Why does Malaysia want to offer orangutans to palm oil buying countries?

A way to demonstrate your commitment to biodiversity conservation. Malaysia has announced plans to offer orangutans to palm oil-buying countries, launching an initiative reminiscent of China’s “panda diplomacy”, a minister said on Wednesday.

According to Raw Materials Minister Johari Abdul Ghani, the “orangutan diplomacy” strategy will involve offering these endangered apes to palm oil trading countries, especially major importers such as the EU and India.

The goal is to raise awareness among palm oil-buying countries about Malaysia’s environmental concerns as these orange-furred apes are endangered. Indeed, over the decades, their numbers have sharply decreased due to deforestation and human activity. In this way, Malaysia will show that “it remains committed to preserving biodiversity,” Johari Abdul Ghani noted on X.

But unwilling to give up this crop, which remains highly profitable, Malaysia decided to pursue this strategy to combine orangutan protection and economic imperatives. As Franceinfo notes, “This orangutan diplomacy is also a call for international funding to save these great apes, particularly through the creation of nature reserves. »

Strategy of influence in international relations

According to WWF, orangutans are critically endangered and are threatened primarily by habitat loss “due to deforestation, agricultural expansion, especially palm oil plantations, and infrastructure development.” Environmentalists say palm oil production is destroying tropical forests in Malaysia and Indonesia, where most of the world’s production comes from.

Johari Abdul Ghani called on palm oil companies to collaborate with non-governmental organizations to contribute to the conservation of Malaysia’s wildlife and provide technical expertise on the issue. Palm oil is used in foods, especially chocolate and margarine, as well as cosmetics, soaps and shampoos.

For China, panda diplomacy is a form of “soft power”, a strategy of influence in international relations. It enters into loan agreements for its pandas with foreign zoos, which, if they are born, usually have to return the little bears after a few years to join the country’s breeding program.