If you knew that, by buying your favourite chocolate bar, you were contributing to the extinction of the orangutan and fuelling global warming, would you still treat yourself?
Programme review by the Great Primate Handshake
Last night’s programme was both informative and hard hitting. Its prime time slot (just after a popular Eastenders episode) ensured an audience, and its focus on consumer products made it both relevant and eye opening. You can watch the programme “Dying for biscuit” again on BBC iplayer for the next 7 days.
The Great Primate Handshake supports and raises awareness of primate sancutaries and conservation organisations. Learn more about the theat of pail oil development at the Orangutan Land Trust’s website, produced by the Handshake by our volunteers.
In the UK we consume huge amounts of palm oil, an ingredient found in scores of products including biscuits, fish fingers, cosmetics and toiletries.
In Panorama’s Dying For a Biscuit, reporter Raphael Rowe journeys into the rainforest of Borneo, where he uncovers evidence of palm oil companies cutting down trees illegally and developing plantations on protected land.
This deforestation releases huge amounts of greenhouse gases into the global environment. As the forest disappears, at a rate of two football pitches every minute, so too does the habitat of man’s closest cousins, the critically endangered orangutan.
February 22nd, 2010 at 10:09 pm
Alasdair,
I have just finished watching Panorama’s Dying for a Biscuit.
A very disturbing fact that the government of Borneo. have all the rainforests mapped and rules about peat bogs etc.. and still the Palm Oil producers flout the law. Unilever’s point that it was difficult to trace the origin of palm oil was probably true. However Sainsburys have all their products produced from Traced sustainable palm oil. No more Flora, must buy Sainsbury’s basics and save money too.
I thought the plight of the baby orphaned orangutans was so sad. But the story of JOJO AND CHANGO ended well. I thought the young vet was absolutely wonderful. So caring I know the babies felt her care and now they have a chance. If the forests are not left there will not be anywhere for them to thrive and prosper.
Thank you for letting us know it was on tonight .
It was a good programme. You Handshakers could make a film like that easily.
Regards.
Moira
February 23rd, 2010 at 9:35 am
My husband & I visited Borneo a few years ago & were entranced by the Orangutans. Unfortunately the ones we saw were all previously orphans but we were delighted to see that all the hard work done by the carers had made these animals happy again. It would be a sad world without these beautiful & gentle animals together with their habitat. We will be very careful of the products we buy in future.
Thank you Panorama for bringing this terrible plight to light & we all hope that illegal logging & growing of palm oil will stop & be replaced by sustainable sources.
Regards
Brenda
February 23rd, 2010 at 9:41 am
My husband & I visited Borneo a few years ago & were captivated by these gentle & charismatic animals. They have gone through so much for mans greed & it is about time we realised that all other species have a right to live on this planet in their own right not just as a commodity.
Thank you Panorama for bringing this terrible plight to everyone & I will certainly by not buying Flora, Dove etc products in the future.
After having seen these animals up close, it would be sad to think that the only ones that are left would be in captivity of some sort.
All animals should have a right to live their lives without having to be a commodity for man & being pushed out if it doesn’t suit us.
Regards
Brenda
February 23rd, 2010 at 10:16 am
Well done Panorama, tenacious journalism at it’s finest, 8.30pm BBC prime time viewing. let’s hope that viewers could hold on for another 5 minutes after Eastenders, stay seated and waken up to the plight of the real world.
There has to be a way that food can be clearly labelled to enable consumer choice in what we purchase. Lets hope that the Indonesian government supports eco tourism with equal enthusiasm as palm oil and polices illegal logging with equal gusto as it would be a very sad day for the world and me peronally if we lost these wonderful, caring animals, the maternal instincts of which are an example to us all.
Let’s embrace palm oil ONLY if it is sourced from sustainable forests.
Having visited Borneo myself and seen Orangs first hand I would not consider revisiting if only to see such animals in safari parks and zoo’s.
February 23rd, 2010 at 12:32 pm
Many thanks for your comments Moira, Brenda and Steve.
I agree completely and am looking at producing activities for this year’s expeditions to raise awareness to consumers that their decision in purchasing every day products is a vastly important one.
Kind regards,
Alasdair Davies
Web Development Director
The Great Primate Handshake
a.davies@primatehandshake.org
February 24th, 2010 at 10:51 am
if you missed it you can see tonight on HD if you have it
http://crimeprevention.external.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00r4t3s/hd/Panorama_Dying_For_a_Biscuit/
May 26th, 2010 at 3:46 pm
Nice video production! I was just wondering if you used avid media composer? Great work!