Newsletter Forestry and Wood Certification



|Newsletter Forestry and Wood Certification No. 3/2003 |

|Information contained in this newsletter is sent to approximately 14 000 recipients in 14 countries and is translated into 9 languages. |

|This newsletter provides information on credible forest certification and other steps towards improving forest management. Particular attention |

|is given to combating illegal logging and forest crime, companies and individuals showing leadership, the involvement of communities in forest |

|management, conservation of highly valuable forests and trends in the investment sector. |

Contents

Improving Forest Management in Europe and around the World 1

2 Million Hectares FSC Certified in Canada 1

EU Adopts Action Plan to Combat Illegal Logging 2

WWF, USAID, and Metafore Launch Global Alliance for Responsible Forest Management 2

Largest FSC Certified Forest in the US 2

First FSC Certification in Spain 2

Finnish Forests Threatened 3

Switzerland Supports a Pioneer Certification in Vietnam 3

World´s First Cross Border Certification 3

Clearcuts in Austria´s PEFC Certified Forests 4

Warning About Misuse of Certification 4

FSC Consumer Campaign in the Netherlands 4

FSC Booms in Europe´s Building and Construction Sector 4

Australia´s Largest Hardware Retailer  Refuses To Import Forest Destruction 5

New Anti-poaching Brigade on China – Russian Border 5

Corporate Partnership to Preserve Forests in the Russian Far East 5

Training Latin American Producers in Improving Forest Management 6

Guide to Exclude Illegal Timber From the Supply Chain 6

Expansion of Community Forest Certification in Latin America 6

More Forest Control by Indigenous Groups in Russia 7

FSC as Tool to Control Hunting in Cameroon 7

Alarming Lack of Forest Protection in Europe 7

Europeans Want More Protected Forests 8

Banks Contribute to Forest Destruction 8

The Social and Political Dimensions of Forest Certification 8

Spotlight on Corporate Leadership 9

Swedish State Forests a Leader in Forest Conservation 9

News From the FSC 9

FSC Aims to Eliminate Bottleneck for Labelled Products 9

Social Strategy Revised and Put Into Practice 10

Update on the Chain of Custody and Labelling Review 10

Events 10

Background and Facts 10

Certification Assistance 11

Multiple Solutions for the World´s Forests by WWF 12

Improving Forest Management in Europe and Around the World

2 Million Hectares FSC Certified in Canada

Early April an FSC certificate was awarded to 2 million hectares of forests managed by the company Tembec. The Gordon Cosens Forest is now the largest FSC-certified forest in Canada and one of the largest in the world. "FSC brings key players to the table, giving them a voice to find solutions. Tembec will continue to stay in dialogue with environmental groups, First Nations, and other stakeholders country-wide to find common ground on forest issues such as protection of endangered forests, aboriginal rights and forestry practices", said Tembec’s President and CEO Frank A Dottori.

To obtain certification of the Gordon Cosens Forest, Tembec underwent an in-depth audit to prove that practices in the forest meet FSC’s high standards for environmental protection and social responsibility.

Tembec is an integrated Canadian forest products company principally involved in the production of wood products, market pulp and papers. The company has sales of approximately CAD$4 billion with over 55 manufacturing sites in the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia, as well as in France, the United States and Chile.

Source: WWF Press release April 4 2003.

EU Adopts Action Plan to Combat Illegal Logging

On May 21 the European Commission unveiled their Action plan for Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) to combat the growing problem of illegal logging and the related trade in illegally harvested timber. Measures set out in this plan include support for improved governance in wood-producing countries, voluntary partnerships with producer countries to ensure only legally harvested timber enters the EU market and efforts to develop international collaboration to combat the trade in illegally harvested timber. WWF welcomes the initiative and urges to adequately address key issues such as appropriate regulation, green public procurement and the key role credible timber certification can play in ensuring legal and responsible forest management. The problems of illegal timber trade in the Accession countries, which have been neglected in the action plan, also need to be recognised.

Sources: EC Press release IP/03/Action.doc May 21 2003; WWF Press release May 21 2003. Download the action plan from

WWF, USAID, and Metafore Launch Global Alliance for Responsible Forest Management

WWF, the US Agency for International Development (USAID), and Metafore (formerly the Certified Forests Products Council) have entered into a public-private partnership called Sustainable Forest Products Global Alliance (Global Alliance). The Global Alliance will encourage responsible forest management and reduce illegal trade in forest products by facilitating integration of certified forest products into world markets. It will channel approximately U$7.6 million to programmes which support this goal in countries receiving aid from the US government. USAID provides U$3.4 million to the Global Alliance partners. WWF, Metafore, and other partners have pledged funding to match USAID’s initial investment over three years, and they are encouraging other partners to support the Global Alliance. The Home Depot is the lead corporate partner and is providing U$1 million over three years.

Source: WWF-US Press release May 7 2003

Largest FSC Certified Forest in the US

With close to 900.000 hectares, Pennsylvania´s state forests now are the largest FSC certified forests in the US. Valuable timber species in these recently certified forests include maple, oak, ash, poplar and black cherry. “We want the state forests to serve as a model of sustainable forestry for all our citizens and private landowners,” said James Grace, State Forester in Pennsylvania.

Source: U.S News & Views Early May, 2003 vol.3, no.8

First FSC Certification in Spain

In early May Spain received its first two FSC certificates. The Gran Canaria town council was awarded FSC Group Certification (with 21 owners) for 700 hectares of canario pine forest. 400 hectares of cherry, walnut and pear forest managed by the company Bosques Naturales in Northeastern and Western Spain also received FSC certification. 40% of their certified territory is reserved as conservation area.

Source: FSC News+Notes, Issue 6 May 20 2003

Finnish Forests Threatened

Greenpeace activists from 9 countries protested against the import of paper from Finnish old growth forests onboard the freighter Finnhawk in the Baltic Sea near Luebeck in April. "The European market’s hunger for Finnish paper is decimating the forest," said Oliver Salge of Greenpeace. "Each week paper delivered by the Finnhawk disappears into innumerable magazines, envelopes, copy paper and packaging material - all at the expense of forests. Ancient forests must be saved and not pressed into paper and cardboard.”

New hope is fuelled by negotiations which started in April between WWF, the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation and the Finnish State Forest enterprise Metsähallitus. The aim of these negotiations is to improve the protection of Finnish forests and to identify valuable areas and habitats which can be excluded from logging. Less than 5 % of Finnish old growth remain and only half of that is protected from industrial logging and further destruction.

Sources: Taiga Info: Boreal News Update May 12 2003; WWF Finland May 2003

Switzerland Supports a Pioneer Certification in Vietnam

The Swiss and the Vietnamese Governments, in partnership with WWF Indochina, launched a three year project on April 24 to conserve tropical forests and the wise use and trade in forest products. A key element of this project is the promotion of responsible forest management in Vietnam through forest certification according to FSC. The project will encourage the Vietnamese wood processing industry to use locally produced certified timber instead of imported timber. Thus it will benefit people living in remote and mainly poor areas who rely on forests for their livelihoods.

The project will involve various government and private sector partners at Vietnam’s central and provincial levels, including forestry departments within the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the People’s Committee of Gia Lai and three other Central Highlands Provinces, state forest enterprises, communities managing forest land, the National Working Group on sustainable forest management, the forest products processing industry and exporters of processed products. The Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) has allocated U$ 500.000 in support of this project.

Source: Press release, Embassy of Switzerland, April 24 2003

World´s First Cross Border Certification

In early May the first cross border FSC group certification in the world was granted to a forest between Austria and Germany. 37 forest owners from Austria and a forest owner in Bavaria, Germany, joined forces for the FSC certification of 534 hectares. The cross border initiative highlights that forests and ecosystems do not stop at the border and therefore initiatives to improve forest management cannot stop there either. “We are proud to be leading internationally on this”,said Josef Hörtlackner, leader of the Austrian group of forest owners. Marc Niggemeyer, forest expert from WWF Austria explained further, “This certification is particularly important and laudable as a lot of political pressure was exerted on the forest owners not to certify according to the highest standard”.

Source: WWF Austria May 2003

Clearcuts in Austria´s PEFC Certified Forests

Large clearcuts have recently been reported in PEFC certified forests in Southern Austria. “This type of forest management is unfortunately being promoted as environmentally friendly by the questionable PEFC timber certificate”, said Marc Niggemeyer, forest expert of WWF Austria. “Even large clearcuts are tolerated by PEFC certification.”

Independent voluntary third party evaluation of forest management through FSC stands in clear contrast to regional automatic certification, practiced by PEFC. In the case of Austria, PEFC´s strategy led to the “certification” of the entire country. This practice is one of the reasons why PEFC is not recognised as credible certification by leading NGOs.

“That PEFC is not leading to improvements in the forest is even admitted in the official report of the Austrian government to the recent Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe ”, said Marc Niggemeyer. Referring to PEFC certification, the report states that “there are no obvious impacts of certification on the management of forests.”

Sources: WWF Austria May 2003; WWF Austria Press Release April 25 2003; Austrian Implementation Report to the MCPFE

Warning About Misuse of Certification

A report by ForestEthics, Greenpeace and the Sierra Club of Canada On the Ground. Forest Certification: Green Stamp of Approval or Rubber Stamp of Destruction? confirms FSC as leading certification system “that delivers positive results on the ground and in the communities where it matters most. For that reason FSC is the only forest certification system that is broadly supported by conservation groups”.

The report looks at forest certification systems in America today (SFI, CSA and FSC) and shows that at a time when many forest companies claim that their logging operations are independently certified as sustainable, the gulf between words and actions is vast. “For these and other reasons highlighted in this report, buyers should exercise extreme caution when confronted with company claims that their logging operations are certified and therefore carry an environmental seal of approval.“

Sources: “On the Ground. Forest Certification: Green Stamp of Approval or Rubber Stamp of Destruction?” A Report Commissioned by Forest Ethics, Greenpeace and Sierra Club of Canada, BC Chapter. 2003. Access the report on

FSC Consumer Campaign in the Netherlands

At the end of March 35 companies in the Netherlands launched a campaign to promote FSC certified products to consumers and local authorities in the Netherlands. Among the 35 companies sponsoring this campaign are the main DIY chains in the Netherlands, timber traders, garden furniture retailers, suppliers and others. In the first Dutch consumer campaign last year the spontaneous recognition of the FSC logo went up from 1% to 12% and the assisted recognition from 12% to 44%. After last years campaign 13% of consumers said that when buying timber products they would look out for the FSC logo.

Source: FSC News+Notes, March 31 2003

FSC Booms in Europe´s Building and Construction Sector

Over 2500 houses and 10000 square meters of office space in the Netherlands will be constructed and renovated with FSC timber as part of a historic construction sector agreement. 11 organisations and companies from the public sector, housing, non-governmental and private sectors state in this agreement that they will use FSC certified timber in their construction and renovation projects.

The UK´s first builder’s merchant received FSC certification mid May. The company Ecomerchant currently stocks Latvian FSC birch ply and plans to expand its FSC -certified range. Joe Hilton, Ecomerchant’s managing director said: “I have noticed a huge increase in awareness of environmental issues over recent years, resulting in rising sales. We can now offer our customers timber from FSC- certified, responsibly managed sources with a guaranteed provenance. For a company such as ours this can only be good news.”

Source: Press release FSC UK working group May 13 2003; FSC News+Notes, Issue 6 May 20 2003

Australia´s Largest Hardware Retailer  Refuses To Import Forest Destruction

Australia's largest hardware retailer will stop purchasing tropical timbers which stem from forest destruction in Melanesia and Asia. Bunnings recently committed to buy timber only from well-managed and legally operating forests, preferably certified under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) system. Bunnings will track and identify all sources of timber supply from Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Indonesia and other sources. The Indonesian Forum for Environment, Wahli, which represents 450 local groups,  has welcomed the initiative. "Indonesia's forests are in crisis.  70% of all wood cut is from illegal operations and the Indonesian Government refuses to acknowledge the land rights of the 50 million indigenous people who traditionally owned and managed Indonesia's forests", said Longgenga Ginting, Wahli's  Executive Director.  "We hope that the move by Bunnings is followed by other companies importing Indonesian forest destruction." 

Source: TN Newsflash 040403 April 4 2003

New Anti-poaching Brigade on China – Russian Border

On April 25 a new anti-poaching brigade was officially launched in the Russian Far East. The new forest inspection brigade called “Sobol” is modeled after the “Cedar” brigades who have successfully been working against illegal logging in the Primorsky Region in the last years. Illegal harvesting is still one of the main threats to forests in the Russian Far East.

The new brigade will operate under the Natural Resources Department to control illegal logging and protect rare species in the Evreiskaya Autonomous Region which borders on China. Anti-poaching activities in Russia are supported by the WWF and IKEA co-operation on forest projects.WWF and IKEA joined forces in 2002 to promote responsible forestry.

Source: Information Bulletin WWF Forest Programme in the Russian Far East Issue 4 January – April 2003

Corporate Partnership to Preserve Forests in the Russian Far East

Protection of High Conservation Value Forests in the Southern Sikhote-Alin, Russian Far East, is the key element of a new co-operation between WWF and local small and medium size businesses (loggers, timber-processing, users of non-timber forest resources, hunters, etc.), local administration and the Forest Service of Primorsky Region. The goal of the partnership is to improve forest management to preserve the valuable biodiversity of the area and to meet the long-term interests of the population. As part of the agreement logging companies in the region will set aside areas to protect habitats of endangered plants and animals, virgin forests, forests with high floristic diversity and also rare forest ecosystems. The project also includes training for logging companies in modern timber harvesting techniques and joint projects to develop eco-tourism and use of non-timber forest products in the region. To promote progress of the new model area which covers approximately 1,5 million hectares a field office will be established later this year.

Source: Information Bulletin WWF Forest Programme in the Russian Far East Issue 4 January – April 2003

Training Latin American Producers in Improving Forest Management

Participants from Brazil, Peru, Central America, Suriname, Guyana and Bolivia attended an international workshop in Bolivia mid May on how to form Producer Groups. Producer Groups promote improved forest management through a range of services and activities, including links to buyers and support for a stepwise progress by producers companies towards the exclusion of illegal timber from supply chains and credible forest certification. Ten new Producer Groups are being established in 2003 as part of a significant expansion of the work of the WWF co-ordinated Global Forest and Trade Network (GFTN). The first producer networks have already been established in Russia, Central America, Bolivia, Malaysia, Ghana and Brazil. Additional Producer Groups are currently under development in Latin America, Central Africa, South East Asia and Eastern Europe. The GFTN, through its extensive network of FTNs, can work with buyers to map their supply chains, support existing suppliers towards legal sourcing and certification and identify new suppliers in these regions. In return, buyers must commit to their own action plans for phasing out illegal and uncertified supplies and are encouraged to support their suppliers to meet their commitments.

Sources: WWF Bolivia April 2003; For more information on Producer Groups contact Darius Sarshar, Global Producer Group Coordinator, WWF Global Forest and Trade Network darius@ forestandtrade

Guide to Exclude Illegal Timber From the Supply Chain

A new guide is available from the Tropical Forest Trust on what companies can do to exclude controversial timber in their supply chain. Good Wood, Good Business is written as a practical guide for CEOs and senior managers of companies that produce and/or supply wood products to retail or other end – use markets such as the construction industry. Retailers and end users are also assisted to better judge whether their suppliers are taking appropriate action to exclude illegal and other controversial timber from their supply chain.

Access the guide on

Expansion of Community Forest Certification in Latin America

Certification of Community Forests is currently being promoted in Latin America and the Caribbean with the support of WWF Sweden and SIDA, the international development co-operation agency in Sweden. In a recent meeting, the potential for community certification over the next two years in Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Bolivia, Ecuador, Brazil and Colombia was discussed. To date, the Regional Project for Community Forestry Certification which is co-ordinated by WWF Bolivia, has prepared 50.000 hectares of community land of the Yuqui – CIRI in Bolivia for FSC certification

Sources: WWF Bolivia April 2003; FSC News+Notes, Issue 6 May 20 2003

More Forest Control by Indigenous Groups in Russia

To conserve the Bikin River Basin in the Russian Far East indigenous people will increasingly be managing and controlling natural resources in the middle and upper Bikin River Basin in a new co-operation agreement between WWF and indigenous groups. The key goal of the agreement is to support traditional resource management in the region and to stop illegal and uncontrolled harvesting and poaching. The Bikin River Basin covers a large forest territory and is home for Udege indigenous people.

Source: Information Bulletin WWF Forest Programme in the Russian Far East Issue 4 January – April 2003

FSC as Tool to Control Hunting in Cameroon

FSC is currently being tested as a mechanism to influence and control hunting of “bushmeat” in Cameroon. The project, a co-operation between the certifier Woodmark and Fauna and Flora International, is funded by the UK Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, Flagship Species Fund.

During the course of the project extensive consultation was carried out on the FSC Principles and Criteria. The resulting standard was field-tested in March 2003. Key best practice norms and guidelines for hunting and the bushmeat trade have been developed and are now ready to be applied and further tested in forest areas in Cameroon.

Through loss of habitat in Cameroons unique forests and high and uncontrolled levels of hunting, forest animals have been severely decimated, leading to local extinction. This is a serious concern from a conservation perspective but also causes problems for the local communities who are depending on these animals for food and income.

Hunting for the meat of wild animals by far exceeds sustainable levels. Up to three quarters of meat consumed in many Central and West African countries comes from wild animals.

Sources: Woodmark News Issue 5 Spring 2003; Bushmeat crisis Task Force ; Just Forests. Good Wood Policy Guide July 2002 Not by bread alone… Forests and rural livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa, David Kaimowitz Director General, Center for International Forestry Research 2002

Alarming Lack of Forest Protection in Europe

The WWF report State of Europe's Forest Protection shows an alarming lack of effective and adequate protection for Europe's forest biodiversity. The report was launched during the 4th Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe which took place in Vienna, Austria, in April. WWF emphasises that governments need to better protect Europe´s forests by supporting and implementing the two mechanisms that can effect positive changes in the forest: Sustainable Forest Management AND Viable Networks of Protected Forests.

The report shows that there has been virtually no change in quality and quantity of forest protection since the release of a previous WWF analysis - The European Forest Scorecards - in 2000. According to the new survey governments are rather weak at committing to protection of forest areas.

On average, the 16 countries surveyed this year obtained only 47 percent of the possible maximum scores on forest protection, only slightly up from 45 percent in 2000. Only two countries made significant progress (UK and Latvia), while four countries (Germany, Spain, Norway and Hungary) slightly improved their performance, six countries (Switzerland, the Netherlands, Turkey, Romania, Estonia and Slovakia) showed no overall change, and four countries (France, Austria, Finland and Poland) did slightly worse. Overall, only four countries (UK, Spain, Hungary and Slovakia) achieved over 50 percent of the maximum achievable scores. As in the last scorecards, the results clearly indicate that all countries have serious progress to make on forest protection.

Source: WWF Press Release April 28 2003; The report is available on forests/events/ (MCPFE)

Europeans Want More Protected Forests

A WWF-commissioned independent opinion survey across 12 European countries finds 93 percent of the population believe it is important that forests are well protected, and 80 percent that there should be more protected forest areas like national parks in their country.

Carried out in Sweden, the UK, France, Poland, Latvia, Slovakia, Romania, Turkey, Greece, the Czech Republic, Norway and Austria in March and April the survey shows a strong social and cultural support for preserving Europe's natural heritage. "Over and above the fact that protected forests are indispensable to conserve biodiversity, this is also a clear demand by European society", said Duncan Pollard, Head of the WWF European Forest Programme.

The survey results underline that a vast majority of respondents want to visit protected forests for recreational purposes like hiking. On the other hand, they clearly reject activities such as road construction, infrastructure developments, hunting and logging, which threaten the quality of protected areas.

Source: WWF Press Release April 24 2003; Access the survey on forests/events/(MCPFE)

Banks Contribute to Forest Destruction

In the report Elephant Forests On Sale WWF shows how several European banks and companies have been contributing to the destruction of Tesso Nilo, one of the world's richest rainforests, located on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The study highlights that already 64 % - or 315.000 hectares - of the Tesso Nilo forest, one of the last refuges for the threatened Sumatran elephants and a unique centre of plant diversity, have been converted into vast industrial plantations since the middle of the 1980s. According to the WWF report, European financial institutions such as the UK's Barclays Bank, the German Deutsche Bank and several export credit agencies from all over the world share responsibility for this development as they issued loans and guarantees for two giant pulp mills near Tesso Nilo.

Source: WWF Press Release April 8 2003

The Social and Political Dimensions of Forest Certification

The book Social and Political Dimenstion of Forest Certicication, E.Meidinger, C. Elliott, G.Oesten (Eds) explores the social and political implications of forest certification and its future. Certification programs are growing very rapidly around the world and their rise to prominence poses many interesting and important questions. The book addresses issues such as changing institutions, democracy and governance, social standards and legal systems. It discusses emerging questions in a balanced way and lays the groundwork for further dialogue and continuing research on these issues. The book is aimed at foresters, people working in environmental policy, sustainable development, international governance, social movements, regulatory policy and policy studies.

You can order the book (Euro 30) from webmaster@forstbuch.de/ Phone/Fax: 49-02228-493

Spotlight on Corporate Leadership

Swedish State Forests a Leader in Forest Conservation

Sveaskog, the largest forest owner in Europe, has committed to set aside twenty per cent of its 3.5 million hectares of productive forest to be protected or managed with conservation as the first priority.

By utilising some of the core concepts within the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification system, Sveaskog’s pioneering approach of protecting, managing and restoring its forests sets a leading example for other forest companies and state forest agencies to implement responsible forest management and biodiversity conservation on a landscape scale. This is a major step forward to bridge the gap between large-scale forest management and forest conservation.

On May 15 WWF International recognised Sveaskog’s commitment as a Gift to the Earth – a globally significant conservation action which demonstrates environmentally responsible leadership and is an example of best practise and an inspiration to others. “Through recognition of Sveaskog’s ambitious conservation goals as a Gift to the Earth we support the protection of biodiversity at a landscape level in the forests of Northern Europe”, said WWF International’s Director General Claude Martin. “Sveaskog is unique among forest companies for these efforts and a role model for both state forest services and large forest industry companies.”

Sveaskog has recently developed ecological landscape plans for its entire forest holdings. These will be reviewed and quality controlled by 2005. The plans for the forest areas within the pledged twenty percent will be designed with a mix of full protection, management with conservation as a priority, or ‘set-asides’ in forest management planning. A restoration strategy to enhance biological values at a landscape level will also be initiated. This process will be carried

out within each of the forest regions and types found within Sveaskog’s forest estate by 2007.

Sources: WWF Press release May 15 2003; Gift to the Earth Information Sheet on Sveaskog; gtte/forests

News From the FSC

FSC Aims to Eliminate Bottleneck for Labelled Products

FSC has established a working group to review the technical challenges around Chain of Custody and labelling of FSC certified solid wood and assembled products. The objective is to eliminate bottlenecks which currently prevent FSC-labelled products reaching the market.

Source: FSC News+Notes, March 31 2003

Social Strategy Revised and Put Into Practice

The latest version of the FSC´s Social Strategy Building and Implementing a Social Agenda is now available on the FSC website () in English and Spanish. The current field trials for Small and Low Intensity Managed Forests are a direct outcome of this strategy and other projects will be implemented as a consequence. The Social Strategy includes modifications suggested during the last General Assembly in November 2002.

Source: FSC News+Notes, March 31 2003

Update on the Chain of Custody and Labelling Review

The first round of consultation on the new draft standard for Chain of Custody and Labelling of Chip and Fibre products is finished. Comments are now being integrated into the draft and the revised document will be circulated in the coming weeks. An FSC briefing sheet explaining the steps for finalizing the new FSC standards is available on . For more information contact Sofia Ryder sryder@.

Source: FSC News+Notes, Issue 6 May 20 2003

Events

July 7-11 2003, Oxford- UK

2003 Forest and Certification Summer Training programme by ProForest and Ecosecurities

The programme provides a range of up-to-date courses dealing with current issues for those involved in forest management, certification and sustainable natural resource management. For more information Training/index5.htm

September 21-28 2003 Quebec, Canada:

XII World Forestry Congress: Forests-Source of Life

For more information:

The National Aboriginal Forestry Association (NAFA) of Canada is hosting the Indigenous Peoples' Forest Forum in association with the World Forestry Congress. This side event is intended for indigenous community members, leaders, scholars, and entrepreneurs in preparation for the XII World Forestry Congress.

Background and Facts

Key Statistics

Status: April 29 2003

Total area of FSC certified forests: 36,870,289 hectares

Number of countries with FSC forests: 56

FM/COC and FM certificates: 495

COC certificates exclusively: 2479

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Programme Information

❖ For Information on the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)

❖ Global Forest And Trade Network forestandtrade

❖ Forests For Life Programme, WWF forests4life

Certification Basics

An Introduction to Forest Certification: (2001)

NGO Positions on Certification Systems

Joint NGO statement by Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and WWF about PEFC and FSC (2002)



Joint NGO statement on illegal logging (2002)

A coalition of NGOs has issued a demand for the European Commission to take action to address the import of illegally sourced timber



Behind the logo (2001) -In-depth report of the four biggest forest certification schemes (CSA, FSC, PEFC & SFI) analyses the strengths and weaknesses of each scheme and aims to provide companies, governments and NGOs with the facts needed for informed decision making.

Joint NGO statement on mutual recognition (2001)



Make Your Own Judgement About Certification Schemes

Assessing Forest Certification: A Practical Guide : (2002)



Certification Assistance

Where to Sell and Buy

❖ Global search for certified product types on fsc- and

❖ For a certified forest products market place – connecting buyers and suppliers of FSC timbers worldwide go to

❖ Information on FSC forest management and Chain of Custody certification holders fsc-

❖ To confirm FSC certification of a company by certification number or company name go to fsc- ;

❖ General information on FSC, certification, approved certifiers, a global certified forest list etc. go to

❖ Further trade data links can be found on

Getting FSC on the Market

The FSC Percentage Based Claims

Policy Discussion Paper (2002)

This paper identifies a wide range of options on many elements of the policy: minimum thresholds, batch systems, continuous improvement, labelling, uncertified content, monitoring compliance and neutral materials. The FSC Secretariat is considering the options that have been presented.

Assistance With Group Certification

Group Certification Toolkit (2001)

Procedures, guidance notes, forms and instructions for use on how to set up an FSC approved Group Certification Scheme. For use by forest managers, forest owners, co-operatives, communities and harvesting companies.

((case studies ( group certification)

A Practical Guide to Developing a Group Scheme for FSC-Accredited Certification of Forests: Final Draft (2001) A practical guide aimed at anyone wishing to set up a group certification scheme compatible with the requirements of the FSC.



Learning From Others

500 companies are part of the WWF co-ordinated Global Forest and Trade Network (GFTN), committed to responsible forest management and trade. They represent a wide range of actors including forest owners, timber processors, construction companies, retailers, investment agencies and local authorities. Members vary from small family-owned businesses to world scale leading companies such as IKEA and the Home Depot. They are committed to gradually producing, trading and/or sourcing independently certified forest products. Find more information about GFTN at:

To learn from the experiences of other companies who are already part of the network get in touch with one of the forest and trade network co-ordinators. Contact details can be found on

Further Contacts for Assistance With Certification



Multiple Solutions for the World´s Forests by WWF

WWF's Forests for Life Programme has developed a strategic vision for forest conservation in the 21st century under the theme of Protect, Manage and Restore. The position papers outline WWFs approaches to forest conservation through a multiplicity of approaches and strategies which are pursued together with regional and global partners. Approaches to forest conservation by WWF are reflected in the position papers on Certification, High Conservation Value Forests, combating illegal logging and forest crime, preventing forest fires, restoring damaged and degraded forests and protection of forests. WWFs position papers on global forest issues are available on news_facts/factsheets/

For further information please contact

(contact address of NO)

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