HUMAN DISPLACEMENT BY MONOCULTURES

Early day motion 1435, tabled 28 April 2008 by Rudi Vis (Labour). Signed by 31 members.

That this House notes with interest the Friends of the Earth report Losing Ground on the many adverse human rights and environmental effects of large-scale palm oil plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia; further notes the widespread reports from the global South of human rights abuses and harm to local environments amid the advance of monocultures associated with the present commodities shock and biofuel drive, including of palm oil elsewhere and of soya, cotton, sugarcane and jatropha; further notes that 11,000 villagers are being displaced in Tanzania by jatropha plantations cultivated for the UK firm Sun Biofuels; urges that British and European decision-makers consult more actively with Southern non-governmental organisations when devising trade and energy policies; and also recognises the need to reduce the UK's ecological footprint in its national choice of energy sources, and the value of individuals doing so within a balanced diet by reducing consumption of animals.

Signatures by party: Labour 22, Liberal Democrat 3, Conservative 2, Social Democratic and Labour Party 2, Independent 1, Scottish National Party 1.