Academic literature on the topic 'Programme for the Endorsment of Forest Certification'

The article describes about cerlification programme for sustainable forest management. Concern for forest problems has increased dramatically over last decade. Sustainable forest management is an inherent aim of certification. It is the ultimate goal to which certified forest should aspire, but such a goal is reached only through a period of transition, during which management standards are progressively established and fine-tuned. The explicit aim of certification is to improve the quality of forest management so as to reach this goal. The aim of certification systems is to make timber production more ecologically and socially responsible and economically viable by grading sources so that consumers can choose on these grounds. The argument is that environmentally aware consumers will be prepared to pay more for products if they know where these come from and how they have been produced. Higher prices will motivate timber companies to implement sustainable forest management principles. There are certain general principles of sustainability which have been agreed, these include emvironmental sustainability social sustainability and economic sustainability. This article describes focus on certification in context, certification in practice, views on certification, overall trends in the certification debate, the sticky issues differing views that need resolving, and the forest certification programme in lndonesia.

In 1994, the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) was asked by a coalition of twenty-three Canadian forest industry associations to undertake development of standards for Sustainable Forest Management (SFM). CSA agreed with the proposal and, for this purpose, formed a Technical Committee with representation from a wide variety of interested parties, including producers, woodlot owners, professionals and scientists, public and environmental groups, and governments. The open process, which was entirely that of CSA, was completed in two years, with the draft standards being approved by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) as National Standards of Canada in September 1996. Verification that the standards have been achieved is accomplished through an independent audit conducted by a Registrar (certifying organization) accredited by the SCC. Certification is voluntary.The Standards framework consists of an environmental management system which is consistent with that of ISO 14001; however, requirements also include a public participation component, field performance measures, and the use of national SFM Criteria and Indicators developed by the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers, which in turn are based on results of the international Montreal process.

Forest certification as a voluntary verification tool has been providing an independent assessment of sustainable forestry practices and thus confidence in sustainability benchmarks for over 20 years. Using either the international or national approaches and initiatives, two main forest certification systems, PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council), have spread in a number of countries worldwide. The specifics of local conditions in the forestry sector have to be taken into account when implementing the certification context in a given country or a region. Apart from the natural conditions, institutional structure, or legislative framework, it is also the local and national stakeholders and their perception of this issue that provides the background for the implementation of the certification criteria. The main objective of this study is to examine the general understanding of the certification concept as an environmental, economic, and social tool, and to determine the incentives of forest owners in Slovakia for sustainable forest management (SFM) certification. In addition, the benefits and problems arising from participation in certification were identified and differences reflecting the ownership structure of forests, size of forest area, and participation in a particular certification programme were analysed. Results indicate that certified forest owners, unlike non-certified, demonstrated a high level of understanding of the SFM certification concept. Certified entities mainly consider forest certification as their commitment to environmental responsibility and a tool for improving external company image, promoting sustainable utilisation of forest resources, and improving forest management practices. The main benefits are linked to the possibility to demonstrate forest management practices, a better understanding of the forest management concept, and improvement of forest management practices. PEFC users perceive more benefits following from certification; the most important are those associated with non-economic values, while FSC-certified forest owners perceive mainly economic benefits connected to market penetration, increased sales volume, and potential price premiums. The key problems associated with certification relate to duties to ensure compliance with certification criteria by contractors and administrative difficulties. Respondents reported minimum price premiums for the sale of their certified timber. Additionally, the findings of the study pointed out that a nationally developed certification system can better recognise the roles and objectives of forest certification in the context of forest policy.

International expansion of forest certification programs has occurred over the last three decades. Both public and private organizations have shown increased interest in becoming certified by one or more forest certification bodies, to assure the public that forest resources are managed adequately in sustaining forest health and socio-economic viability. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) program is globally used as a benchmark to implement forest certification at the national and regional levels. The Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI) and the American Tree Farm System (ATFS) are also used throughout the United States. In Europe, individual countries such as Bulgaria and Turkey have also developed national forest certification programs. The SFI, ATFS and Bulgarian programs are further endorsed by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). The results of a qualitative analysis comparing the FSC forest certification program with the SFI, the ATFS, and the two European national programs (Bulgarian and Turkish) suggest that differences in these programs are not necessarily related to their language, but to the level of detail and prescriptiveness of each program. We find that the FSC is much more detailed and prescriptive in nearly all aspects considered for forest certification. In particular, we find that most of the elements considered in the FSC Principle 6 (Environmental Impact) are either only superficial, or not addressed at all, in the other four programs. Furthermore, the other programs appear to be less comprehensive and detailed in the substance of the FSC monitoring and assessment principles. In a few areas, the Turkish program requires more quantitative indicators for assessing forest management than the other programs. Though a comparison of the legal framework related to forest management in each of the studied countries was briefly introduced, our study focuses on the certification schemes themselves; it may contribute to policy discussions in the future development and implementation of other certification programs.

Sustainability certification has been carried out in Switzerland for forestry and wood processing chains according to the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC) for over ten years. However forest owners are unsure whether the resulting benefits justify the costs involved in forest certification. The Forestry Department of the Swiss College of Agriculture (SHL) in Zollikofen has been commissioned by various associations and organisations to analyse the situation. The aim of the study was to take stock of the situation from the point of view of forest owners, and undertake forward-looking strategic considerations with respect to forest certification. Today more than a third of Swiss forests are PEFC/FSC-doubly-certified. In comparison to countries outside of Switzerland, the penetration of forest certification with FSC is considerably greater than in neighbouring countries, in which the PEFC label dominates. There is currently a significant oversupply of certified wood on the Swiss market. At the same time, it must be noted that it is rare that extra earnings can be realised with certified wood. On the basis of this situation, six strategic options for action have been identified with regard to the future positioning of forest owners. These can impact on the costs of certification, possible market access and revenue from sales, or on the ecological image. The results of the study should offer Swiss forest owners and their associations the necessary information to enable them to define their future strategy for forest certification.

Certification to approved forest management standards is a recognized business practice. There are two international forest certification programs: the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The common objective of both is to improve forest management and provide assurance to the public and customers that forest products come from sustainably managed forests and not from illegal operations. As of June 2011 there were approximately 372 million ha of certified forests around the world. There are 234 million ha of forests in 26 countries that have been certified to standards approved by PEFC. There are143 million ha of forest certified to FSC standards in 81 countries. In 20 of these countries, with101 million ha (70%), the forests have been certified to standards approved by FSC. In the remaining 61 countries, 42 million ha (30%), the forests have been certified to draft or “interim standards” that have not gone through the FSC approval process. Consumers have no way of knowing whether the wood or paper products with an FSC label are from forests certified to FSC-approved standards or to “interim standards” developed by FSC certification bodies.

The article discusses the issues of effectiveness of the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) certification systems in relation to enterprises and the level to which the systems which present sustainability as a part of their ethos are accepted by consumers. The justifiability and topicality of this issue result from the increasingly strong interest in sustainability of the society as a whole as well as from the long-term vision of sector policies with respect to meeting the objectives of sustainable development. The increasing demand for natural resources exerts pressure on our planet. Sustainability is hence essential for our future and has long been in the centre of the European project. Its economic, social and environmental aspects which form the common objective of society have been acknowledged in EU agreements. A principal document of a global nature is the 2030 UN Agenda for Development, a sustainability programme which has the sustainability of forest ecosystems established in its Goal 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss. Visions, direction and goals of sustainable development have also been stipulated in the Paris Agreement on climate change (COP21), in the Addis Ababa action programme and in The Future We Want declaration, namely in its Chapter II, which appeals to enterprises and industries for developing strategies which would contribute to sustainable development. This study aims to analyse and assess the justifiability of the existence of certification systems in relation to processing operators and end consumers in the Czech Republic. From the results of the study, it can be concluded that, despite the strong representation of selected certification systems in the Czech Republic, their effectiveness in economic, social and environmental terms is not perceived exclusively positive by businesses and consumers.

This study discusses the Implementation of Indonesian and British Cooperation in the Elite Cooperation of Multistakeholders Forestry Program. In this collaboration Indonesia and the UK have rules regarding the existence of illegal logging in Indonesia. Indonesia's policy is Certification of Timber Legality Verification. The United Kingdom or the European Union has a policy that is Law Enforcement and Forest Law Governance (FLEGT). This research was conducted on the Implementation of MFP 3 on Indonesian wood products. The Thinking Framework of this model uses the theory of International Cooperation, the Concept of Sustainable Development. This research uses descriptive method with a qualitative approach. The collaboration between Indonesia and the UK produces several impacts on Illegal Logging and timber production and forest management in Indonesia in 2014-2016.

In the fall of 2018, the “Vaia” windstorm grounded around 8.5 million m3 of timber in northeastern Italy. Soon after, the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) Italy activated a project called “fair supply chain” to promote the purchase of timber from the damaged areas at a reasonable price. The initiative was addressed at forest owners, forest and processing enterprises, retailers, and supporting organizations. This study reports the results of a survey performed to assess the effectiveness of the project two years after its launch. The survey, in the form of a questionnaire submitted to all adhering organizations, investigated different aspects such as motivations for adherence to the project, satisfaction with the project, sale of the labeled material, and promotion of the specific label. The results provide a detailed outline of the above aspects. Through the various findings, the project is perceived as effective in supporting the region, enhancing an organizations’ image, and limiting price fall. Yet, further efforts should be aimed at increasing networking and business opportunities. Some recommendations are also offered for similar projects in the future, as forest disturbances are increasing worldwide in frequency and intensity due to climate change.

A certificação florestal está presente no continente sul-americano desde 1995 e, desde então, tem se expandido por diversos países da região. Objetivou-se analisar a contribuição que as empresas com certificação de plantações florestais têm na proteção de florestas nativas na América do Sul pelos sistemas Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) e Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC). Foram consultados os resumos públicos das unidades de manejo florestal certificadas dos países da América do Sul, tanto os referentes à certificação de plantações florestais quanto de florestas nativas. Buscou-se a informação referente à área total certificada da unidade de manejo florestal, a área efetivamente implantada, a área de proteção florestal e a área destinada a outros usos. Tanto o FSC (40,9%) quanto o PEFC (34,4%), no Brasil, contribuíram mais para a proteção florestal, quando comparado com o FSC (22,4%) e o PEFC (22,9%) no Chile. Conclui-se que a certificação de plantações florestais exerce uma importante função na proteção florestal, notadamente em países como Brasil, Colômbia, Paraguai e Chile. Além disso, no Brasil as áreas destinadas à proteção florestal são superiores às do Chile, tanto pelo sistema de certificação FSC quanto pelo PEFC.Palavras-chave:Certificação florestal; proteção florestal; sistemas de certificação; manejo florestal. AbstractForest plantations and the protection of native forests in certified units management in South America by FSC and PEFC Systems. Forest certification is present in South America since 1995 and since then has expanded to various countries of the region. The objective was to examine the contribution that companies with certification of forest plantations, have the protection of native forests in South America for systems Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC). We consulted the public summaries of certified forest management units in the countries of South America, both for the certification of forest plantations on native forests. We sought information on the total area of certified forest management unit, the area effectively deployed, the protected area and forest area for other uses. Both FSC (40.9%) and PEFC (34.4%), Brazil, contributed more to the forest protection when compared with FSC (22.4%) and PEFC (22.9%) in Chile. We conclude that certification of forest plantations has an important role in forest protection, especially in countries like Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay and Chile. Moreover, in Brazil the areas intended for forest protection are higher than those of Chile, both the FSC certification system as PEFC.Keywords: Forest certification; forest protection; certification systems; forest management.

Nobia AB i Tidaholm tillverkar kompletta kök till privatpersoner och byggprojekt. I samhället har hållbarhetstänket ökat markant vilket betyder att kunderna ställer högre krav på det de konsumerar. För att producera hållbara kök med hänsyn till miljö och människor i enlighet med deras affärsstrategi krävs det att verksamheten är certifierad. De certifikat som är av intresse är Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) och Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).  För att erhålla ett certifikat krävs det att vissa krav uppfylls och att spårbarhet finns i verksamheten. För att erhålla ett av certifikaten måste bristerna identifieras och förslag på åtgärder tas fram. För spårbarheten gäller det att produktionen granskas och att verksamheten jämförs med de ställda kraven. Efter utförd studie har det påvisat möjligheten till certifiering för Nobias verksamhet i Tidaholm. Teorin samlades in genom litteratur, standarder och artiklar. Metoder som användes för att undersöka nuläget var diskussioner, processkartläggning och observationer. Utifrån teorin och undersökningen av nuläget tillämpades en gapanalys för att jämföra differensen mellan certifikatens krav och den befintliga uppfyllandegraden. Flertalet brister påvisades och de största mest påverkningsbara sammanfattades i en prioriteringslista. Utifrån analysen togs förslag arbetssätt och åtgärder fram för att uppnå spårbarhet. Resultatet innefattar teoretiska åtgärder relaterat till arbetssättet och praktiska åtgärder för hur spårbarheten kan uppnås. Slutligen har Nobia goda möjligheter att på ett strategiskt sätt möjlighet till att utveckla sin verksamhet till en certifierad produktion med hjälp av ett teoretiskt arbetssätt samt praktiska åtgärder.
Nobia AB in Tidaholm manufacture complete kitchens towards private persons and building projects. With the increasing awareness of sustainability in the society, there is an increase of sustainable consumption by the customers which leads to higher demands on sustainable kitchens. To produce kitchens with the environment and people in mind in line with their business strategi, their organization needs to be certified. The certificates of interests are the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). To acquire certification Nobia will need to fulfil the demands in the standard and have traceability in their production. To acquire traceability, it is needed to review the production and to compare the organisation with the standards demands. After the completed study it has been proven that there is a possibility to certify Nobia’s organization in Tidaholm. The theory chapter was collected through literature, standards, and articles. Methods that were used to examine the current situation was discussions, process mapping and observations at the company. From the theory and the examination of the current situation was a gap analysis completed to compare the difference between Nobia’s current situation and the demands in the standard. Multiple breaches were discovered and the changes that would help the traceability the most was summarized in a priority list. The result includes theoretical measures related to working practice and practical measures as to how traceability can be achieved. Lastly is that Nobia has a good possibility, in a strategic way, to develop their organization and produce certified production with the help of a theoretical and practical measures.

The aim of this diploma thesis was to analyze the current effects of FSC production on the Czech market. The analysis of certified products in the Czech Republic was performed from the perspective of consumers and companies. The first step was a short consumer survey, which was distributed among respondents in electronic and paper versions. The main objective of this research was to measure awareness of FSC logo and its effects in the consumer choice process. The second part of this research was dedicated to companies producing or selling certified furniture. The field research was conducted among selected stores situated in České Budějovice.