Ecolabeling to be a voluntary measure<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The International Tropical Timber Organization
\n(ITTO) said yesterday that ecolabeling will not become a non-
\ntariff trade barrier in the future because the measures will be
\napplied by tropical timber producers on a voluntary basis.<\/p>\n
ITTO's executive director, B.C.Y. Freezailah, told reporters
\nthat in the year 2000, when worldwide ecolabeling goes into
\neffect, consumer countries of tropical timber will be able to
\nchoose whether or not to import products from forests managed in
\na sustainable manner.<\/p>\n
"Because it's voluntary it will not become a trade barrier. It
\nis up to the consumers to choose between a good or bad product,"
\nFreezailah said.<\/p>\n
He expressed his hope that by the year 2000 all exports of
\ntropical timber from ITTO member countries will come from
\nsustainably managed forests.<\/p>\n
The ITTO, which is an inter-governmental organization under
\nthe United Nations, presently groups 51 countries.<\/p>\n
Twenty-four of these are tropical timber producing countries
\ncovering more than 75 percent of the world's tropical forest
\nresources, while the remaining 27 are consuming countries
\naccounting for more than 95 percent of the world's tropical wood
\nimports.<\/p>\n
The organization was established to ensure the implementation
\nof the provisions outlined in the 1983 International Tropical
\nTimber Agreement.<\/p>\n
"Now, every year the ITTO receives reports from government
\nagencies on how each member country is moving towards the year
\n2000," he said.<\/p>\n
"Last year, independent consultants mentioned that Indonesia,
\ntogether with Malaysia and Ghana, will be the most ready to
\nachieve sustainable development by the year 2000," he said.<\/p>\n
Freezailah, who is a member of the World Commission on Forests
\nand Sustainable Development, acknowledged that the ITTO has not
\ntaken a formal stance on ecolabeling and does not have any
\nauthority to ban or regulate countries which fail to comply with
\nthe requirements.<\/p>\n
He explained that ITTO is committed to promoting the trade of
\ntropical timber and the processing of timber to attain value-
\nadded products as well as better prices for tropical timber.<\/p>\n
"Any form of a ban or restriction on the (tropical timber)
\ntrade is against the spirit of our agreement," he said.<\/p>\n
Should a country or company fail to conduct sustainable forest
\nmanagement and continue selling its products, he said, "It can
\nsell but it may lose its market share".<\/p>\n
Presently, he said, 80 percent of timber on the global market
\noriginates from temperate and boreal forests and not from
\ntropical regions.<\/p>\n
Freezailah made his comments after signing an agreement
\nyesterday with the Ministry of Forestry and the Prosea (Plant
\nResources of Southeast Asia) Foundation, whose joint project to
\ncompile a reference book and a data bank on lesser-known
\nSoutheast Asian timber species will be sponsored by a Rp 2.25
\nbillion (US$978,260) loan from the ITTO under the agreement. The
\nbook will contain information on 320 genera of some 2,000 species
\nof lesser-known timber.<\/p>\n
The signing ceremony was attended by the ministry's Director
\nGeneral of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation R.
\nSoemarsono and a deputy head of the Indonesian Institute of
\nSciences, Aprilani Soegiarto.<\/p>\n
Since 1987, the ITTO has provided $8.5 million in loans to the
\nministry for research, rehabilitation, conservation, training and
\ninventory projects. (pwn)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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