Against the Grain
Indonesian furniture makers are finding it increasingly difficult to market their products overseas, because of ecolabeling requirements. Consumers will only buy products bearing the labeling, which certifies that the products are made of wood from a sustainable forest, not from a forest recklessly exploited without regard for ecology.
May 1, 2001
Getting a certificate, however, is a costly affair. "I've spent Rp60 million, but I have yet to get the certificate," furniture maker Arifin Mubarok complained during an ecolabeling seminar in Jepara, Central Java, earlier this month. The seminar, Ecolabeling: A New Challenge for Indonesian Exports, was organized by the local office of the trade and industry ministry.
Arifin said exports had fallen drastically since the ecolabeling requirement was
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