Forest Certification Handbook

Christopher Upton and Stephen Bass

"This is a clear and balanced overview of the key issues relating to timber certification. I strongly recommend it."Chris Elliot, Senior Forests Officer,WWF International

• Foreword by Duncan Poore -- Preface -- Acknowledgements -- 1 Introduction -- Part 1 Certification in Context -- 2 Forest Problems -- Market and policy failures within and outside the forestry sector -- Institutional failures -- Weak and/or inappropriate tenure -- 3 Competing Stakeholder Interests and the Goal of Sustainability -- Competing stakeholder interests -- The goal of sustainable forest management -- 4 Policy Requirements -- National level -- International level -- 5 Standards -- External and internal standards -- How standards are set by ISO -- Existing initiatives in standard setting -- Remaining dilemmas in standard-setting -- 6 What Certification Achieves -- Certification: a market based instrument -- Forest needs and certification’s possible role -- Part 2 Certification in Practice -- 7 Design Issues -- The importance of environmental management systems at LFMU level -- Accreditation -- The certification body -- 8 How Certification Works in Practice -- Selection of the appropriate forest area -- Certification of multiple small woodland areas -- Application -- Scoping visit -- Document review [examination] -- Field assessment [examination/validation] -- Peer review [validation] -- Certification -- Labelling [chain of custody] -- Periodic review [surveillance] -- Cost -- Case studies -- Part 3 Current Initiatives and Views -- 9 Forest Initiatives and Certification -- International initiatives -- National initiatives -- Initiatives which are commonly confused with certification -- 10 Views on Certification -- Views of the main stakeholder groups -- Overall trends in the certification debate -- The sticky issues - differing views that need resolving -- Conclusions on what to do next -- Annexes -- 10.1 Government viewpoint - Malaysian delegation to ITTC, May 1994 -- 10.2 The UK Government’s views on timber certification and labelling -- 10.3 The Canadian Government’s position on forest certification -- 10.4 A view from the South -- 10.5 View on the FSC from an environmental NGO: Pro Regenwald, Germany -- 10.6 An environmental NGO’s viewpoint: WWF-UK -- 10.7 A certifier’s viewpoint: Soil Association, UK -- 10.8 View of a forest peoples’ group: The World Rainforest Movement -- 10.9 View from a conservation NGO: Soltrust (Solomon Islands) -- 10.10 View of the Forest Industry Committee of Great Britain (FICGB) -- 10.11 A forest concession-holder’s viewpoint: Alpi, Italy and Cameroon -- 10.12 Viewpoint from a forest producer and paper manufacturer: Aracruz, Brazil -- 10.13 View from the Netherlands Timber Trade Association -- 10.14 A retailer’s viewpoint: Do It All, UK -- Part 4 Directories -- 11 Active Certification Programmes -- Rainforest Alliance -- Scientific Certification Systems -- SGS Forestry -- The Soil Association -- Forest Stewardship Council -- 12 Other international and National Certification Initiatives -- Austria -- Brazil -- Canada -- Finland -- Germany -- Indonesia -- The Netherlands -- Sweden -- Switzerland -- 13 Certified Forests -- Amacol LTDA -- Bainings Community Based Eco forestry Project -- Broadleaf Forest Development Project -- Chindwell Doors -- Collins Pine -- Dartington Home Wood -- Demerara Timbers Ltd -- Keweenaw Land Association Ltd -- Menominee Tribal Enterprises -- Pengelli Forest -- Perum Perhutani -- Plan Piloto -- Portico SA -- Seven Islands Land Management Company -- Tropical American Tree Farms -- Bibliography -- Glossary.