Ecolabeling agency needs appraisal firms
Ecolabeling agency needs appraisal firms
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Forestry Djamaludin Suryohadikusumo says it is time the Indonesian Ecolabeling Foundation (LEI) set up appraisal companies to assess and determine the environmental sustainability of forests.
Djamaludin said in Medan, North Sumatra, Wednesday that only after an appraisal company had completed its job, could the government and security officials carry out law enforcement measures or apply stricter control over a certain forest.
He said the government was currently preparing forest products to be able to meet ecolabeling requirements, which will be applied globally -- albeit on a voluntary basis -- starting in the year 2000.
"Firstly, the Association of Indonesian Forest Concessionaires (APHI) must prepare its members by giving sound training, enforcing new rules and identify the aspects that its members must meet in order to get an ecolabel certificate," Djamaludin was quoted by Antara as saying.
Secondly, forest offices on the local levels will also be prepared and given a sound understanding of the ecolabeling concept.
"And thirdly, LEI must set up appraisal companies that can work honestly to assess Indonesia's forest resources," he said.
LEI was established to select and label wood produced in forests that have been managed in a sustainable manner. Wood products with ecolabels would be expected to gain wider market shares in certain countries, particularly in industrialized countries. LEI is headed by former minister of population and environment Emil Salim.
Earlier this week, Djamaludin said that only nine out of 61 forest concessionaires assessed by an eight-month pilot project for ecolabeling were found "adequately prepared" to meet ecolabeling requirements. None were "prepared" and 11 were found "totally unprepared".
Djamaludin pointed out yesterday that the issue was not on the number of concessionaires ready for ecolabeling but on how to prepare them to meet the requirements.
He said that in the short term, or until the year 2000, forest concessionaires in the country would not be able to comply with the "ideal" concept of sustainable forest management.
"Until the year 2000, they may only be able to abide by the standards set by APHI, which are far laxer than those set by LEI," he said. (pwn)