The business of forests: How Indonesia's forest certification system, Lembago Ekolabel Indonesia affects forest problems in Indonesia

Open Access
- Author:
- Mckinley Lester, Darcy Rose
- Area of Honors:
- Forest Science
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Michael Gregory Jacobson, Thesis Supervisor
John Edward Carlson, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- forest
forestry
forest certification - Abstract:
- Indonesia is home approximately ten percent of the world’s rainforests and an astonishing level of biodiversity. Approximately fifty percent of that land is still forested, yet that amount is declining every day. Deforestation is a huge problem in Indonesia, and more land is cleared each year for agriculture, expanding urban populations, and forest plantations (Durst et al 2006). Additionally, the remaining natural forests are increasingly degraded, leading to a loss of biodiversity and forest productivity (Ghazoul and Sheil 2010). Government regulations are in place to protect the remaining forests, yet the continued rate of deforestation and degradation give clear evidence that those regulations are coming to naught (Smith et al 2003). Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have limited resources and reach. Thus, there must be another way to protect Indonesia’s beautiful and invaluable natural resources. Many consider the solution to be market based, a system that relies on the desire of humans for profit and a better life: the solution is Indonesia’s forest certification system, Lembago Ekolabel Indonesia (Elliott 2000). Under the theory of forest certification, logging operations that operate sustainably are financially rewarded and thus there are incentives for those companies to preserve and propagate natural resources (2000). As additional companies realize the benefits of certification, more and more will become certified and thus will the forests be saved. Or at least, that is the assumption. However, extensive research reveals that forest certification may not be the panacea that many hope for. Case studies throughout Indonesia reveal that certification’s high cost, low monetary returns, and inability to monitor continuing sustainability greatly hinder its efficacy.