Laksmi Wijayanti, director general of sustainable forest management at the Forestry Ministry, has stressed the importance of raw material traceability and collaboration in strengthening supply chains for deforestation-free forest products.
“Products cannot be separated from the landscapes where they originate,” Laksmi said at the Indonesia Pavilion during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya on Thursday.
She made the remarks at a dialogue titled “Deforestation-Free Forest Products: Building Traceable, Transparent and Responsible Forest-Based Supply Chains”, which discussed transparency in the origin of raw materials and the management of forest-based product supply chains.
According to Laksmi, the development of deforestation-free supply chains must begin with sustainable forest management. Traceability must ensure that sources of raw materials are managed responsibly, with attention to legality as well as environmental and social aspects.
“Therefore, traceability must start from the forest itself, through clear governance, legal certainty, responsible management practices and effective protection of forest resources,” she said.
The Indonesian government continues to strengthen forestry governance through the Timber Legality and Sustainability Verification System (SVLK), supported by forestry administration, raw material verification, legality documentation and export monitoring. The effort is also backed by the National Forest Monitoring System (SIMONTANA), which provides information on forest cover, deforestation and forest resources to improve transparency and oversight.
Laksmi added that the use of technology and information systems must be accompanied by cooperation among institutions and the involvement of supply chain actors. She also stressed that traceability requirements should be applied inclusively so that they do not become a barrier for local communities, smallholders or small-scale businesses.
The government’s policy direction includes linking traceability systems with landscape-level monitoring and improving connectivity among national systems, certification schemes and market requirements. The efforts are aimed at ensuring that the transition to more responsible supply chains can involve all business players.
Diah Suradiredja, head of policy, advocacy and social inclusion at WWF-Indonesia, stressed the importance of connecting raw material traceability with the protection of forests, biodiversity and community rights. According to her, information on the origin of raw materials must be accompanied by field monitoring and community involvement to identify and address environmental and social risks in supply chains.
“Local communities and smallholders need access to information and assistance so that they can meet traceability requirements. Their involvement is important to ensure that deforestation-free supply chains also open up fair economic opportunities and support long-term forest protection,” Diah said.
Veronika A. Renyaan, head of stakeholder engagement and advocacy at APP Group, said the company applies a Supplier Evaluation and Risk Assessment (SERA) that covers 20 environmental and social indicators, along with field monitoring and communication with communities.
“Traceability is an important foundation, but sustainable results can only be achieved when good systems are supported by an understanding of conditions on the ground and consistent collaboration,” she said.
The dialogue also featured Thorsten Arndt, head of advocacy at PEFC International; Diah Suradiredja; and Christine Spady, senior trade policy adviser at Natural Resources Canada’s Canada Forest Service.
The discussion, moderated by Dominic Waughray, executive vice president of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), examined the role of certification, governance, traceability and collaboration in strengthening forest product supply chains. It took place amid growing global market demands for transparency on the origin of raw materials, product legality and the management of environmental and social risks.
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