Indonesia reaffirms sustainable forestry commitment in meeting with Japanese firms

Indonesia reaffirmed its commitment to sustainable forest management during a meeting with representatives of Japanese companies Tokyo Gas Co Ltd and Hanwa Co Ltd, officials said as quoted by bisnisupdate.com.

Ade Mukadi, director of forest product processing and marketing development at the Ministry of Forestry, said forest management in Indonesia is carried out with attention to ecological, social and economic aspects.

The meeting was held after concerns raised by several NGOs in Japan that Indonesia’s wood pellet industry could contribute to deforestation.

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The two Japanese companies are buyers of wood pellets produced by PT Biomasa Jaya Abadi, which operates in Pohuwato, Gorontalo.

Officials said Indonesia applies several principles in forest management including sustainability, transparency, legality and protection of local and indigenous communities.

The government also highlighted the implementation of the verification system known as SVLK to ensure forestry products originate from legal and sustainable sources and comply with Indonesian regulations.

The ministry said the system enables full traceability of forestry products from forest areas to domestic and international markets.

Editing by Alexander Ginting