UK: Sustainable palm oil ads banned for the second time

Date: 3 Nov 2009

A magazine advert that promoted the sustainability of Malaysian palm oil has been banned by the UK's advertising watchdog for untruthful claims.

The Malaysian Palm OIl Council (MPOC) has slammed the move, arguing that the freedom of choice of British consumers is being affected by NGO attempts to stifle the case for the other side in the debate around palm oil.

The advert, entitled "Palm Oil: The Green Answer" calls allegations against the industry for issues such as deforestation and treatment of farmers "protectionist agendas hidden under a thin veneer of environmental concern". It said the case against palm oil was not based on fact.

The Advertising Standards Agency said that the ad's claims that palm oil "puts minimal strain on the environment" could not be substantiated and should not be repeated.

Yusof Basiron of MPOC said that NGOs such as Friends of the Earth, which had complained to the ASA, were "motivated by politics and trade, rather than genuine concern for environmental conservation".

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