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Certifying in Contested Spaces: Private Regulation in Indonesian Forestry and Palm Oil

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  • John F. McCarthy

Abstract

Over recent years, systems of civil or private regulation have emerged across several commodity sectors in developing countries. This paper compares two regulatory systems applied to parallel food and forestry problems: the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). Analysing these regulations as attempts to extend procedural and distributional justice into contested forested and agricultural spaces, the paper examines the paradox that, despite successful advocacy campaigns using these regulatory standards, oil palm and timber estates and associated land conflicts continue to proliferate in Indonesia. These regulatory processes provide leverage within bounded spaces, yet they are limited by an incommensurability of values and interests that reflect underlying structural problems. At best these certification schemes provide limited learning tools. Addressing the underlying problems will require legal reforms, effective State engagement and supporting forms of accountability.

Suggested Citation

  • John F. McCarthy, 2012. "Certifying in Contested Spaces: Private Regulation in Indonesian Forestry and Palm Oil," Crawford School Research Papers 1210, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University.
    • Handle: RePEc:een:crwfrp:1210
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    Cited by:

    1. Astari, Annisa Joviani & Lovett, Jon C., 2019. "Does the rise of transnational governance ‘hollow-out’ the state? Discourse analysis of the mandatory Indonesian sustainable palm oil policy," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 1-12.
    2. Otto Hospes, 2014. "Marking the success or end of global multi-stakeholder governance? The rise of national sustainability standards in Indonesia and Brazil for palm oil and soy," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 31(3), pages 425-437, September.
    3. Eka Intan Kumala Putri & Arya Hadi Dharmawan & Otto Hospes & Bayu Eka Yulian & Rizka Amalia & Dyah Ita Mardiyaningsih & Rilus A. Kinseng & Fredian Tonny & Eusebius Pantja Pramudya & Faris Rahmadian & , 2022. "The Oil Palm Governance: Challenges of Sustainability Policy in Indonesia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-20, February.
    4. Gardner, T.A. & Benzie, M. & Börner, J. & Dawkins, E. & Fick, S. & Garrett, R. & Godar, J. & Grimard, A. & Lake, S. & Larsen, R.K. & Mardas, N. & McDermott, C.L. & Meyfroidt, P. & Osbeck, M. & Persson, 2019. "Transparency and sustainability in global commodity supply chains," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 163-177.
    5. Afrizal & Elfitra & Zuldesni, 2023. "Analysing the effectiveness of the roundtable on sustainable palm oil's Free, Prior and Informed Consent policy to respect customary land rights," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(5), pages 761-780, July.
    6. Gallemore, Caleb & Guisinger, Amy & Kruuse, Mikkel & Ruysschaert, Denis & Jespersen, Kristjan, 2018. "Escaping the “Teenage” Years: The Politics of Rigor and the Evolution of Private Environmental Standards," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 76-87.
    7. Zhang, Daowei, 2016. "Payments for forest-based environmental services: A close look," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 78-84.
    8. Meadows, John & Annandale, Mark & Ota, Liz, 2019. "Indigenous Peoples’ participation in sustainability standards for extractives," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    9. Jean‐Christophe Graz & Jimena Sobrino Piazza & André Walter, 2022. "Labour Standards in Global Production Networks: Assessing Transnational Private Regulation and Workers’ Capacity to Act," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 53(4), pages 912-937, July.
    10. Colin Filer & Sango Mahanty & Lesley Potter, 2020. "The FPIC Principle Meets Land Struggles in Cambodia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-21, February.
    11. Tricallotis, Marcos & Gunningham, Neil & Kanowski, Peter, 2018. "The impacts of forest certification for Chilean forestry businesses," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 82-91.
    12. Degnet, Mohammed B. & van der Werf, Edwin & Ingram, Verina & Wesseler, Justus, 2022. "Community perceptions: A comparative analysis of community participation in forest management: FSC-certified and non-certified plantations in Mozambique," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    13. Ruysschaert, Denis & Salles, Denis, 2014. "Towards global voluntary standards: Questioning the effectiveness in attaining conservation goals," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 438-446.
    14. Hutabarat, Sakti & Slingerland, Maja & Rietberg, Petra & Dries, Liesbeth, 2018. "Costs and benefits of certification of independent oil palm smallholders in Indonesia," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 21(6), July.
    15. Dhiaulhaq, Ahmad & McCarthy, John F. & Yasmi, Yurdi, 2018. "Resolving industrial plantation conflicts in Indonesia: Can mediation deliver?," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 64-72.
    16. Rob Barlow, 2022. "Deliberation Without Democracy in Multi-stakeholder Initiatives: A Pragmatic Way Forward," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 181(3), pages 543-561, December.
    17. Maki Hatanaka, 2014. "McSustainability and McJustice: Certification, Alternative Food and Agriculture, and Social Change," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(11), pages 1-21, November.
    18. Macdonald, Kate, 2020. "Private sustainability standards as tools for empowering southern pro-regulatory coalitions? Collaboration, conflict and the pursuit of sustainable palm oil," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Regulatory; forestry; land conflicts; Palm oil; Indonesia; certifying working papers series;
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