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)