The sustainable forestry movement has gained enough momentum that some logging companies in nations like Indonesia find it worth their while to seek certification. This U.S. and Europe, they are very much concerned about this issue so if we don't follow the rule of the game we'll be out of the business. Deep in Kalimantan, past acres where trees have been harvested and underbrush burned back, Austral Byna is logging government-licensed forests at the edge of the virgin rain forest. The government allows us to cut trees with diameter at breast height of 50 and up centimeters. But, Duplito says, the government has cracked down on clear-cutting.
Wood is the real cash crop.
In addition to the environmental concerns, one of the goals of lumber certification is to ensure that people in the areas being logged share in the economic benefits. Austral Byna says its logging operation pays better than average wages, provides schools in the communities where it is active, runs a health clinic and is building a mosque. But of 20 major lumber companies in Indonesia, Austral Byna is one of only three to seek certification. Other companies market their products in east Asian countries, where sustainable forestry is not a major concern. And, environmentalists say, at least half of all the lumber in Malaysia is illegally cut.