True stats on palm oil

I REFER to the letter “Sustainability is a balancing act” (The Star, May 25) and would like to comment on several points raised by the writer, Professor Datuk Dr Ahmad Ibrahim.

Firstly, he stated that the oil palm industry plays a significant role in alleviating poverty in developing countries. I partially agree with him but would like to add that it is also undeniable that there are companies that are involved in land-grabbing activities, depriving locals of their land in the name of development and giving the oil palm industry a bad rap.