Module 1 1

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Forest Certification Issues, Opportunities and
Challenges for Sus DevtFrontiers in Forest
Centenary ConferenceSt Annes College,
OxfordDecember 6, 2005

• Ishmael Dodoo
• Project Manager, ProForest

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Introduction

• What is forest certification?
• Where did the idea come from?
• Existing certification schemes
• Case study origin of FSC
• Risks, opportunities and challenges
• Key issues for consideration

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What is Forest Management Certification?

• A process in which an independent organisation
  verifies that a forest holding is being managed
  in accordance with a specified standard.
• A means of informing customers and consumers
  about the origins of raw materials used in
  products.

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What does it mean?

• Its about a lot more than just timber production
• Sustainable production of timber and non-timber
  forest products
• Conservation and enhancement of landscape
• Conservation and enhancement of biodiversity

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What does it mean?

• Conservation of archaeological and cultural
  heritage
• Access and recreation
• Protection of water resources
• Supporting rural development

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Where has the idea come from?

• Growing awareness of the importance of forests
  for sustainable development
• Concern about the destruction and misuse of
  global forest resources
• Growing demand to broaden forest and forestry
  industry values to include social and
  environmental as well as economic values

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Genesis

• Environmental concerns of consumers
• Failure of governments to address deforestation
• Failure of boycotts of tropical timber to stop
  deforestation
• Environmental competitiveness in marketing mix

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Some certification initiatives
Europe

• FSC
• Belgium
• Denmark
• Germany
• Ireland
• Netherlands
• Poland
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• United Kingdom

• PEFC
• Austria
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Ireland
• Latvia
• Norway
• Portugal
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland

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Americas Asia
Some certification initiatives

• FSC
• Canada
• USA
• Mexico
• Colombia
• Bolivia
• Brazil
• Chile
• Nicaragua

• Others
• Canada (CSA)
• USA (SFI)
• Chile
• Brazil (Cerflor)
• Malaysia (MTCC)
• Indonesia (LEI)

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Existing certification schemes

• Sustainable Forestry Initiative (AFPA,USA)
• Canadian Standards Association
• Pan European Forest Certification Scheme
• Forest Stewardship Council
• Finnish Forest Certification System

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Certified Forests in the World by Scheme ( July
2003)
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Case Origin of FSC
Governmental initiatives failed Campaigns
to boycott forest products
did not have the expected
effect Certification is an alternative Prol
iferation of labels
Source GTZ
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Different interest groups

• Retailers want to sell products and protect
  brand name
• Forest products industry want to sell timber and
  paper products
• ENGOs want to protect forests
• Forest owners and managers want to make a living

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The Solution Certification

• Produce an acceptable definition of good forest
  management - a standard
• Develop a credible system to assess which forests
  meet the standard - certification
• Source products from certified forests.

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Risks of Certification

• Costs of adapting to improved
• management may not be absorbed

• Not receiving approval in the assessment and
• remaining exposed to criticism

• Not being able to maintain the certificate

• Market of a given region prioritizes the
• non-certified product

Source GTZ
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Opportunities in the context of Sus Devt

• Enhances of multiple forest benefits in
  environmental, social and economic terms
• Improves corporate social responsibility
  performance
• Improves resource governance and participatory
  forest management

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Challenges in the context of Sus Devt

• Lack of adequate capacity to understand and
  implement certification
• Certification is very expensive and does not
  always guarantee sustainability
• Understanding of Sus. Devt is not fully
  developed linkages with certification is not
  always clear
• Forest managers do not always think Sus. Devt

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Key Issues

• How do we improve understanding of certification
  among information providers?
• How do we package certification/SFM info to make
  them relevant and useable by practitioners?
• How do we identify key thematic certification/
  SFM issues for policy debate?

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Thank You!