Rainforest Action

Media Release: Tropical Timber Importers urged to ban all kwila imports

2011-06-15T00:09:00.000-07:00

Indonesia Human Rights Committee And Rainforest Action, Auckland,

6 June, 2011

The Indonesia Human Rights Group and Rainforest Action commend the New Zealand Imported Tropical Timber Group (NZITTG) for its recent initiative in setting up a voluntary code of practice concerning illegally logged wood. From September NZITTG members will only import tropical timber products which have ‘credible third party verification of their legality of source.’

This is a step in the right direction, but we now urge the NZITTG to consider an additional ban on all imports of the tropical hardwood kwila, whether or not is certified ‘legal’.

Most of the kwila coming into this country comes from Indonesian controlled West Papua. It is a species under threat of extinction within a generation; it is sparse growing and takes up to 80 years to grow to maturity.

The NZITTG code will reduce the amount of kwila being imported, but under the proposed code of practice some kwila may still be imported to New Zealand.

A certificate of legality does not ensure that the product comes from a sustainably managed forest. Moreover, Indonesia’s regulatory system is weak and vulnerable to corrupt practices. The authorities are subject to huge pressure to allow forest clearance for the sake of lucrative palm oil plantations.

In Aotearoa we don’t log kauri to preserve the forests that remain, to be morally consistent we should be just as respectful of old growth forests in West Papua.

In the last 15 years millions of hectares of West Papua’s old growth forests have been felled – some 25 % of the total forest area. Military personnel are employed as security for legal and illegal logging operations and indigenous Papuans have no say over resource extraction.

The ITTG is made up of a number of organisations including major retailers Bunnings, Mitre 10, Carters, ITM and Placemakers.

No Kwila for Christmas - protest in Wellington against sale of endangered species

2010-12-15T13:03:00.000-08:00

Media Release
Rainforest Action
www.rainforest-action.blogspot.com
10am, 16 December 2010

No Kwila for Christmas - protest in Wellington against sale of endangered species

At 2pm on Thursday 16th of December, a protest organised by Rainforest Action will take place outside Fifth Avenue Furniture and Design at 230 Thorndon Quay, Wellington.

Protestors – including Green MP Catherine Delahunty and an orang-utan – will be noisily calling attention to the store’s sales of products made from kwila, an endangered species of timber that grows in the tropical rainforests of south-east Asia.

Kwila continues to be on the World Conservation Union's Red List of Threatened Species because it faces a "high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future". There is no current government regulation on the sale of unsustainably logged timber in New Zealand. Rainforest advocates have focused on Kwila because according to Government research it makes up 80% of illegally-sourced imported wood products into New Zealand.

This is the second event to occur this Summer as part of Rainforest Action’s ‘Don’t Buy Kwila’.

“As summer heats up, so does the sale of outdoor furniture and decking materials. Concerned consumers need to let retailers know that kwila products are not the way to go,” said Rainforest Action spokesperson Liz Willoughby-Martin.

“Tropical deforestation is one of the leading contributors to greehouse gas emissions and species extinction. But logging kwila is not only environmentally unsustainable; it also threatens the health, culture and livelihoods of people in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and West Papua.

“Relaxing in the sun doesn’t have to mean the destruction of rainforests. We will be demonstrating today to encourage furniture retailers and consumers to think about sustainability before buying and selling outdoor furniture this summer. We want retailers to leave the Kwila in the rainforests this Christmas.”

ENDS

For comment please contact:
Liz Willoughby-Martin on 021 118 0335

Visit www.rainforest-action.blogspot.com for further information.

Auckland & Wellington: Campaign against Kwila furniture continues

2010-12-13T18:40:00.000-08:00

Saturday, December 18, 12 noon, 533 Mt Eden Rd, Auckland Don’t Buy Kwila campaign continues.

Auckland stores are continuing to sell kwila furniture, despite sustained lobbying about the destructive impact deforestation has in West Papua, where most of the Kwila originates.

The NZ Government is also stalling on moves to ban the entry of illegally logged wood, and although Government acknowledges that Kwila is a threatened species it is not taking effective steps to protect Kwila.

Therefore we need to take action.

Please join us to give a peaceful reminder to “Country Road” furniture store 12 noon Saturday 18 December, 2010. Christmas is definitely not the time to trade in plundered rainforest kwila!

For further information: http://indonesiahumanrights.org.nz/

Thursday December 16, 2pm, Fifth Avenue Furniture and Design, 230 Thorndon Quay, Wellington Don't Buy Kwila campaign continues

It’s that time of the year again, when kwila and other illegally logged and unsustainable hardwoods turn up in outdoor furniture shops across the country.

Rainforest Action are organising a protest outside Fifth Avenue Furniture and Design, 230 Thorndon Quay, Wellington at 2pm on Thursday 16th December. Let’s let the owners know it’s not okay to sell kwila – and educate passer-by as we go.

With protest action and consumer pressure, Rainforest Action Group, IHRC, and others have already convinced lots of large retailers of outdoor furniture and decking to stop selling kwila.

Support the people of Papua New Guinea and West Papua. Deforestation is a massive contributor to global climate change and species loss.

"Stop buying kwila. Support indigenous people. Destruction of the forest is like killing people because they lose everything. They cannot have food, they can't get water. Logging companies pollute the water too." www.times.co.nz/cms/news/interview/2008/06/art100020587.php

For more information: http://rainforest-action.blogspot.com/

Trade Me to tweak rules around sale of kwila

2010-10-06T16:06:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, 6 October 2010, 10:23 am
Press Release: Green Party

Trade Me to tweak rules around sale of kwila

Online marketplace Trade Me is moving to regulate the trade of new kwila furniture or decking products, following discussions with the Green Party and a coalition of non-governmental organisations.

Kwila (also known as merbau) is an endangered rainforest timber. It is a sparse growing hardwood that takes 75 years to grow to maturity and could be extinct in 35 years if current rates of logging continue.

Trade Me said it made sense to bring the site’s restrictions in line with moves toward robust certification in other countries.

Under the new rules, Trade Me will only allow new kwila furniture or decking products to be sold that has been certified by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) or the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

Green Party MP and forestry spokesperson Catherine Delahunty, Rainforest Action and the Indonesia Human Rights Committee approached Trade Me in May calling for an end to the sale of kwila products via the site.

“Trade Me has shown a strong commitment to stop the sale of new illegally and unsustainably logged kwila products,” said Ms Delahunty.

“The rainforests are the lungs of the world. We need them to avoid the worst outcomes of climate change. They are the home of indigenous peoples and endangered species.”

Many other countries have already regulated against endangered and illegally harvested rainforest timber, including the USA and the European Union.

The new government in Australia made an election promise to ban the importation of illegally logged timber.

“In New Zealand we only have voluntary guidelines, and the Green Party believes that FSC is the only truly robust certification. The Government can significantly improve the scrutiny of timber entering the country.

“The Green Party is delighted that Trade Me has stepped up to the challenge, and hopes the Government will assist ethical companies and our own forestry industry by regulating this destructive trade.”

ENDS

Protest at Wellington Bunnings over sale of kwila

2010-10-02T21:46:00.000-07:00

Media Release: Wellington Rainforest Action Group
Protest at Wellington Bunnings over sale of endangered species

At 12noon on Saturday 2nd October a protest organised by Rainforest Action Wellington will take place outside the Tory Street store of Bunnings Warehouse in the Wellington CBD, calling attention to the store’s sales of unsustainably logged timber products.

The picket marks the start of Rainforest Action's Summer 2011 campaign to raise timber and furniture customer awareness of the issues associated with rainforest destruction. Previous actions have focused on other companies trading Kwila including BBQ Warehouse, Design Warehouse, 4 Seasons Furniture and TradeMe.

Kwila is an endangered tree found primarily in West Papua and Papua New Guinea. There is no current government regulation on the sale of illegally logged timber in New Zealand. Rainforest advocates have focused on Kwila because according to Government research it makes up 80% of illegally-sourced imported wood products into New Zealand.

Kwila continues to be on the World Conservation Union's Red List of Threatened Species because it faces a "high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future".

“The logging of Kwila threatens to make the tree extinct in the wild, contributes to climate change through deforestation and has resulted in indigenous people being forced from their lands. Human rights groups have documented the imprisonment and torture of locals who dare to resist the logging” said Rainforest Action spokesperson Liz Willoughby-Martin. “While Bunnings Warehouse state they source Kwila timber products through Tropical Forest Trust (TFT) and Verified Legal Origin (VLO) forest projects, this does not mean the timber is logged sustainably or justly.

“The logging of Kwila cannot be sustainable. Kwila is an endangered species which will vanish completely in 35 years if current rates of logging continue. On top of this, a significant amount of New Zealand-bound Kwila is exported from West Papua, a province colonised by Indonesia.

“Bunnings Warehouse is planning to slowly introduce other outdoor furniture timber options into the store’s range, but unfortunately this will not be fast enough to save the Papuan rainforest.”

"Bunnings Warehouse needs to broaden their “zero tolerance” approach to illegal logging to include endangered, unsustainable and unjustly logged timber products such as Kwila," Willoughby-Martin concluded.
ENDS

Say No To Kwila protest: Saturday the 2nd of October @ Noon

2010-09-30T02:21:00.001-07:00

Say No To Kwila protest: Saturday the 2nd of October @ Noon.
Meet outside Bunnings Warehouse, 46 - 56 Tory Street, Wellington

*Bring a whistle and wear green*

It's estimated that Kwila trees (mainly from Papua New Guinea and WestPapua) will go extinct in 35 years if current rates of loggingcontinue. The use of illegally logged Kwila results in speciesextinctions, contributes to climate change and creates human rights abuses. Human rights groups have documented the torture and imprisonment of indigenous people who have resisted.

In the past, Rainforest Action protests have led to New Zealand retailers stopping the sale of Kwila products. We need to take astrong stand to halt the destruction of the Papuan rainforest the illegal logging and call on Bunnings Warehouse to SAY NO TO KWILA!

Bunnings responds

2010-09-29T17:51:00.003-07:00

Below is the response from Bunnings to our letter to them:

-----------------------------
Bunnings would like to let people know that we have operated a zero tolerance approach to illegal logging for many years and we do not understand why we are being associated with these claims by the Rainforest Action Group.

Please read our recent response to RAG and make up your own mind. We welcome your contact via our website on this issue and would be happy to discuss any concerns or queries on this issue.

Dear Omar,

Thank you for your letter dated 7th September regarding concerns surrounding the sale of timber products made from kwila.

Bunnings has an absolute “zero tolerance” to illegal timber and we share the concerns that you raise in relation to illegally logged Kwila.

Bunnings has been committed to real action on this issue for almost a decade now. We began working with Greenpeace in 2001 and first introduced our sustainable timber purchasing policy in 2003. Since then Indonesian Kwila and indeed all tropical hardwoods from South East Asian forests have been a focal point of our actions.

In 2006 we began a third party Verified Legal Origin (VLO) pilot program targeting key Kwila decking suppliers in Indonesia. This identified opportunities and pitfalls within those supply chains and where a VLO CoC or alternatively a Tropical Forest Trust source was achievable.

This pilot led to Bunnings implementing a specific requirement for all 100 per cent tropical timber products to achieve a minimum of VLO by January 2009. This result has been substantially achieved in relation to Kwila products in New Zealand and we continue to raise the bar by challenging our suppliers to transition from VLO to “Credibly Certified” status.

We are proud of this achievement and the fact that our policy has been able to influence positive change in Malaysian and Indonesian forests.

As quoted in the June 2006 independent report “A Review of the Current Policies & Practices Employed by Timber and Timber Product Importers to Determine the Legality of Supply”, funded by the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry:

“The key driver identified for the adoption of written policy and practices to determine legality was an annual survey undertaken by a major customer, Bunnings, to support their Timber and Wood Purchasing Policy. This market based driver has been very successful. Many of the timber importers nominated their reason for having a procurement policy was due to this initiative by Bunnings.”

As an example of this in New Zealand, since 2009 all Bunnings Kwila outdoor furniture has been sourced exclusively from suppliers who are members of the Tropical Forest Trust and are progressing with action plans under the guidance of the TFT to ultimately achieve FSC certification.

We have always taken a collaborative approach on these issues and have actively sought the advice of Greenpeace, WWF, and other accredited bodies, who have assisted with framing a policy for imported tropical hardwoods.

Further to active involvement in the NZTTIG over many years, Bunnings is also part of the WWF Global Forest Trade Network and joined Greenpeace Australia as the leading retail signatory to a joint letter calling the Australian Government to regulate illegal timber imports in June 2009. We are hopeful that this legislation will be passed in Australia which may assist the New Zealand Government in framing a similar approach.

Bunnings remains committed to providing products for our customers that originate from legal and well managed forests, and we believe that customers and team members have a right to demand this of us. While we make no claim to be perfect we are sincere in our efforts to do the right thing and reduce our impact on the environment.

We believe that the best way of achieving this goal is through engaging with suppliers of tropical timber products so we remain in a strong position to influence better forest practices and outcomes for local communities.

If you wish to discuss this matter in more detail please feel free to contact our New Zealand General Manager, Rod Caust or myself.

Kind Regards,

John Gillam

Managing Director

Bunnings Group Limited

End sales of Kwila timber products

2010-09-06T21:22:00.000-07:00

John Gillam,

Managing Director,

Bunnings Limited

78 Carbine Road, Mt Wellington, Auckland 1060.

Kia ora John,

As you will be aware environmental and human rights campaigners have for some years been asking retailers who sell Kwila timber products such as decking and outdoor furniture to stop selling these products.

The key concerns that campaigners have are:

· If present rates of logging continue this species of tree will be extinct in the wild in less than 35 years. A mere 17% of the original stands of Kwila still exist and these are under threat from logging. Kwila takes 75 years to grow to maturity and it cannot be grown in sustainable plantations.

· The World Bank has reported 70 to 80 percent of Kwila logging is illegal and the New Zealand Government has estimated up to 80 percent of illegally-sourced wood products sold in New Zealand is Kwila.

· Australia and New Zealand take 60 percent of Papua New Guinea's sawn Kwila. The UN has identified tropical deforestation as the single biggest man-made contributor to greenhouse emissions; responsible for 20 percent of emissions. In Indonesia, an area of forest at least the size of Wales (around 2 million hectares) disappears every year. In Papua New Guinea, because of illegal logging 58 of the 260 known mammal species and 33 of the 720 known bird species are threatened.

· In 2007 the NZ government estimated that illegal logging cost the New Zealand forest industry NZ$266 million a year in lost revenue. Recent redundancies in the forestry sector show how NZ wood producers are being undercut by those who import illegally logged timber including for use in decking and furniture.

· Much of the Kwila in New Zealand comes from the forests of the Indonesian controlled province of West Papua, where human rights groups such as Amnesty International have documented the vicious and corrupt military forcing villagers off their lands and torturing and imprisoning those opposed to the logging. Fifty members of the U.S. Congress signed a letter to President Obama this year stating that there is strong indication that the Indonesian government has committed genocide against the Papuans and calling for West Papua to be made a priority concern.

In the last two years some of New Zealand’s largest retail companies and others have begun to stop selling Kwila products including Harvey Norman, BBQ Factory and Design Warehouse. The European Union and the United States have recently passed laws to stop the sale of illegal timber and the Australian Labor Party has made an election promise to ban sales of illegally logged timber. New Zealand currently has no such regulations.

In the absence of Government regulation to stop imports of illegally logged timber we are urging all Kwila retailers to commit this year to ending sales of Kwila. Companies that continue to sell Kwila are directly undermining the New Zealand forestry economy, supporting human rights abuses, and accelerating rainforest destruction and climate change.

We look forward to your response.

Omar Hamed,

Organiser, Rainforest Action

www.rainforest-action.blogspot.com

Time to shut the door on illegal wood imports

2010-08-10T23:32:00.000-07:00

FOREST OWNERS ASSOCIATION
MEDIA RELEASE
10 August 2010

Time to shut the door on illegal wood imports

The government needs to urgently adopt measures to prevent products from illegally logged foressts being sold in New Zealand, says the Forest Owners Association.

In Australia the Labor Party has today promised if re-elected to impose such a ban. That would put Australia in line with the United States, the European Union and a growing number of other countries.

“It is disappointing that New Zealand, which has such a good story to tell about sustainable forestry at home, has been so nervous about doing anything meaningful about this damaging trade,” says president Peter Berg.

“Illegal logging and deforestation are among the biggest contributors to climate change and the loss of biodiversity world-wide. It is also associated with violence against indigenous people living in tropical forests.

“Closing off the markets for illegally logged products is the only tool that has been shown to have an effect on this trade.”

The last New Zealand Labour Government adopted a policy of requiring kwila lumber imports to carry a certificate verifying that they came from legal sources. However when National came to office in 2008, this policy was abandoned in favour of continuing talks with affected countries.

Mr Berg says this was a disappointing backward step.

“Last year, we joined with other groups in our sector in supporting a private member’s Bill sponsored by Green MP Catherine Delahunty. That would have required all imports of timber and wood products to be legal, sustainable and certified by reputable certification processes.

“Unfortunately, the government chose to vote against Ms Delahunty’s Bill at the first reading, which meant it could not be considered by a select committee.”

Mr Berg says it appears that the government fears a mandatory labelling policy will cause offence to other countries.

“But it has other options. Recent legislation in the United States makes it illegal to import forest products that do not meet the legal requirements of the country of origin,” he says.

“Indonesia could hardly object if we did the same – we would simply be requiring New Zealand importers to demonstrate they were complying with Indonesian law.”

Mr Berg says the New Zealand forest industry is committed to sustainable forestry and “illegal logging is not sustainable”. It also unfairly sullies the reputation of wood and forest products from sustainably managed plantation forests.

“It is hard to find a land use which is more environmentally friendly than plantation forestry as practised in New Zealand. Also, our government strictly enforces laws relating to the sustainable harvest of logs from native forests.

“The ethics and the economics of illegal logging directly affect New Zealand and our neighbours in the Pacific. Opposing the trade in products from this unsavoury business is a cause where New Zealand should stand up and be counted.

“In the meantime, consumers should ask retailers to provide evidence that decking timber, outdoor furniture and other forest products, like fire logs, come from legal sources before they buy.”

[ends]

Australian Labor to move against illegal logging

2010-08-10T23:23:00.001-07:00

Radio Australia:

The Australian government has announced plans to introduce tough new rules on the sourcing of timber imports into Australia.

Backed by members of the international environment lobby, the timber import industry and the unions, Australia's environment minister, Tony Burke, says a reelected Labor government would clamp down on any timber sourced illegally. The new rules would shift the responsibility from the overseas source to wholesale buyers in Australia.

If reelected in this month's general election, the Australian Labor Party will introduce new rules in 2011. Any Australian company unwilling to sign up will be unable to import timber. Those who do will have to ensure their supplies are from legal sources or face criminal charges. Environment campaigners have been calling for this for years. The chief executive of Greenpeace Australia Pacific, Linda Selvey, joined Mr Burke for a press conference on Tuesday.

SELVEY: Every year, Australia imports 840 million dollars worth of illegally logged timber and timber products. For the first time the government is proposing legislation that will ban the importation of illegally logged timber into Australia.

Some facts on illegal logging and New Zealand

2010-07-30T18:08:00.000-07:00

Impact of illegally logged timber on New Zealand economy

For the New Zealand forestry sector estimates from the Radiata Pine Market Model suggest that the benefit of eliminating illegal logging is a US$175 million (2.4 percent) to US$302 million (4.2 percent) increase in the net present value of producer revenue (at 10 percent discount rate, 2008 onwards), depending on the extent of illegal logging eliminated. For the sawmilling sector the estimated benefit is less; US$96 million (0.5 percent) to US$143 million (0.7 percent). For the wood processing sector (wood panels to prefabricated housing) estimates from the Global Forest Products Model suggest that the benefit of eliminating illegal logging is US$880 million (2.4 percent) to US$2,012 million (5.4 percent).

Beyond the direct benefits to the forest industry assessed in this study, the trade distorting effects of illegal logging have potentially significant economic implications at the national level, in terms of lowering investment in forest development. This results in higher carbon liabilities for countries, such as New Zealand. It also reduces the provision of other benefits provided by forests, such as watershed and biodiversity protection. At the global level, trade distortions due to illegal logging likely discourage forest investment that could address global deforestation.

James Turner, Andres Katz and Joseph Buongiorno, Implications for the New Zealand Wood Products Sector of Trade Distortions due to Illegal Logging; A report prepared for the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, July 2007, available at: http://www.maf.govt.nz/forestry/illegal-logging/trade-distortion-implications/Final_Report.pdf, p.164.

Illegal logging is on the decline because of stricter regulation

The data suggest that illegal logging worldwide has reduced by almost a quarter over the last decade, based only on estimated reductions in Brazil, Cameroon and Indonesia. Around 17 million hectares of forest may have been protected from degradation and possible eventual destruction as a result – an area larger than England and Wales combined. This in turn could have contributed to the avoidance of between 1.2 and 14.6 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions – more than half the amount which is emitted through human action worldwide each year.
...
Actions to tackle illegal logging by governments and the private sector in consumer countries have played an important role [in reducing illegal logging] in Cameroon, and were also a driver in Indonesia.
...
In consumer countries, there are limits to how much more can be achieved solely by procurement policies and voluntary private-sector action driven by NGOs.

Sam Lawson and Larry MacFaul, Illegal logging and related trade; indicators of a global response, July 2010, http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/files/16950_0710pr_illegallogging.pdf

New Zealand regulation remains significantly behind the US and EU

Importers of wood products may want to keep an eye on newly passed regulations in last month’s farm bill. New amendments added to the Lacey Act aim to cut down on illegal logging. Depending on how strongly the new provisions are enforced, the law could have implications for the furniture industry’s supply chain.

The legislation creates a requirement for importers to declare the species and country of origin of any plant or plant product, including wood. Penalties range from $250 to in excess of $500,000 with a possibility of jail sentence for knowingly sourcing, or failing to exercise due care when sourcing, products that contain illegal timber or plants.
Heath E. Combs, Updated Lacey Act becomes world’s first ban on illegal logging, June 2008, available at: http://www.furnituretoday.com/article/46783-Updated_Lacey_Act_becomes_world_s_first_ban_on_illegal_logging.php

The European Parliament has voted to ban imports of illegal timber. From 2012, companies importing timber will need to prove where it came from, and will face legal sanctions if they do not comply with the new law.

"It is good news that Europe has finally agreed to crack down on illegal timber, creating a level playing field for responsible retailers," said Ian Cheshire, CEO of Kingfisher plc, the parent company of European DIY giants such as B & Q, Castorama and Screwfix.
Richard Black, European Parliament bans illegal timber, July 2010, available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10557228

Kwila is the problem

Merbau/kwila may comprise around 80 percent of the issue for sawn timber imports and is also a major factor with flooring and outdoor furniture. Hence a measure to target this species could address a major source of NZ’s illegal timber problem.

In interviews with timber importers and wholesalers the report found that the four NZTIA members (timber importers and wholesalers) they talked with,

Request that Govt assistance required to undertake promotion and awareness of legality (and sustainability) issues with public.

Six non-NZTIA timber importers and wholesalers spoke to said,

Estimate approximately 70% of tropical timber is imported from illegal sources – but is difficult to differentiate legal from illegal.

All support the legality concept in order to ensure industry credibility but are concerned about additional administrative burden and cost

Ogle Consulting, Research into labelling of legal timber products and policy options to improve the legality of timber products in New Zealand, available at: http://www.maf.govt.nz/forestry/illegal-logging/labelling-of-illegal-timber-products/legality-of-timber-final.pdf

Summary

Illegal logging prevents our local forestry, saw milling and wood processing sector from growing.
Illegal logging is on the decline internationally because of pressure from consuming countries to halt illegal logging.
The New Zealand timber industry on the whole supports regulation to ensure that illegally logged timber is not sold in New Zealand.
Globally the trend is for increasing pressure on retailers to prove legality of supply before being allowed to market timber products.

What you can do

Buy 'Say no to Kwila' stickers for $1 each from Rainforest Action by emailing Omar on omarhamed123@gmail.com
Send a donation to the Indonesia Human Rights Committee.
Join the demonstrations next summer outside retailers selling Kwila. Go to Global Peace and Justice Auckland and join the email list.
Tell everyone you know- don't buy Kwila and other tropical hardwoods!

Activists call on Trade Me to stop sale of kwila

2010-05-30T05:12:00.001-07:00

On Thursday 27 March activists took to the windy streets of Wellington to tell TradeMe to stop allowing sales of Kwila. Here's a report from the NZPA and some images from frogblog.

With the message 'Trade Me, not trade trees,' 15 activists today challenged auction website Trade Me to stop the sale of illegally-logged kwila on its site.

The Indonesia Human Rights Committee, rainforest activists, and Green Party MP Catherine Delahunty met chief executive Jon McDonald outside his office with a letter -- the third since April.

The committee has been lobbying to stop the trade of kwila, which it says comes illegally from dwindling forests in Papua New Guinea and West Papua for years.

Spokeswoman Maire Leadbeater said progress had been made with The Warehouse, the BBQ Factory, and Harvey Norman boycotting kwila, but about 200 products, including decking timber and furniture, continued to be sold on Trade Me every day.

"When kwila products are listed for sale on the internet, they generally do not make any reference to certification and most potential buyers would not be aware that they were considering buying a product sourced from a once pristine, old forest."

She said the deforestation affects the environment, and is tragedy for the indigenous people in West Papua, who rely on the ancient forests for food, water, and medicine.

Ms Delahunty said a small percentage of kwila was sold with Forest Stewardship Council certification, but if in doubt, people should not buy it.

"The products of it undermines forestry industry. It undermines the sovereignty of the countries where people don't want their forests destroyed. And it undermines the environment," she said.

Mr McDonald said he would consider the proposal, but couldn't guarantee anything.

"Whenever we look at these things, we look at a full range of options. Everything from an outright ban to more information on our site, so that our consumers and our sellers know about the issue."

He said he would think about the proposal and consult with experts and government departments for advice.

"We do want to do the right thing in these kind of issues. We need to go away and do some homework," he said.

You can read more about the campaign to stop imports of Kwila and other tropical timbers at the Rainforest Action blog.

Wellington protest: Stop sales of Kwila on TradeMe

2010-05-20T23:11:00.000-07:00

Stop sales of Kwila on TradeMe

Date:	Thursday, 27 May 2010
Time:	12:30 - 14:30
Location:	Meet outside Te Papa before heading to the Trade Me Headquarters: 11 Cable St

Join human rights and rainforest activists taking their campaign against the import of kwila to the Trade Me Headquarters: 11 Cable St, Wellington on Thursday 27 May.

The action will be enlivened with street theatre featuring an endangered cassowary from West Papua.

Several major Kiwi companies including The Warehouse, The BBQ Factory and Harvey Norman have accepted that selling rainforest kwila is unethical and unsustainable and have now stopped stocking it. But every day on Trade Me upwards of 200 products made from kwila are listed for sale by auction.

Spokesperson Maire Leadbeater said “ Trade Me prides itself on its ethical reputation and recently put in place procedures to restrict the trade in ivory because elephants are listed with the CITES convention as endangered. But the ethical issues are just as serious with kwila the species faces extinction in less than 35 years if logging continues. Each kwila tree takes 75 years to grow to maturity, and it has already been logged out of most of its former Asia-Pacific range. Almost all of the kwila outdoor furniture and decking on sale in New Zealand is made from wood sourced from the rainforests of Indonesian-occupied West Papua, where illegal logging is the norm.”

Join the movement against imports of Kwila - www.rainforest-action.blogspot.com

New decade – new protests at Auckland furniture shops selling Kwila

2010-01-27T16:06:00.000-08:00

Indonesian Human Rights Committee
Box 68-419, Auckland
27 January, 2010

New decade – new protests at Auckland furniture shops selling Kwila

The Indonesia Human Rights Committee and activists from Rainforest Action will demonstrate outside the premises of ‘Devon Lifestyle’ at 308 Ti Rakau Drive, East Tamaki, at 12 noon on Saturday 30 January. Devon Lifestyle is a major retailer and distributor of outdoor furniture made from kwila. As usual our demonstration will include street theatre and an endangered cassowary.

Almost all of the kwila outdoor furniture on sale in Auckland is made from wood sourced from the rainforests of Indonesian-occupied West Papua, where illegal logging is the norm. The New Zealand Government has estimated that 80% of illegally logged wood coming into this country is kwila. Kwila faces extinction in less than 35 years if logging continues.

“ We cannot rely on our Government to save the kwila. The Policy recently released by Cabinet is a leave it to someone-else policy. There will be no attempt to control the import of illegal or unsustainable timber products, and just ‘encouragement’ for retailers to provide documentation so that customers have some idea what they buying – no mandatory product labelling. ”

“Our Government will support the proposal for kwila to be listed with Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), Appendix 11 – but only if others take the lead!”

“This is too little and too late –each kwila tree takes 75 years to grow to maturity and western demand for palm oil is driving rampant deforestation. Another 6.2 million hectares of pristine forest has recently been permitted for clearance in West Papua.” .

“It is great that several Kiwi companies including The Warehouse, The BBQ Factory and Harvey Norman have accepted that selling rainforest kwila is unethical and unsustainable and have now stopped stocking it. We hope Devon Lifestyle will soon make the move.”

“The loss of tropical rainforests is one of the main contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Furniture retailers and consumers should also consider the human rights abuses that are intrinsic to major logging operations in West Papua where the security forces are involved at every stage of the industry. Forest destruction is a tragedy for indigenous people who rely on these ancient forests for food, water and medicine.”

For further information: Maire Leadbeater (Indonesia Human Rights Committee) 09-815-9000 or 0274-436-957

Don't buy Kwila!! Protest 30 January

2010-01-20T15:48:00.000-08:00

The first action for the decade against the sale of rainforest kwila is being organised for Saturday 30 January by Rainforest Action and Indonesia Human Rights Committee (Auckland)

"Don't Buy Kwila" demonstration in Auckland: 30 January 12 noon outside kwila furniture retailer: Devon Lifestyle 308 Ti Rakau Drive

Protect the Rainforest and the people of West Papua. Protect the climate. Save kwila from extinction.

Please advise if you can come and if you need transport or can offer transport.

Maire Leadbeater
Indonesia Human Rights Committee
maire@clear.net.nz

Protest at Country Road Decor

2009-12-11T20:15:00.000-08:00

EIA REPORT: Up for Grabs: Deforestation and Exploitation in Papua's Plantations Boom

2009-11-11T15:03:00.000-08:00

Up for Grabs: Deforestation and Exploitation in Papua's Plantations Boom
Massive Land Grab for Plantations in Papua Threatens Vital Forests and Exploits Local Communities
November 10, 2009

PRESS RELEASE
By Environmental Investigation Agency and Telepak (contacts below)
For immediate release

Up for Grabs: Deforestation and Exploitation in Papua's Plantations Boom
PDF File [1.45 MB] DOWNLOAD: http://www.eia-international.org/files/news566-1.pdf

10th November 2009, Jakarta: - The planned expansion of plantations in the Papuan provinces of Indonesia should be immediately suspended and reviewed amid concerns over massive deforestation and widespread exploitation of local communities, environmentalists warned today.

A new report released by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and Telapak – entitled “Up for Grabs” – exposes how five million hectares of land, most of it forested, is being targeted in Papua by powerful companies seeking to cash in on projected demand for biofuels, derived from crops such as oil palm, and other commodities. This land grab is provoking conflicts with local communities and threatens the third largest area of remaining tropical forests on Earth.

Field investigations carried out by EIA/Telapak at seven locations in Papua and West Papua Provinces during 2009 reveal a stark picture of government condoned exploitation of traditional landowners, many of whom are being enticed, tricked and sometimes coerced into releasing large swathes of forested land for plantations on the basis of unfulfilled promises of development benefits such as improved transport, schooling, and housing.

In one case EIA/Telapak encountered a four year old boy, son of a local landowner, who had to sign a contract so that the plantation company could ensure control of the land for decades.

The new report documents widespread dissatisfaction among local communities persuaded to release land for conversion to oil palm plantations. The rate of compensation encountered is shockingly low – the best price paid was $45 per hectare for a 35-year lease, while the worst rate was $1.5 per hectare. EIA/Telapak also found companies clearing forest for plantations illegally before the necessary permits had been obtained, with full government knowledge.

Hapsoro of Telapak said: “Companies are tricking Papuans into giving up their land for oil palm plantations based on empty promises about their future welfare. This is all happening with the backing of the government in the name of development.”

The plantations boom in Papua is being driven by a raft of government policies promoting the development of biofuels, principally oil palm, yet management of the sector is chaotic and non-transparent. The government intends to expand the area under oil palm cultivation from six million hectares to 20 million hectares. Much of this massive growth is planned in Papua because the forests of Sumatra and Kalimantan are already largely saturated with plantations. Indonesia became the world’s biggest producer of palm oil in 2007.

As well as attracting major Indonesian companies, the lure of cheap land for plantations, coupled with substantial amounts of valuable timber from clearing forests, overseas investors are moving into Papua. EIA/Telapak uncovered a Hong Kong-based company registered in an offshore tax haven obtaining over 300,000 hectares of heavily forested land in southern Papua. In its publicity the company claims it will “improve” the forest by felling 200,000 hectares and replacing it with oil palm to supply biofuels to industrialised countries seeking to reduce carbon emissions.

As the crucial Copenhagen climate meeting approaches, the consequences of deforesting large swathes of Papua for conversion to plantations are clearly negative. Scientific research carried out in Indonesia shows that replacing intact or logged-over forest with oil palm for biofuels has an adverse impact on greenhouse gas emissions.

Jago Wadley, Senior Forest Campaigner at EIA said: “Indonesia’s climate change council recognises deforestation must be curbed if the country is to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. The government has also claimed biofuels will not mean deforestation. Yet EIA/Telapak investigations have found massive deforestation in Papua is being driven by national and international demand for biofuels in the name of climate change. With Indonesia already the world’s third largest carbon emitter due to its rapid forest loss, this is policy incoherence of the highest order.”

EIA/Telapak is calling for the Indonesian government to suspend any further award of plantation licenses in Papua until strong safeguards to support the rights of local communities and protect forests are put in place. It is also calling for the international community to address the role played by consumption of plantation commodities and timber as a key driver of deforestation.

--- ENDS ---

Video and still images also available on request. Full version of the report ‘Up for Grabs’ available at www.eia-international.org and www.telapak.org.

For further information, please contact:

• Jago Wadley, EIA: +62 813 86621940 (mobile)
Email: jagowadley@eia-international.org
• Hapsoro, Telapak: +62 815 85719872 (mobile)
Email: hapsoro@telapak.org . …/more

Editor’s Notes:

• The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) is an independent environmental non-profit group based in London and Washington DC. More information at www.eia-international.org
• Telapak is an independent environmental organization based in Bogor, Indonesia. More information at www.telapak.org
• Papua and West Papua hold the largest remaining areas of forest in Indonesia, following a decade of destructive and illegal exploitation elsewhere in the country.

Protest: Did Mitre 10 get the message?

2009-11-01T03:47:00.000-08:00

On a sunny Saturday afternoon, over twenty-five people including high school students and veteran activists protested outside the Grey Lynn Mitre 10 calling for the company to stop selling Kwila furniture. A letter was delivered to the store Manager and the protest got lots of toots and waves of support from passers-by. Police were called when protesters marched to the entrance to give the protest letter to the Manager. A great start to the Summer 2010 campaign with one of the largest protests so far against stores selling Kwila. Protesters wore cassowary, tree and chainsaw costumes to highlight to customers that Kwila means rainforest destruction. Let's hope Mitre 10 gets the message, because there's more protest action on the way this summer.

SAY NO TO KWILA- Protest to stop Mitre 10 Selling Kwila Furniture

2009-10-27T16:02:00.000-07:00

SAY NO TO KWILA

Protest to stop Mitre 10 Selling Kwila Furniture

Where: Ponsonby Mitre 10, 272 Richmond Road. Opposite Woolworths.

When: 12pm-1pm, Saturday October 31^st 2009

Organised by Rainforest Action and the Indonesia Human Rights Committee.

Over the last year the BBQ Factory, Harvey Norman, Design Warehouse and Placemakers have all committed to phasing out Kwila furniture due to sustained campaigning and protest action.

For more information contact Omar Hamed on 029-455-5789 or omarhamed123@gmail.com | www.rainforest-action.blogspot.com

Environmental groups at odds over hardwood imports

2009-10-19T01:53:00.000-07:00

Environmental groups are at odds over the importation of a tropical timber.

Kwila from unsustainable sources has been imported for many years, but now shipments of kwila certified as sustainable by the Forest Stewardship Council are coming into New Zealand from Malaysia.

Greenpeace supports that, but other groups don't.

Grant Rosoman of Greenpeace says that kwila is being over-exploited but that harvesting it sustainably is acceptable, and that Greenpeace has confidence in the certification process.

Greenpeace's stance differs from that of the Indonesian Human Rights Committee, which opposes any imports of kwila, regardless of its sustainability.

The committee's Maire Leadbeater says that kwila is a threatened species and that people in the areas where the hardwood trees are grown are powerless against wealthy outside interests.

Given that the tree is so important to old-growth forests and takes up to 80 years to grow to maturity, she says, the simplest and most important message is "Don't buy kwila".

The Rainforest Action Coalition says Greenpeace is out of step on the issue.

Listen to Rainforest Action Coalition, Indonesian Human Rights Committee and Greenpeace debate the issues on Radio New Zealand.

New Zealand, the palm industry and rainforest destruction

2009-10-18T17:48:00.000-07:00

New Zealand, the palm industry and rainforest destruction

Devastated rainforest and peatlands in Indonesia. © Greenpeace / Oka Budhi.

Your chance to learn about the campaign to stop imports from palm industry and protect the old growth forests and people of Indonesia and West Papua.

Hear:

Simon Boxer:

Greenpeace senior climate campaigner

Max Purnell:

Independent farmer who accompanied Greenpeace to Indonesia to assess the impact of Fontera’s palm kernel imports

Catherine Delahunty:

Green Party MP, sponsor of the new bill to combat deforestation

Maire Leadbeater:

Indonesia Human Rights Committee and ‘Don’t buy kwila campaign’

Date: Tuesday, 27 October 2009, 7pm

Venue: Lecture theatre 404, Engineering bldg, Symonds Street, Auckland University

Sponsored by: Greenpeace, 11 Akiraho St, Mt Eden Phone 630-6317

and

Indonesia Human Rights Committee email: maire@clear.net.nz

Kwila & Trademe - a report from the field

2009-10-10T21:15:00.000-07:00

Rainforest Action recently recieved an email from an anti-logging agent busy in the field. This was his report:

Kwila & TradeMe
Heaps of people are trading and dealing with kwila on trade me. In a search for a few random items on trade me the other day, the word ‘kwila’ flashed onto the screen. So I decided to press on this item and ask the seller a question or two. What resulted was a discussion on their trade me advertisement. Not the best look for them and the sale of their product. So it was fun and I thought I would share my Friday nights entertainment with ya. If we can all bombard kwila sellers on trade me, we could have a major impact. Just type in kwila and hundreds come up. www.trademe.co.nz

How to do it (The fun bit)
1. Go to trade me www.trademe.co.nz
2. Type in the search box ‘kwila’
3. Click on item you would like to question.
4. Click on ‘ask seller question’
5. Copy some of the text below or write your own into the question box.
6. Job done.

Here are a few messages I wrote.
• Is it still legal to sell timber from the rainforests of the tropics?
• I still can't comprehend how you could be supporting the chopping down of ancient trees from other nations forest, to be used for our outdoor furniture.

Enjoy,
James

Action Alert: Questioning World Bank Palm Oil Funding and Forest Carbon Finance in Indonesia

2009-09-11T22:07:00.000-07:00

Ombudsman report on 20 years of corrupt IFC, World Bank Group lending to the Indonesian oil palm industry casts doubt on Bank's fitness to manage international forest carbon funds that may emerge at Copenhagen climate talks. It is time for the World Bank to end finance of oil palm, sustainable forest management, paper pulp and other industrial rainforest developments known to be the root causes of deforestation, degradation and climate change. The Bank must permanently end financial support for these industrial developments impacting primary rainforests, or it is the wrong entity to administer forest carbon monies.
Read more

Summer 2010 - No Kwila campaign

2009-09-11T22:00:00.001-07:00

This summer help Rainforest Action kick Kwila out of outdoor furniture & decking stores around Aotearoa. Order a bulk order of bumper stickers and get the message out to the buying public.

"SAY NO TO KWILA"

Demonstrations continue at Carters

2009-08-23T03:24:00.000-07:00

Protests continued at Carters building supplies over the weekend as Rainforest Action and IHRC activists took the message to Carters workers and customers that selling and buying Kwila was costing rainforests, local jobs and the climate. This demonstration was at Carters Morningside.

The protest comes just a week after Green party MP Catherine Delahunty and West Papuan human rights campaigner Paula Makabory toured the country raising awareness about the issue. See a report and photoes here.

BBQ Factory ends Kwila sales as Papuan activist tours

2009-08-13T20:25:00.000-07:00

Major outdoor furniture retailer the BBQ Factory has commited to ending sales of illegally and unsustainably imported Kwila just days before a national speaking tour by West Papuan activist Paula Makabory highlighting human rights violations. Momentum against imports and sales of Kwila is building with the drawing of Green MP Catherine Delahunty's sustainable timber bill in Parliament.

On Monday a dozen demonstrators targeted Carters building supplies on the North Shore. Carters sells Kwila imported from a forestry concession owned by the brutal Indonesian military.

More info: NZ Herald article | Rainforest Action | How we can fight climate change without even trying

Green Party e-card

On 7 August Green MP Catherine Delahunty launched an e-card to support her Member’s bill that will regulate the import of illegal and unsustainable tropical timber and wood products.

The Customs and Excise (Tropical Timber) Bill requires that all imported timber and wood products are certified as legal and sustainable. Many of these products — from kwila decking and garden furniture to teak ornaments — have some kind of label, but not all labels are credible as research from groups such as Greenpeace has uncovered. See Greenpeace’s Good Wood guide for more information or the Green Party's Rainfrorests page for more information.

Peace Movement Aotearoa notice: West Papua speaking tour

* About Paula *

Paula Makabory is a resolute defender of women's rights and human rights. After graduating from Cendrawasih University, Jayapura, in 1997, Paula worked with ELSHAM, the Papuan human rights NGO, documenting human right violations in Timika, a town near the massive Freeport McMoran mine which has caused shocking environmental and social degradation.

In 2006 she was named as one of the '1000 women for peace' nominated jointly to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. However, accolades for her work have not protected her from controversy, and she currently lives in exile in Melbourne where she is working with the Institute for Papuan Advocacy and Human Rights.

Paula is also at the heart of the West Papuan lobby for peaceful dialogue with Indonesia as a step towards resolving longstanding grievances, working to establish West Papua as a land of peace.

* Public meeting details *

* Auckland, Monday 10 August

~ West Papua: Land of peace - public meeting at 7.30pm, Supper Room, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn. Organised by Global Peace and Justice Auckland, Indonesia Human Rights Committee and Pax Christi, contact email maire@clear.net.nz

* Wellington, Tuesday 11 August

~ Lunchtime Forum - 1.30pm to 2.30pm, Centre for Global Action meeting room,
Level 2, James Smith Building, corner Cuba and Manners Streets. Organised by Council for International Development, if you are planning on attending, please RSVP to email Nikki@cid.org.nz

~ West Papua: human rights, environment, and peace - public meeting from 6pm to 7.30pm, Mezzanine Floor Meeting Room, Wellington Central Library. Organised by Peace Movement Aotearoa, contact email pma@xtra.co.nz There is a printable flyer for this event available at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/wp-pm110809.pdf

* Christchurch, Thursday 13 August

~ Creating a Land of Peace: Issues in West Papua - lunchtime seminar, 1.10pm, Room 208, Te Ao Marama Building, Arts Road, University Of Canterbury; Organised by the Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies, contact email mbcps@canterbury.ac.nz

~ Human Rights in West Papua - public meeting at 7.30pm, WEA Room 3, 59 Gloucester Street. Organised by Christian World Service and Arena, contact email gillian.southey@cws.org.nz There is a printable flyer for this event available at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/wp-pm130809.pdf

Letter to Nick Smith on Illegal logging

2009-07-16T20:10:00.000-07:00

9 July 2009

Honourable Nick Smith,
Minister for Conservation
Freepost Parliament
PO Box 18888, Wellington

Dear Minister,

On 18 June Catherine Delahunty’s Customs and Excise (sustainable forestry) Amendment Bill was drawn from the ballot and remains before parliament for consideration before its first reading.

The bill, if passed, would prevent decking and outdoor furniture retailers from importing products unsustainably harvested or from illegal forestry concessions. We believe that there are a number of very good reasons for the National Party to support this bill in its first reading and send it to the select committee stage.

Human rights and environmental groups have over the last few years been lobbying successive Government and retailers to regulate to end imports and sale of illegally or unsustainably logged timber products. Maire Leadbeater recently published a column in the New Zealand Herald, How we can help the fight against global warming without trying, detailing the need for decisive Government intervention. We know that the question for banning illegally or unsustainably logged wood is one of ‘when’ and not ‘if’ and are urging politicians to support this bill through parliament.

The impact of these imports occurs firstly in the source country, globally via climate change and locally through its impact on the New Zealand forestry industry. One of the main unsustainable and often illegally logged timber products sold in New Zealand is Kwila. In 2008 Government stated that an estimated 80% of all illegally logged wood coming into this country is Kwila.

The following paragraphs demonstrate the various impacts of Kwila harvesting specifically and illegal logging generally in source country, on climate change and on New Zealand. However other species such as African mahogany have been listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and there continued import into New Zealand compounds and encourages the very high risk they face of extinction in the wild.

Impacts at country of origin

• If present rates of logging continue this species of tree will be extinct in the wild in less than 35 years. A mere 17% of the original stands of Kwila still exist and these are under threat from logging. Kwila takes 75 years to grow to maturity and it cannot be grown in sustainable plantations.

• Most Kwila outdoor furniture in Auckland stores comes from the forests of Indonesian controlled province of West Papua, where human rights groups such as Amnesty International have documented the vicious and corrupt military forcing villagers off their lands and torturing and imprisoning those opposed to the logging.

• The World Bank has reported 70 to 80 percent of Kwila logging is illegal and the New Zealand Government has estimated up to 80 percent of illegally-sourced wood products sold in New Zealand is Kwila.

• In Papua New Guinea, because of illegal logging 58 of the 260 known mammal species and 33 of the 720 known bird species are threatened. Australia and New Zealand take 60 percent of Papua New Guinea's sawn Kwila.

Climate change inducing impacts

• The UN has identified tropical deforestation as the single biggest man-made contributor to greenhouse emissions; responsible for 20 percent of emissions. In Indonesia, an area of forest at least the size of Wales (around 2 million hectares) disappears every year.

Impacts on the New Zealand economy

• In 2007 the NZ government estimated that illegal logging cost the New Zealand forest industry NZ$266 million a year in lost revenue. Recent redundancies in the forestry sector show how NZ wood producers are being undercut by those who import illegally logged timber including for use in decking and furniture.

--

Although research has been done on the impacts of this logging, no study has measured the full impact of these imports in a period of global economic recession. A select committee process will aid the Governments understanding the impact of unsustainably and/or illegally logged timber on countries of origin, on climate change and on the New Zealand economy and ensuring that a responsible decision is made.

Our questions to you are, what is the National Party’s position on this bill; and will you vote in favour of this bill at its first reading and send it to a select committee? We look forward to hearing your response within the next week.

Yours sincerely,

Omar Hamed

On behalf of,

Omar Hamed
Rainforest Action Coalition

Maire Leadbeater
Indonesian Human Rights Committee

Indonesia to clean up timber exports

2009-07-10T18:22:00.000-07:00

Agence France Presse - July 6, 2009

Jakarta -- Indonesia will launch a new system of independent
certification for all timber exports to combat ;grantwidespread illegal
logging, the forestry minister said Monday.

From September all timber leaving the country must be certified
by an independent body of business and NGO representatives, Malam
Sambat Kaban told reporters.

"With the existence of Indonesian timber certification, we hope
that export destination countries can better accept (imports) and
as a consequence should be better able to enforce laws so that
they can handle companies that receive illegal timber," Kaban
said.

"There is already (certification in Indonesia) but now those
giving the certification are independent, non-governmental
bodies," he said.

The certification launch comes amid recent measures by developed
nations to stem the inflow of illegally obtained forest products,
including a 2008 amendment to the Lacey Act in the United States
banning trade in illegally sourced plants and plant products.

Indonesia, with vast tracts of rain forest, struggles with high
rates of deforestation and illegal logging, aided by poor law
enforcement and widespread corruption.

Kaban himself has been accused of being a soft touch on illegal
logging after he wrote a letter of recommendation to a Sumatra
court two years ago that helped a wealthy timber baron get off
charges of illegally logging billions of dollars worth of trees.

Maire Leadbeater: How we can help the fight against global warming without trying

2009-07-08T00:53:00.000-07:00

4:00AM Thursday Jun 18, 2009
By Maire Leadbeater

If New Zealand could make a contribution that would help prevent further global warming but make virtually no impact on our lifestyle, we would go for it, wouldn't we? If we could also count on this action to boost local industry there would be no stopping us - right?

Actually, not so when it comes to banning the import of illegally logged wood, almost all of it from tropical old growth forests.

The previous Labour-led Government commissioned a study in 2007 to investigate the cost to New Zealand's wood industry of the global illegal logging trade. The estimated annual cost to our sawmillers, paper and pulp producers and forest owners was $266 million.

Around 80 per cent of the illegally logged wood coming into New Zealand is kwila, (also known as merbau) favoured for decking and outdoor furniture because of its hardy qualities.

Policy papers emphasised Government concern that illegal logging was driving deforestation and contributing to global warming. But instead of banning illegally logged woods, a softer programme of "preventive" measures was agreed.

These measures included dialogue with wood exporting countries, educating consumers and a plan to introduce better labelling of furniture and other wood products. The Government also undertook to join the international effort to have kwila, which is listed as a threatened species with the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species.

Our new Government appears to be backing away from its predecessor's plans for education and mandatory labelling of products. This means that consumers won't get information about whether a product has been made from legally sourced wood unless the retail outlet has its own code of practice.

Forestry Minister David Carter also hopes that international climate change negotiations will result in developing countries getting money for protecting their forests - thus reducing the "drivers" for deforestation and illegal logging.

But this approach to forest crime is not much help to a country like Indonesia, which has already signalled it needs help to deal to the demand end of the problem. Local leaders in West Papua have banned the export of unprocessed logs and rough sawn timber, but export controls are weak and frequently breached.

In 2005 it was revealed that 300,000 cubic metres of kwila were being smuggled out of West Papua every month and sent to China. Enforcement action was taken and the trade reduced - for a time.

While there are vast "no questions asked" markets for illegal wood, it is a sure thing that the timber barons will continue to bribe and manoeuvre their way around local legislation.

Why the softly, softly approach? Former Forestry Minister Jim Anderton worried that a ban could "be vulnerable to challenge under the WTO [World Trade Organisation] and create potential risks for New Zealand's wider trading interests".

However, in contrast to New Zealand's laissez-faire approach, Europe and the United States are tightening their controls on illegally logged wood. Last year the US banned the import of all plant products that were sourced outside the law in their country of origin and imposed strict requirements on importers.

This year the European Union adopted stricter certification rules on timber sold within the bloc's markets.

Member states must move towards an effective system of labelling all products and there will be an EU-wide system of penalties and sanctions.

Almost all of the kwila coming to New Zealand is sourced from the island of New Guinea, which holds the last large stretches of undisturbed forest in the Asia-Pacific region. The island, which is shared by Indonesian controlled West Papua and the independent nation Papua New Guinea, holds a treasure trove of biodiversity.

For the indigenous people the forest offers natural medicines, vegetables, fruits, fish and animals, as well as all the materials for houses, traditional boats, firewood and fences. A West Papuan saying is: "The forest is our mother."

Greenpeace estimates remaining kwila will be gone within 35 years but that takes into account only legally sanctioned logging. Kwila grows sparsely - five to 10 trees a hectare. It takes 75-80 years to grow to maturity and has a spreading canopy. It is not hard to imagine the destruction caused by selectively felling this lovely tree.

Greenpeace insists that for every current use of kwila there is an alternative sustainably sourced wood that will do the job. Eucalyptus and macrocarpa match up well in terms of durability and hardiness.

Radiata pine continues to be the most popular decking wood. If there is any "sacrifice" involved in choosing a pine deck it is minimal if deforestation costs are taken into account.

Scientists say that when it comes to greenhouse gas production, tropical forest destruction is second only to the energy sector. Deforestation amounts to between 18 per cent and 25 per cent of the global emission load of greenhouse gases.

The Indonesia Human Rights Committee has been promoting a simple "don't buy kwila" message and has been delighted that some major retailers have decided to discontinue stocking kwila. However, we were disturbed when Mr Carter said our campaign showed that the voluntary approach is effective.

We have no illusions that dialogue and demonstrations can be a substitute for government action, when profits are to be made. A quick internet search for kwila products on sale locally proves this point.

When it comes to the air we breathe and the forests that nurture us, relying on a voluntary code makes no sense. We need strong government action.

* Maire Leadbeater is spokeswoman for the Indonesia Human Rights Committee.

Letter to Bunnings from the IHRC on Kwila decking

2009-07-04T17:46:00.000-07:00

The Managing Director,

Bunnings Ltd,

Support Office,

78 Carbine Rd,

Mt Wellington.

11 April, 2009

Dear Managing Director,

This summer the Indonesia Human Rights Committee (IHRC) and a newly formed organisation “Rainforest Action” have campaigned against the sale of sale of products made from rainforest kwila. This campaign has involved both demonstrations and dialogue with the retail outlets that continue to sell kwila.

We are now approaching other retailers , including your firm, that we have not previously been in contact with.

IHRC has ascertained that most of the kwila products on sale in Auckland are sourced from Indonesian controlled West Papua. West Papua and its neighbour Papua New Guinea hold the Asia Pacific region’s last significant tracts of undisturbed and unique rainforest.

The Indonesia Human Rights Committee does not believe that sustainable logging of kwila is a realistic goal and we note that Greenpeace’s research indicates that kwila will be extinct in 35 years if current rates of logging continue.

West Papua is prey to a logging ‘mafia’ with powerful military backers. In recent years some measures have been imposed to reduce the illegal logging trade and some traders have been tried, but Indonesia’s relatively weak judicial system has ensured that many powerful logging bosses continue to escape justice. Local community groups in West Papua are trying to stop the destruction of their traditional land and their all important food basket, but they are isolated, lack resources and are subject to military intimidation. It is estimated that 80% of the logging in West Papua is conducted illegally.

You are probably aware that the question of establishing legality is very fraught and that documents issued by the Indonesian Forestry authorities cannot be considered to be credible proof of either legality or sustainability. In Indonesia timber transportation documents or permits are freely available on the black market. To our knowledge no kwila coming from West Papua comes with independently audited proof of legality or reliable third party certification.

In 2006 scientists made international headlines with their discovery of a ‘lost land’ in the pristine wilderness of the Foja mountains, deep in the tropical forests of West Papua. There they found new species of plants birds and mammals confirming the status of West Papua as one of the most biodiverse areas in the world.

While the Governor of Papua, Barnabas Suebu, and other leaders are trying to stem deforestation, there is new pressure from Jakarta to allow more areas to be opened up for lucrative palm oil plantations.

The New Zealand Government has highlighted the close association between kwila imports and the issue of illegal logging. In 2008 Government stated that an estimated 80% of all illegally logged wood coming into this country is kwila.

Internationally, deforestation is a major contributor to global warming and responsible for at least 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions. When old growth forests are cut down the world loses an irreplaceable ‘carbon sink’- scientists estimate that undisturbed tropical forests are absorbing nearly one fifth of the C02 released by burning fossil fuels.

We understand that Bunnings has a clear commitment to sustainability in all its retail practices. We believe that Bunnings also wishes to stock only products that are sustainably sourced.

We therefore hope that Bunnings will now cease importing all products, including decking, made from kwila. We believe that there are alternative timbers to kwila for every current use. We would also be very interested to know of Bunnings buying plans with respect to kwila made products for the 2009-2010 season.

We look forward to hearing from you,

Yours sincerely,

Maire Leadbeater

(for the Indonesia Human Rights Committee)

Papua Official Sounds Warning on Illegal Logging, but Trees Keep Falling

2009-07-04T17:44:00.000-07:00

Jakarta Globe June 06, 2009 Christian Motte

An environmental activist protesting against illegal logging on World Environment Day in Aceh’s provincial capital, Banda Aceh. (Photo: Hotli Simanjuntak, EPA)

Papua Official Sounds Warning on Illegal Logging, but Trees Keep Falling

Papua Deputy Governor Alex Hasegem said illegal logging in the province had reached alarming levels and that the police needed to act against those responsible.

“I hope the police will arrest and prosecute anyone caught logging illegally,” Hasegem said.

Authorities in Papua have taken steps to curb illegal logging, Hasegem said, citing a prohibition on the export of logs from the province. The authorities have also encouraged the development of local wood industries and regulated logging concessions.

Septer Manufandu, who heads the Cooperation Forum of Papua’s NGOs, said the province’s forests were threatened with extinction from expanding palm oil plantations, continued logging by concession holders and the permission given to cut down trees to make way for the 1,650-kilometer-long Trans Papua Highway.

Septer said illegal loggers had little reason to fear the courts, with most people arrested for the crime being acquitted.

Figures from the Ministry of Forestry showed that there were 28 concession holders sharing 5.9 million hectares of forest in Papua, while in neighboring West Papua, 4.6 million hectares of forest were divided among 25 concessions.

The most recent case of illegal logging in the province occurred in April, when police confiscated 190 cubic meters of Merbau logs at Jayapura harbor that were being readied for shipment to Surabaya, East Java.

Bambang Rudi Pratiknyo, the chief detective at the Papua Police, said the logs were accompanied by forged documents and the drivers of the 38 trucks owned by PT Anugerah Bucend Cendrawasih, which had transported the logs to the harbor, were being questioned.

In Sorong, West Papua, police are investigating a case of illegal logging in the West Papua Natural Resources Conservation Center. The case is believed to involve several officials from the Sorong Prosecutor’s Office, as well as the office’s former head. Police have so far confiscated some 500 logs, or about 2,500 cubic meters, of the termite-resistant Merbau wood.

In 2008, police confiscated 13,000 cubic meters of Merbau logs believed to have been illegally felled in the Kaimana district of West Papua. Six suspects have since been arrested in the case.

In Wamena, Papua, prosecutors have recommended between two and three years in jail for four men accused of illegal logging there. Prosecutors also demanded that the suspects, who are accused of felling trees without proper permits, be fined Rp 30 million ($3,000) each.

Say No to Kwila - Picket Wairau Park - 1pm Saturday

2009-02-18T02:56:00.000-08:00

Kia ora,

After three weeks of pickets across Auckland against 4 Seasons continuing to sell Kwila, come along to the final demonstration in this stage of the campaign against Kwila.

For two months protests have targeted the 4 Seasons shops, with no sign that management are closer to ending selling Kwila. We want to send a strong message that the resistance will not go away. That we will try new tactics and go down new avenues of struggle.

Where: 4 Seasons, Link Drive
When: 1pm, Saturday 21 February (Cars leaving from swap-a-cloth @ Cityside Church, 8 Mt. Eden Road, Newton in the city at 12.30pm and returning around 2pm)
Who: Rainforest Action and Indonesian Human Rights Campaign

See you on the streets~!

More info: www.rainforest-action.blogspot.com

· If present rates of logging continue this species of tree will be extinct in the wild in less than 35 years. A mere 17% of the original stands of Kwila still exist and these are under threat from logging. Kwila takes 75 years to grow to maturity and it cannot be grown in sustainable plantations.

· The World Bank has reported 70 to 80 percent of Kwila logging is illegal and the New Zealand Government has estimated up to 80 percent of illegally-sourced wood products sold in New Zealand is Kwila.

· Australia and New Zealand take 60 percent of Papua New Guinea's sawn Kwila. The UN has identified tropical deforestation as the single biggest man-made contributor to greenhouse emissions; responsible for 20 percent of emissions. In Indonesia, an area of forest at least the size of Wales (around 2 million hectares) disappears every year. In Papua New Guinea, because of illegal logging 58 of the 260 known mammal species and 33 of the 720 known bird species are threatened.

· In 2007 the NZ government estimated that illegal logging cost the New Zealand forest industry NZ$266 million a year in lost revenue. Recent redundancies in the forestry sector show how NZ wood producers are being undercut by those who import illegally logged timber including for use in decking and furniture.

· Most Kwila outdoor furniture in Auckland stores comes from the forests of Indonesian controlled province of West Papua, where human rights groups such as Amnesty International have documented the vicious and corrupt military forcing villagers off their lands and torturing and imprisoning those opposed to the logging.

Four weeks of protests for shops selling Kwila

2009-02-18T02:53:00.000-08:00

For Immediate Release
Joint Media Release- Rainforest Action & Indonesian Human Rights Committee
10am Friday 30th January

Four weeks of protests for Auckland furniture shops selling Kwila

Rainforest Action and the Indonesian Human Rights Committee are planning a month of protests outside all Auckland stores of the nationwide furniture chain Four Seasons, in response to the company’s continued selling of outdoor furniture made from illegally logged Kwila. The protests will run over four consecutive Saturdays from 1pm-3pm, beginning on January 31st.

Kwila, a tropical hardwood is logged in the rainforests of Papua New Guinea and in Indonesian occupied West Papua. The New Zealand Government has estimated that 80% of Kwila imports are illegally logged. Projections of current Kwila stands predict that if current logging rates continue the tree will be extinct in the wild in less than 35 years.

Rainforest Action spokesperson Ryan Bodman said, “Other Kiwi companies including The Warehouse and Harvey Norman have accepted that selling rainforest Kwila is unethical and unsustainable and have either stopped stocking it or have begun to phase it out. Four Seasons continues to market and sell Kwila, knowing full well that in doing so they contribute to rainforest destruction and the human rights abuses that come hand in hand with the operations of the forestry corporations and the Indonesian military.”

“Enjoying a BBQ cooked meal on an outside table is a great thing to do during summer but there are plenty of products made of sustainable wood which avoid the human and environmental impacts of Kwila furniture,” continued Mr. Bodman.

The logging of Kwila means the loss of livelihood for indigenous tribe’s people who rely on these ancient forests for food, water and medicine.

“The United Nations states that rainforest destruction continues to be the biggest human contribution to climate change. If Four Seasons continues to sell kwila then they will continue to be the target of protests by people who want to stop climate change and support the Papuan people in their struggle for self-determination,” concluded Mr. Bodman.

The demonstrations will be held at the Four Seasons stores in Wairau Park, Henderson and Botany. It is hoped that by the end of the month Four Seasons will have recognised that rainforest plundered Kwila has no place in New Zealand. Four Seasons has already been the target of a series of protests outside their Wairau Park store.

Ends

Campaign against rainforest destruction and the sale of Kwila - How you can help

2009-02-03T18:20:00.000-08:00

The Indonesian Human Rights Committee and the Rainforest Action Group are stepping up protests against the furniture & building supplies stores which continue to sell outdoor furniture or decking made from Kwila.

As part of our effort to stop the destruction of Kwila, we need organisations and individuals to commit to supporting this campaign and ending the destruction of the Papuan rainforests.

1. Attend a demonstration against Kwila

Dermonstrations and protests have ben used to great effect. The following companies agreed not to stock Kwila after protest action - Harvey Norman, BBQ Factory & Design Warehouse. If you'd like to be kept in the loop about upcoming demonstrations join the Global Peace and Justice Auckland email newsletter list by emailing Mike Treen mike@unite.org.nz.

2. Donate to the campaign

Support the campaign by making a donation to the fighting fund.

Kiwibank: 38-9004-0979528-02

3. Sign the support statement

Email maire (at) clear.net.nz to sign-on to the campaign support statement.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

We, the undersigned organisations and individuals, call on the New Zealand Government to ban the import of Kwila wood in all its forms; and call on all companies to pledge not to sell Kwila. We do so for the following reasons.

· If present rates of logging continue this species of tree will be extinct in the wild in less than 35 years. A mere 17% of the original stands of Kwila still exist and these are under threat from logging. Kwila takes 75 years to grow to maturity and it cannot be grown in sustainable plantations.

· The World Bank has reported 70 to 80 percent of Kwila logging is illegal and the New Zealand Government has estimated up to 80 percent of illegally-sourced wood products sold in New Zealand is Kwila.

· Australia and New Zealand take 60 percent of Papua New Guinea's sawn Kwila. The UN has identified tropical deforestation as the single biggest man-made contributor to greenhouse emissions; responsible for 20 percent of emissions. In Indonesia, an area of forest at least the size of Wales (around 2 million hectares) disappears every year. In Papua New Guinea, because of illegal logging 58 of the 260 known mammal species and 33 of the 720 known bird species are threatened.

· In 2007 the NZ government estimated that illegal logging cost the New Zealand forest industry NZ$266 million a year in lost revenue. Recent redundancies in the forestry sector show how NZ wood producers are being undercut by those who import illegally logged timber including for use in decking and furniture.

· Most Kwila outdoor furniture in Auckland stores comes from the forests of Indonesian controlled province of West Papua, where human rights groups such as Amnesty International have documented the vicious and corrupt military forcing villagers off their lands and torturing and imprisoning those opposed to the logging.

Yours Sincerely,

Indonesian Human Rights Committee

Rainforest Action Group

——————————————————————————————————

4. Get educated about Kwila and West Papua

Scientists agree that the world's rainforests are the best natural defense against climate change because they store vast amounts of carbon. For example, Indonesian old-growth rainforests store almost 750 tons of carbon dioxide – the equivalent of 620 flights between New York and London – per acre. When cleared, rainforests release that carbon into the atmosphere, furthering global warming rather than curbing it.
ran.org/campaigns/rainforest_agribusiness/resources/fact_sheets/growing_disaster_how_agribusiness_expansion_into_rainforests_is_threatening_the_climate/

"Western demand for kwila is not only killing the forests, it is also killing our people," he said. "The forest is seen as our mother, which provides us with food, water and shelter - and when that is taken away, our people lose everything."

Mr Manufandu said the illegal logging activities has caused much suffering and devastation among his people, and migrant workers of logging companies also spread diseases such as Aids to the forest people.
www.nzherald.co.nz/forests/news/article.cfm

"Stop buying kwila. Support indigenous people. Destruction of the forest is like killing people because they lose everything. They cannot have food, they can't get water. Logging companies pollute the water too."
www.times.co.nz/cms/news/interview/2008/06/art100020587.php

On June 16 Harvey Norman wrote to the IHRC to announce that they will no longer source 'any new Kwila products from any suppliers' and that they will 'cease all our sales of Kwila products 21 March 2009.'
indymedia.org.nz/feature/display/71861/index.php

Last summer the Indonesia Human Rights Committee conducted a retail survey and found that Auckland was awash with outdoor furniture and decking made from kwila sourced from Indonesian controlled West Papua. Kwila has already been stripped out of the rest of Indonesia and other South East Asian nations and there is a strong international drive for kwila to be listed as an endangered species. Greenpeace estimates that the wood is only 35 years away from extinction as a species.
www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0708/S00284.htm

The problem of logging of engdangered timber crosses the full gamut - the dislocation and intimidation of indigenous people, the destruction of ancient rainforests and biodiversity, the knock on effect on climate change as these old growth forests are stripped bare, governmental and private industry corruption, and the effect on foresters and manufacturers who do attempt to use sustainably and legally logged timber and find their products unable to compete.
blog.greens.org.nz/2007/04/22/killing-kwila/

The story so far...

2009-01-12T20:48:00.000-08:00

On Saturday 6 December, a Global Day of Action against Climate Change, a coalition of human rights and environmental activists came together as Rainforest Action to launch a campaign to end the sale of Kwila furniture in Auckland.

Kwila is a tropical hardwood, predominantley illegally logged and sold in Asia and across the West. The current rate of logging threatens Kwila with extinction in less than 35 years. There are plenty of other reasons to boycott Kwila as well

Building on the success the Indonesian Human Rights Committee had protesting against Harvey Norman [ 1 | 2 ] the protest targeted an inner-city retailer of Kwila- Design Warehouse. Design Warehouse quickly agreed to phase out the selling of Kwila.

From mid-December to mid January activists organised pickets across Auckland of 4 Seasons, a national chain of outdoor furniture shops. The campaign will continues build in 2009 with Green MP Catherine Delahunty's Sustainable Forestry Bill being drawn from the ballot and protests across the country focusing on Carters building supplies.

In August 2009 BBQ Factory commited to ending sales of Kwila just days before a national speaking tour by West Papuan activist Paula Makabory highlighting human rights violations.

In 2010 after protests in Wellington led by Green MP Catherine Delahunty, TradeMe, the online auction site, tightened rules surrounding the sale of Kwila; and Bunnings committed not to sell Kwila in it's 2011-2012 range after a demonstration in Wellington and lobbying by the Indonesia Human Rights Committee.

But we need your help.

Email omarhamed123(no..spam...)gmail.com to get involved in the campaign.

Rainforest Action

Media Release: Tropical Timber Importers urged to ban all kwila imports

No Kwila for Christmas - protest in Wellington against sale of endangered species

Auckland & Wellington: Campaign against Kwila furniture continues

Trade Me to tweak rules around sale of kwila

Protest at Wellington Bunnings over sale of kwila

Say No To Kwila protest: Saturday the 2nd of October @ Noon

Bunnings responds

End sales of Kwila timber products

Time to shut the door on illegal wood imports

Australian Labor to move against illegal logging

Some facts on illegal logging and New Zealand

Activists call on Trade Me to stop sale of kwila

Wellington protest: Stop sales of Kwila on TradeMe

Stop sales of Kwila on TradeMe

New decade – new protests at Auckland furniture shops selling Kwila

Don't buy Kwila!! Protest 30 January

Protest at Country Road Decor

EIA REPORT: Up for Grabs: Deforestation and Exploitation in Papua's Plantations Boom

Protest: Did Mitre 10 get the message?

SAY NO TO KWILA- Protest to stop Mitre 10 Selling Kwila Furniture­

Environmental groups at odds over hardwood imports

New Zealand, the palm industry and rainforest destruction

Kwila & Trademe - a report from the field

Action Alert: Questioning World Bank Palm Oil Funding and Forest Carbon Finance in Indonesia

Summer 2010 - No Kwila campaign

Demonstrations continue at Carters

BBQ Factory ends Kwila sales as Papuan activist tours

Letter to Nick Smith on Illegal logging

Indonesia to clean up timber exports

Maire Leadbeater: How we can help the fight against global warming without trying

Letter to Bunnings from the IHRC on Kwila decking

Papua Official Sounds Warning on Illegal Logging, but Trees Keep Falling

Say No to Kwila - Picket Wairau Park - 1pm Saturday

Four weeks of protests for shops selling Kwila

Campaign against rainforest destruction and the sale of Kwila - How you can help

The story so far...

SAY NO TO KWILA- Protest to stop Mitre 10 Selling Kwila Furniture