The Ministry of Trade (Kemendag) stated that it would continue to encourage Indonesia to become a pioneer in the production of innovative, sustainable light wood in the global market. The Director General of National Export Development (Dirjen PEN) of the Ministry of Trade, Didi Sumedi, said that Indonesia could change its image in the eyes of the world, from producing tropical wood to producing innovative and sustainable wood with light wood. “Indonesia has the ability to seize the global market. For that, it takes courage to innovate, so that in the end the products produced have added value and are accepted in a wider market,” said the Director General of National Export Development at the Ministry of Trade in an official statement received by InfoPublik regarding the virtual event of The 6th Indonesian Lightwood Cooperation Forum (ILCF). on Tuesday (2/11/2021). The event was attended by the Chairman of the Indonesian Light Wood Association (ILWA) Setya Wisnu Broto; German Import Promotion Desk (IPD) Representative Frank Maul; representatives of Fairventures Worldwide Indonesia Charles Tanaka, and representatives of the Swiss Import Promotion Organization (SIPPO).
According to the Director General of National Export Development at the Ministry of Trade, current business developments and global trade activities encourage entrepreneurs to be more creative and innovative in order to compete through continuous business improvement. Sustainability issues will certainly continue to be echoed in business activities, although global economic and trade pressures due to the impact of the pandemic can increase the risk of unsustainable trade practices, especially for wood products. “Indonesia has demonstrated a commitment to sustainable trade in wood products through the Timber Legality Verification System (SVLK) and has become an identity for Indonesian timber and wood products. For that, SVLK must be introduced and encouraged in order to maintain the identity and self-image of the nation," he said. Furthermore, the Director General of National Export Development at the Ministry of Trade explained that there are five main reasons why Indonesia's light wood is superior to competing countries.
First, Indonesia is the only country with the best timber legality verification system accepted by the Euro Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) through the SVLK. Second, the Indonesian timber industry has transformed, no longer taking wood from natural forests, but plantation products that do not destroy forests. Third, Indonesia already has a pioneer company that is able to produce innovative light wood products so that it lifts the Indonesian light wood industry. Fourth, light wood supports a people's economy that allows households in rural areas to earn additional income from planting sengon or jabon wood. Fifth, sengon and jabon can grow quickly and produce within five years and there is no light wood in the world the same as sengon and jabon trees.
For this reason, he continued, the Ministry of Trade through the Directorate General of National Export Development encourages the development of the light wood sector as community wood so as not to damage nature. "This development will be realized by signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between three international organizations, namely SIPPO Switzerland, Fairventures, and IPD Germany. The MoU is to oversee the development of light wood as a whole,” he said.
