In a press release, NTUC FairPrice said it would withdraw all paper products sourced from Asia Pulp & Paper Group (APP) by 5pm on Oct 7, after SEC says it has instituted a temporary restriction on the use of the “Singapore Green Label” certification for its products.
Channel NewsAsia 7 Oct 15;
SINGAPORE: Supermarket chain NTUC FairPrice announced on Wednesday (Oct 7) that it will withdraw all paper products sourced from Asia Pulp & Paper Group (APP), after the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) said it has instituted a temporary restriction on the use of the “Singapore Green Label” certification for the Indonesian firm's products.
In a press release, FairPrice said it carries 14 Housebrand products that are certified with the Singapore Green Label. Among them, two are Housebrand tissue products sourced from APP through a licensed distributor. In addition, all 16 APP-related products from various brands carried by the chain also have the Singapore Green Label certification, FairPrice said.
Products affected by the withdrawal include FairPrice Softpack Tissue 200s, and FairPrice Gold 3 Ply Facial Tissue 140s, supplied by APP. FairPrice will also withdraw all APP-related products, including those from Paseo, NICE and Jolly, by 5pm on Wednesday, it said.
NTUC FairPrice CEO Seah Kian Peng said: “We have been proactively monitoring the situation over the past week. We initiated meetings with the various parties concerned when the list of firms including APP, was named by the authorities as suspects for contributing to the haze.”
“As a fair business partner, we reserved taking action pending further information and investigation by the authorities. Our decision to withdraw all APP products is a result of the temporary restriction of their Green Label certification,” he added.
“NO SUPPLIER HAS BEEN PROVEN TO BE INVOLVED”: APP
APP has said it has "nothing to hide" and "no supplier has been proven to be involved" in raging forest fires in Indonesia contributing to hazy conditions around the region.
In a statement issued to the media on Wednesday (Oct 7), APP - which is a member of Indonesia's Sinar Mas Group and has an office in Singapore - said it received a notice from Singapore's National Environment Agency (NEA) on Sep 25 and had responded in accordance to their deadline.
NEA had issued the notice under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, seeking information on its subsidiaries in Singapore and Indonesia, as well as measures taken by its suppliers in Indonesia to put out fires in their concessions, as smoke from raging forest fires in Indonesia's Sumatra and Kalimantan had pushed air quality to unhealthy levels in Singapore.
APP added that it has invited NEA officials to visit its operations in Indonesia to demonstrate the company's no burning policy.
"If a supplier were found to have been involved in setting forest fires, our policy is clear and we would disengage that supplier. Thus far no supplier has been proven to be involved. It is premature therefore to make judgments until investigations by relevant authorities are completed," the statement said.
In the statement, APP said its list of pulpwood suppliers is public, and the company submits concession maps to the Indonesian government and World Resources Institute (WRI).
"We continue to implement our Forest Conservation Policy (FCP) round the clock, as well as deploying 2,900 trained firefighters and fire suppression helicopters to help deal with this tragic situation," APP said in the statement, adding that there are fires within their suppliers' concessions, but not started by the company or its suppliers.
"The fire situation is complex and both the Singapore and Indonesia governments and authorities are still investigating the situation."
APP products include Enlivo notebooks, Inspira paper and Paseo tissue paper.
- CNA/dl
Haze watch: Supermarkets, shops asked if paper products from sustainable sources
NTUC FairPrice, Watsons and IKEA are among seven companies that have been asked by the SEC and CASE to declare that they have not sourced products from companies accused of causing fires in Indonesia.
Channel NewsAsia 7 Oct 15;
SINGAPORE: Major supermarkets, pharmacies and furniture retailers in Singapore such as NTUC FairPrice, Watsons and IKEA have been asked to declare that their wood, paper and pulp products are procured from sustainable sources.
Seven companies and their subsidiaries will be asked to sign declaration forms stating that they have not procured or used materials from the companies accused of causing fires in Indonesia, the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) and Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) said in a joint news release on Wednesday (Oct 7).
The seven companies are: IKEA, Prime Supermarket, Sheng Siong, NTUC Unity, Watsons, NTUC FairPrice and Dairy Farm Group, which operates Cold Storage, Giant Singapore, Market Place by Jason’s, Guardian and 7-Eleven.
“These major supermarkets, pharmacies and furniture retailers operate several outlets from which consumers purchase paper-based products. They are a good starting point for retailers to commit to a green procurement process and for consumers to show their support for brands that have environmentally friendly practices,” the joint release said.
Declaration forms will be sent to the companies on Wednesday, and they are expected to respond within one week.
On Monday, the SEC and CASE said 10 out of 17 companies that manufacture paper products sold in Singapore have declared that they do not use products from five companies in Indonesia suspected of contributing to haze pollution. Another two companies – Mukim Fine Papers, which manufactures Tauro paper, and Tipex, which manufactures Goodlife and Beautex products – have since signed the declaration.
The remaining five companies that did not submit a valid declaration form will be temporarily restricted from using the “Singapore Green Label” certification pending further investigations, the SEC said.
- CNA/cy
NTUC FairPrice to withdraw all Asia Pulp & Paper Group paper products
Today Online 7 Oct 15;
SINGAPORE — Supermarket chain NTUC FairPrice announced today (Oct 7) that it will withdraw all paper products sourced from Asia Pulp & Paper Group (APP), after the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) said it has instituted a temporary restriction on the use of the “Singapore Green Label” certification for the Indonesian firm’s products.
In a press release, FairPrice said it carries 14 housebrand products that are certified with the Singapore Green Label. Among them, two are housebrand tissue products sourced from APP through a licensed distributor. In addition, all 16 APP-related products from various brands carried by the chain also have the Singapore Green Label certification, FairPrice said.
Products affected by the withdrawal include FairPrice Softpack Tissue 200s, and FairPrice Gold 3 Ply Facial Tissue 140s, supplied by APP. FairPrice will also withdraw all APP-related products, including those from Paseo, NICE and Jolly, by 5pm today, it said.
NTUC FairPrice CEO Seah Kian Peng said: “We have been proactively monitoring the situation over the past week. We initiated meetings with the various parties concerned when the list of firms including APP, was named by the authorities as suspects for contributing to the haze.”
“As a fair business partner, we reserved taking action pending further information and investigation by the authorities. Our decision to withdraw all APP products is a result of the temporary restriction of their Green Label certification,” he added.
‘NO SUPPLIER HAS BEEN PROVEN TO BE INVOLVED’: APP
APP has said it has “nothing to hide” and “no supplier has been proven to be involved” in raging forest fires in Indonesia contributing to hazy conditions around the region.
In a statement issued to the media today, APP — which is a member of Indonesia’s Sinar Mas Group and has an office in Singapore — said it received a notice from Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) on Sep 25 and had responded in accordance to their deadline.
NEA had issued the notice under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, seeking information on its subsidiaries in Singapore and Indonesia, as well as measures taken by its suppliers in Indonesia to put out fires in their concessions, as smoke from raging forest fires in Indonesia’s Sumatra and Kalimantan had pushed air quality to unhealthy levels in Singapore.
APP added that it has invited NEA officials to visit its operations in Indonesia to demonstrate the company’s no burning policy.
“If a supplier were found to have been involved in setting forest fires, our policy is clear and we would disengage that supplier. Thus far no supplier has been proven to be involved. It is premature therefore to make judgments until investigations by relevant authorities are completed,” the statement said.
In the statement, APP said its list of pulpwood suppliers is public, and the company submits concession maps to the Indonesian government and World Resources Institute (WRI).
“We continue to implement our Forest Conservation Policy (FCP) round the clock, as well as deploying 2,900 trained firefighters and fire suppression helicopters to help deal with this tragic situation,” APP said in the statement, adding that there are fires within their suppliers’ concessions, but not started by the company or its suppliers.
“The fire situation is complex and both the Singapore and Indonesia governments and authorities are still investigating the situation.”
APP products include Enlivo notebooks, Inspira paper and Paseo tissue paper.
Haze fallout: NTUC FairPrice, Sheng Siong withdraw all APP paper products
NTUC FairPrice and supermarket chain Sheng Siong withdraw all paper products sourced from Asia Pulp & Paper Group (APP) after the Singapore Environment.
Channel NewsAsia 7 Oct 15;
SINGAPORE: Supermarket chains NTUC FairPrice and Sheng Siong announced on Wednesday (Oct 7) that they would withdraw all paper products sourced from Asia Pulp & Paper Group (APP), after the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) said it has instituted a temporary restriction on the use of the “Singapore Green Label” certification for the Indonesian firm's products.
In a press release, FairPrice said it carries 14 Housebrand products that are certified with the Singapore Green Label. Among them, two are Housebrand tissue products sourced from APP through a licensed distributor. In addition, all 16 APP-related products from various brands carried by the chain also have the Singapore Green Label certification, FairPrice said.
Products affected by the withdrawal include FairPrice Softpack Tissue 200s, and FairPrice Gold 3 Ply Facial Tissue 140s, supplied by APP. FairPrice will also withdraw all APP-related products, including those from Paseo, NICE and Jolly, by 5pm on Wednesday, it said.
NTUC FairPrice CEO Seah Kian Peng said: “We have been proactively monitoring the situation over the past week. We initiated meetings with the various parties concerned when the list of firms including APP, was named by the authorities as suspects for contributing to the haze.”
“As a fair business partner, we reserved taking action pending further information and investigation by the authorities. Our decision to withdraw all APP products is a result of the temporary restriction of their Green Label certification,” he added.
Meanwhile, NTUC Health Unity Pharmacy has announced that it does not purchase products from APP or any of the four companies in Indonesia suspected of contributing to the haze pollution in Indonesia.
In a statement on Wednesday, it said it has officially signed the form received from the Singapore Environmental Council and the Consumer Association of Singapore, which was issued to 17 firms calling on them to make this declaration.
"As the leading healthcare co-operative in Singapore, we are committed to being a responsible social citizen by advocating environmentally-friendly and sustainable business practices," said Mr Bernard Lee, managing director and head of Pharmacy and Health Food at NTUC Health. "We will continue to monitor new products, and work with companies that are certified under the Singapore Green Labelling Scheme.”
Sheng Siong said it would be pulling out all products by APP with immediate effect. Responding to queries from Channel NewsAsia, a spokesperson said Sheng Siong's e-commerce team will also not fulfil orders that consist of Paseo and Nice products,
The spokesperson added: "As we are not the direct producers of the products sold in our supermarkets, we rely on our suppliers to produce the required certifications in terms of sustainable sources."
“NO SUPPLIER HAS BEEN PROVEN TO BE INVOLVED”: APP
APP has said it has "nothing to hide" and "no supplier has been proven to be involved" in raging forest fires in Indonesia contributing to hazy conditions around the region.
In a statement issued to the media on Wednesday (Oct 7), APP - which is a member of Indonesia's Sinar Mas Group and has an office in Singapore - said it received a notice from Singapore's National Environment Agency (NEA) on Sep 25 and had responded in accordance to their deadline.
NEA had issued the notice under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, seeking information on its subsidiaries in Singapore and Indonesia, as well as measures taken by its suppliers in Indonesia to put out fires in their concessions, as smoke from raging forest fires in Indonesia's Sumatra and Kalimantan had pushed air quality to unhealthy levels in Singapore.
APP added that it has invited NEA officials to visit its operations in Indonesia to demonstrate the company's no burning policy.
"If a supplier were found to have been involved in setting forest fires, our policy is clear and we would disengage that supplier. Thus far no supplier has been proven to be involved. It is premature therefore to make judgments until investigations by relevant authorities are completed," the statement said.
In the statement, APP said its list of pulpwood suppliers is public, and the company submits concession maps to the Indonesian government and World Resources Institute (WRI).
"We continue to implement our Forest Conservation Policy (FCP) round the clock, as well as deploying 2,900 trained firefighters and fire suppression helicopters to help deal with this tragic situation," APP said in the statement, adding that there are fires within their suppliers' concessions, but not started by the company or its suppliers.
"The fire situation is complex and both the Singapore and Indonesia governments and authorities are still investigating the situation."
APP products include Enlivo notebooks, Inspira paper and Paseo tissue paper.
The remaining companies and their subsidiaries are expected to respond to the declaration forms within one week.
- CNA/dl/ww/hs
2 retailers pull products from firm linked to causing haze
FairPrice, Sheng Siong remove paper products sourced from Asia Pulp & Paper from shelves
LAURA PHILOMIN Today Online 8 Oct 15;
SINGAPORE — Two major retailers — NTUC FairPrice and Sheng Siong — are yanking paper products sourced from Asia Pulp & Paper Group (APP) from their shelves, as the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) and the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) continued to apply pressure on businesses over links to firms that could be partly responsible for causing the haze.
The SEC and CASE said in a joint statement today (Oct 7) that it has sent forms to seven retailers — including FairPrice, IKEA, Watson’s and Dairy Farm International Holdings — asking them to declare that they have not procured or used wood, paper and/or pulp materials from the companies accused of causing fires in Indonesia. It has also temporarily restricted the use of its Singapore Green Label certification for products made by the accused companies until investigations are over.
The five Indonesian firms that have been served preventive measures notices to deploy fire-fighting measures under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act are PT Rimba Hutani Mas, PT Sebangun Bumi Andalas Wood Industries, PT Bumi Sriwijaya Sentosa, PT Wachyuni Mandira and PT Bumi Mekar Hijau. APP has not been served a notice by the National Environment Agency (NEA), but it was asked to provide further information, which the company acceded to last week.
FairPrice today pulled two of its housebrand products as well as 16 APP-related products, which include brands like Paseo and NICE, from its stores. All the products were certified under the SEC’s Singapore Green Labelling scheme. Sheng Siong, which has been selling NICE and Paseo products, began removing these products from its stores today, and the company will sign the declaration form.
Dairy Farm International Holdings, which operates Cold Storage, Giant Singapore, Market Place by Jasons and Guardian Singapore, said it will stop purchasing products linked to APP for its stores. But products already on the shelves will remain. A spokesperson said Cold Storage had begun phasing out its housebrand paper products — which comes from an APP linked supplier — before the haze started this year, while Giant is now looking into switching suppliers for their house brand paper products.
SEC and CASE also said that of the 17 companies — a mix of manufacturers and distributors — contacted earlier to declare that they procured their materials from sustainable sources, another two have submitted their declaration, up from the 10 announced on Monday.
FairPrice, which was approached earlier to sign the declaration, said it was unable to do so then as it was waiting for APP to confirm their compliance to SEC’s requirements.
Speaking to reporters at Nex’s FairPrice Xtra, NTUC FairPrice chief executive officer Seah Kian Peng said the products from suppliers will be returned while stocks of their affected house brand products will be stored for the time being, adding the withdrawal will cost the company “millions”.
Unity Pharmacy, also a labour movement co-operative, said it has not purchased any products from APP or the five Indonesian companies, and has signed the declaration. IKEA confirmed that it does not source products from these companies and is not opposed to signing the form, but will need time to go through the details.
Watson’s chief operating officer Dominic Wong said it has begun investigating any business connections with the alleged companies and will provide an update after getting more information.
In response to queries, APP said it understood why retailers felt the need to take urgent action, “but accuracy is just as important.” Adding that it is “fully committed to transparency” of forest fires, APP said they responded quickly to NEA’s notice for information, even inviting officials to visit its operations in Indonesia.
“We have nothing to hide. If a supplier were found to have been involved in setting forest fires, our policy is clear and we would disengage that supplier. Thus far no supplier has been proven to be involved. It is premature therefore to make judgements until investigations by relevant authorities are completed,” said APP.
Asked about the challenges in dealing with companies where middlemen are involved, Mr Seah said they will work to if check products are from sustainable sources, but will also rely on third-party independent agencies like SEC to guide them.
He acknowledged that it would be irresponsible to jump to conclusions while investigations into APP are ongoing, but the company is “on the list” and this “requires us to certainly pay attention to it”. “If this suspension is lifted, … we will bring the products back,” he added.
Separately, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Singapore Business Federation urged their member companies commit to adopt green procurement practices and certify their plantations according to global industry standards by groups like the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil for example. Companies should also work with both governments to extinguish fires and expose those who may be involved in illegal burning, they added.
Major retailers asked to declare wood, paper products are from sustainable sources
Today Online 7 Oct 15;
SINGAPORE — Major retailers in Singapore such as NTUC FairPrice, Watsons and IKEA have been asked to declare that their wood, paper and pulp products are obtained from sustainable sources today (Oct 7).
The Singapore Environment Council (SEC) and Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) said in a joint news release that they will be sending out declaration forms to seven companies and their subsidiaries for them to state that they have not procured or used materials from the companies accused of causing fires in Indonesia.
The seven companies are: IKEA, Prime Supermarket, Sheng Siong, NTUC Unity, Watsons, NTUC FairPrice and Dairy Farm Group, which operates Cold Storage, Giant Singapore, Market Place by Jason’s, Guardian and 7-Eleven.
They are expected to respond within a week.
“These major supermarkets, pharmacies and furniture retailers operate several outlets from which consumers purchase paper-based products,” said the SEC and CASE shortly after they issued a statement on Monday informing that 10 companies with paper products certified under the Singapore Green Labelling Scheme have no links to those companies causing fires in Indonesia.
“They are a good starting point for retailers to commit to a green procurement process and for consumers to show their support for brands that have environmentally friendly practices.”
In a statement to TODAY, a Dairy Farm Group spokesman said that the company was suspending, with immediate effect, the purchasing of all Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) products across all its stores.
"We would like to reassure our customers that we have rigorous guidelines in place to ensure that our products comply with relevant requirements mandated by various regulating authorities in Singapore. We also seek to work with suppliers that are aligned with our values regarding sustainability and encourage others to adopt such practices for better business synergy," said the Dairy Farm spokesman.
The spokesman added that its Cold Storage chain had already started phasing out their House Brand paper products that were supplied by APP-linked suppliers even before the haze situation. The Giant brand is also now looking into switching suppliers for their House Brand paper products, said the spokesman.
"Our Private Label paper products are not supplied by Asia Pulp & Paper and our paper suppliers have assured us of their sustainability practices and all but one (pending) provided documentation such as Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification to support their claims," the spokesman added.
An IKEA Singapore spokesperson also confirmed to TODAY that the retailer has not made any purchases from the companies named in relation to the burning practises in the Indonesia that have led to the regional haze.
"IKEA Singapore is not opposed to signing the (SEC) declaration form, however, we just received it this morning and as part of standard process we are currently going over the details and criteria’s with the relevant departments," the spokesperson said.
Supermarkets pull plug on haze-linked firm's products
Jessica Lim, The Straits Times AsiaOne 7 Oct 15;
Supermarket chains NTUC FairPrice, Sheng Siong and Prime Supermarket have pulled all Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) items off their shelves, including popular brands such as Paseo.
The Dairy Farm group, which operates chains such as Guardian, 7-Eleven, Cold Storage and Giant, has also stopped replenishing APP stock. It will continue to sell existing items till they run out.
FairPrice was the first to make the announcement yesterday morning, followed by the others later in the day.
Their actions came after the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) temporarily suspended the green label of APP's exclusive distributor here, Universal Sovereign Trading.
On Sept 30, the SEC had also asked 17 firms, including FairPrice, to sign a form to declare that they do not carry products from five companies, including APP, which are under probe over their possible link to the haze-causing forest fires. The form also asks firms to state that they have not been convicted in any court in relation to the haze.
Yesterday, the SEC sent the same form to Prime, Dairy Farm, Sheng Siong, Ikea, Unity Pharmacy and Watsons.
Ikea said it does not buy from the firms under probe. Unity signed the form yesterday, while Watsons is still working with its suppliers and will make a decision soon.
FairPrice carries two housebrand goods supplied by APP and 16 other APP-related products including the Paseo, Nice and Jolly brands.
All these items were pulled off the shelves at its over 290 outlets, including Cheers convenience stores, by 5pm yesterday.
Late last month, the National Environment Agency began legal action against APP and four Indonesian firms it believes to be behind the burning. The haze from forest fires in Kalimantan and Sumatra has spread to Thailand after blanketing the skies and affecting the air quality in parts of Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines in recent weeks.
FairPrice chief executive Seah Kian Peng said the chain took some time to decide to pull APP's products and sign the declaration because "as a fair business partner, we reserved taking action pending further information and investigation by the authorities".
The final decision was made after SEC temporarily restricted APP's green label certification. Mr Seah said APP's products would be reinstated if the firm is found to be innocent and gets back its green label.
The move to pull APP's products, he said, cost the chain "millions". "It does hurt us financially... but this goes beyond just the financial impact. I think it is the right thing for us to do, it is the responsible thing for us to do," said Mr Seah.
APP's managing director of sustainability Aida Greenbury said the firm "is firmly against forest fire" and that it deployed 2,900 firefighters and fire suppression helicopters to deal with the situation.
"We understand why FairPrice feels the need to take urgent action... but accuracy is just as important," she said. "The fire situation is complex and both the Singapore and Indonesia governments and authorities are still investigating the situation."
Mr Loh Weiwen, 33, an in-house legal counsel, hailed the supermarkets' move. "It is a very prompt response that is surprising to many shoppers in a good way. I hope other retailers follow suit ."
NTUC FairPrice withdraws 18 products sourced from firm suspected of contributing to haze
AsiaOne 7 Oct 15;
SINGAPORE - NTUC FairPrice has withdrawn today all paper products sourced from Singapore-based Asia Pulp & Paper Group (APP).
A total of 18 APP related products will be withdrawn from all supermarkets island-wide.
Two of these are housebrand tissue products - FairPrice Softpack Tissue 200s and FairPrice Gold 3 Ply Facial Tissue 140s - which are sourced from APP through licensed distributor Universal Sovereign.
The remaining APP-related products, including Paseo, NICE and Jolly, will no longer be available at all FairPrice stores by 5pm today.
This announcement comes after the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) imposed a temporary restriction on the use of the "Singapore Green Label" certification for APP products.
CEO of NTUC FairPrice Seah Kian Peng said that FairPrice has been proactively monitoring the situation over the past week and initiated meetings with various parties concerned when the list of firms, including APP, was named by the authorities as suspects for contributing to the haze.
"As a fair business partner, we reserved taking action pending further information and investigation by the authorities.
"Our decision to withdraw all APP products is a result of the temporary restriction of their Green Label certification," said Mr Seah.
APP is one of the world's largest manufacturer of tissue, stationery and paper products.
According to a report in The Straits Times on Sep 27, APP was ordered by the National Environment Agency (NEA) under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act to supply information on its Singapore and Indonesian subsidiaries, as well as what its suppliers are doing to fight fires.
APP was singled out by Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan as a possible culprit behind forest fires in Indonesia.
FairPrice reiterated on Wednesday that it was unable to sign the declaration of the two APP-related housebrand products earlier as it was pending the paper firm's confirmation of their compliance to SEC's requirements.
Last week, SEC had requested companies with paper products certified under the Singapore Green Label Scheme to declare compliance with using sustainable materials.
More firms on board for 'haze-free' declaration
Jessica Lim, The Straits Times AsiaOne 7 Oct 15;
Even as more firms signed a declaration that their products are free of raw materials from companies being investigated for forest fires in Indonesia, many noted that it was hard to pinpoint an item's source.
Tissue paper distributor Tipex and printer paper supplier Mukim Fine Papers signed on Tuesday. FairPrice, Unity Pharmacy and Malaysia Newsprint Industries did so yesterday, bringing to 15 the number of firms that have signed.
Tipex said in a statement to The Straits Times that it does not own plantations and mills, and so does not make paper products itself.
"Rather, these are sourced from various suppliers, internationally," said its spokesman Cindy Lim. "Due to the involvement of many parties in the process, companies may not be privy to one another's internal business and work processes."
Mukim Fine Papers simply stopped ordering from Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) - one of the five firms under probe - altogether.
Said its business development manager Ben Chua: "We cannot trace what is happening at APP so it's best that we just stop selling its products."
On Monday, the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) released a list of firms that had signed the declaration. It has so far sent the form to 23 firms that manufacture or sell wood and paper products.
SEC's plan is to also start working with other industries known to contribute to the haze and deforestation - for instance, palm oil product manufacturers and retailers.
Errant pulpwood plantation owners typically burn land to clear it quickly after logging season, said experts. Many also burn adjacent forests to open up new land to expand their plantations. Wayward oil palm plantation owners are also known to clear land this way.
Culprits are difficult to trace as supply chain processes are muddied by factors such as a lack of land ownership information in Indonesia.
World Wide Fund for Nature Indonesia's Global Forest and Trade Network Coordinator Aditya Bayunanda said that for palm oil, for instance, mills - which extract crude palm oil - are supplied by hundreds of plantations.
Traders, he said, go round to small independently-owned oil palm farms, collect the fruit, then supply it to a main supplier, which trucks it to mills.
This, said Associate Professor Tan Yan Weng, head of SIM University's logistics and supply chain management programme, causes "everything to get mixed up".
There are other complications, said SEC's head of eco-certification Kavickumar Muruganathan. Retailers here typically obtain the rights to sell a product from distributors, which then arrange with overseas manufacturers to import the stock.
"Manufacturers might own plantations, but some strike deals with landowners on the side to use their land. Some also ask other suppliers to sell the fruit to them on an ad hoc basis if demand spikes," he said, adding that errant firms pay farmers to use their land for oil palm.
On paper, the land is owned by the farmer and the firm is not implicated. There is also no map of land ownership available, making the task of pinpointing the owners of a plantation difficult.
However, Nanyang Technological University's Professor Ang Peng Hwa, who co-founded the Haze Elimination Action Team volunteer group, urged retailers to stop "putting up a smokescreen".
"It is true it can be difficult. But retailers have to ask suppliers to show them certification," said Prof Ang. "Consumers also have a role to play to demand higher standards."
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international organisation, has certified 111 companies here to use its trademarks on products. FSC's Asia-Pacific regional director Alistair Monument said that every player in the supply chain for these products is audited yearly.
Paper mills involved, for instance, have to keep records of inputs and outputs so that the origin of the fibres can be checked.
