O

ne of the world’s leading sustainable forestry certification bodies is set to commence an investigation into destruction allegedly carried out by a Korean-Indonesian conglomerate called the Korindo Group in the virgin tropical forests in the eastern part of the archipelago.

The Bonn-based Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has accepted a complaint lodged by a global environmental group, Mighty Earth, against Korindo for allegedly causing deforestation in Papua and North Maluku, arguing that its activities were not in accordance with the FSC’s sustainability standards.

Along with several other environmental groups, Mighty conducted an investigation into Korindo’s aggressive land clearing in the four years since 2013 when it allegedly cleared 30,000 hectares of rainforests in Papua and North Maluku to plant oil palms, according to Mighty’s report, entitled “Burning Paradise.”

The FSC would establish a panel to oversee the probe, FSC’s Indonesia representative Hartono Prabowo said. Korindo’s four subsidiaries operating in Indonesia could see their FSC certification revoked if the body found the firm had breached the standards or the Policy for the Association of Organizations with the FSC.

“If the investigation concludes there is clear and convincing evidence that the Korindo Group violated the Policy for the Association of Organizations with the FSC as alleged by Mighty Earth in its complaint, the complaints panel could, within the scope of its mandate as dictated by the FSC’s Policy for Association, recommend the FSC board of directors disassociate from Korindo,” Hartono wrote in an email to The Jakarta Post recently.

The report also said there were 75,000 ha of untouched forest remaining in Korindo’s oil palm concession that are in imminent risk of destruction.

The report said that slash-and-burn practices were apparent as there were nearly 900 hot spots recorded within the concession areas of Korindo’s subsidiaries from 2013 to 2015.

The environment group also accused Korindo of neglecting the tribespeople living around in its concession areas. Mighty alleged that a Korindo subsidiary, palm oil company PT Gelora Mandiri Membangun, which was operating in South Halmahera in North Maluku, had denied the local people their customary rights.

Korindo brushed off the allegations saying that it was part of a “negative campaign” leveled at the company, Korindo Group corporate communications manager Yulian Mohammad Riza said. The company also said it welcomed the investigation, as it had also received a notification from the FSC regarding the probe.

“We will accede to any step taken by the FSC,” he told the Post through an email.

Yulian said the Korindo Group was committed to complying with Indonesia’s regulations on environmental protection. He also denied that the group had neglected the lives of native Papuans in its palm oil operations. The company claimed it had adhered to the regulation that requires concessionaires to consult with locals around their concession areas if they wanted to expand their plantations.

Agricultural expansion in forest areas has been a major driver of deforestation in Indonesia, the world’s largest palm oil producer. Rampant slash-and-burn practices to clear areas for plantation had also been blamed for causing the worst forest fires Indonesia had ever recorded in 2015, which resulted to environmental and economic losses, as well as fatalities. At least 19 people died and more than 500,000 people suffered from acute respiratory illnesses.

A moratorium the Indonesian government imposed on issuing permits in primary forests areas expired in late May, but the government has vowed to extend it in the near future. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has also promised to issue a moratorium on palm oil permits, but nothing has happened since he made the pledge in April last year.

Mighty campaign director Deborah Lapidus called the investigation a means to “help reveal the truth about Korindo’s destruction.”

“Korindo has destroyed vast areas of Indonesia’s remaining pristine rainforests, yet carries the green seal of approval from the world’s number one eco-label,” Deborah said, referring to the FSC certification.