A forest of evidence: third-party certification and multiple forms of proof—a case study of oil palm plantations in Indonesia
A forest of evidence: third-party certification and multiple forms of proof—a case study of oil palm plantations in Indonesia
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证据森林：第三方认证和多种形式的证明——以印度尼西亚油棕种植园为例
DOI：
10.1007/s10460-012-9358-x
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发表时间：
2012
影响因子：
4.5
通讯作者：
Laura Silva
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Laura Silva
近年来，出现了新的跨国监管形式，填补了由于各国政府和国际机构未能有效监管跨国公司而造成的空白。在解决社会和环境问题的各种举措中，越来越多的认证制度出现在各个部门，特别是农业食品部门。大多数倡议依赖独立的第三方认证来验证标准的合规性，因为这被视为最可信的认证途径。然而，第三方审计的影响仍然需要进行实证调查。本文对“证据”这一审计实践的核心概念进行了批判性的评估。它侧重于可持续棕榈油圆桌会议(RSPO)的案例和在世界上最大的棕榈油生产国印度尼西亚进行的实地调查。在这个国家，一些非政府组织决定参加RSPO，以便利用这个平台来解决土地冲突问题。他们设法在RSPO标准中纳入了有关土著和土地权的重要条款。然而，在实践中，审计人员很少承认当地社区提出的证明形式是有效的证据。因此，整个过程有加剧地方权力失衡的风险。
In recent years, new forms of transnational regulation have emerged, filling the void created by the failure of governments and international institutions to effectively regulate transnational corporations. Among the variety of initiatives addressing social and environmental problems, a growing number of certification systems have appeared in various sectors, particularly agrifood. Most initiatives rely on independent third-party certification to verify compliance with a standard, as it is seen as the most credible route for certification. The effects of third-party audits, however, still need to be empirically investigated. This article provides a critical assessment of the notion of ‘evidence’ which is at the heart of auditing practices. It focuses on the case of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and fieldwork carried out in Indonesia, the world’s largest producer of palm oil. In this country, some non-governmental organizations decided to participate in the RSPO in order to use this platform to tackle the issue of land conflicts. They managed to include important clauses regarding indigenous and land rights in the RSPO standard. In practice, however, auditors rarely recognize as valid evidence the forms of proof put forward by local communities. As a result, the whole process risks compounding local power imbalances.