The true picture

MALAYSIAN farmers have over the last generation harnessed modern agricultural technology and techniques to increase their yields. This has been a blessing for consumers as it provides them with more food at lower prices. And it has also been a blessing for thousands of small farmers who are more productive, earning more income for themselves and their families.

But the successful adoption of high-yield agriculture has its critics, mostly among Western Environmental Non-Governmental Organisations (WENGOs). These groups claim that the conversion of forest land for agriculture is leading to alarming rates of deforestation. WWF and others have made it the primary cause of their global campaign against palm oil expansion.