day in Borneo and other parts of Malaysia.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Mahathir also said Malaysia was focused on improving productivity and yields of oil palm, rather than expanding land.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He said the government would limit oil palm cultivation at 6.55 million hectares (16.2 million acres) by 2023, reaffirming an earlier target set by the minister in charge of palm oil.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Earlier this week, Reuters reported that Malaysia has launched a global public relations and lobbying effort to protect the reputation of palm oil, especially in Europe.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The campaign is centered around smallholder farmers, carried out by platforms that say they represent farmers but are created or run by public relations firms hired by a government agency responsible for promoting palm oil.</p>