KUALA LUMPUR: Governments should address the slash-and-burn practice among farmers which contributed to the frequent occurrence of haze.
WWF-Malaysia Conservation director Dr Henry Chan said it was crucial to gear agricultural practices towards greater sustainability while conserving forests throughout the supply-chain.
He said unsustainable agricultural practices, such as the clearing of land through the slash-and-burn technique, created unsanctioned fires which were exacerbated by the dry weather.
“This phenomenon is not a new occurrence but happens almost every year, resulting in a blanket of haze over Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.
“Sustainable agricultural production, both at industrial scale plantations and subsistence farming by local communities, can help mitigate the haze,” he said in a statement.
This, he said, included strengthening policies and enforcing regulations to keep forests from being converted and limiting land clearance and conversion to degraded areas only.
“Administrative and implementation procedures should also be put in place to mitigate and combat fires, with strict auditing to monitor compliance.
“WWF believes companies can be drivers of change to develop solutions for sustainably-sourced agricultural products from within the value chain.
“We applaud companies taking extra steps to work with others in their value chain to create and support models for sustainable production and best practices, including fire prevention and mitigation procedures.
“We also strongly believe that companies should take on the responsibility to communicate their sustainability initiatives to consumers to educate them on the importance of sustainable production and consumption.
“We need more companies to champion sustainability, rather than shy away from talking about it. Additionally, companies who are lagging should be pressured to adopt environmentally-friendly practices by governments, financial institutions and consumers.
“A new deal for nature and humans is needed to reverse the loss of nature as well as protect and restore nature by 2030 for the benefit of people and the planet.”
Chan said the governments – ranging from heads of state to ministers – as well as businesses, civil societies and the public need to pool their resources to strengthen the multilateral treaties such as the Paris Agreement on Climate Change that would come into force next year, as well as a new framework for the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) that would be adopted in 2020.
“These conventions together with the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals will lead to better national strategies for sustainable development,” he said.
He said consumers could also play a role by exercising their purchasing power which could collectively form a strong voice to demand more sustainable products to be made available on the shelves.
“One of the ways that this can be done is by buying certified sustainable products, such as those with the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certifications.
“When there is a demand for sustainably-produced products, there will be a higher likelihood that producers and manufacturers will increase sustainability in their production.”
keywords: slash-and-burn, haze, farmers, WWF-Malaysia, Dr Henry Chan, agricultural practices, sustainability