The Forest Certification Handbook

The last decade saw dramatic concern for forest problems. The future decades will witness an even more dramatic interest. Certification of forests provides a guarantee to buyers of timber products that their purchases come from well-managed forests that will not support unsustainable or inequitable practices. This produces multiple advantages to those with stakes in the entire chain of production, not the least of which is justification of their pricing. The Forest Certification Handbook is the first book to fully assess the role of certification and provide practical advice on developing, selecting and operating a program. The most critical role of certification is providing an incentive to forest owners and managers to raise the standard of their forest management. With international and national initiatives supporting specific principles for forest management and means of quality assessment taking place, The Forest Certification Handbook is the only published guide of its kind to eliminate any confusion. Here, in clear, exacting language, is all of the information you will need to complete a certification program.

Table of Contents:
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.

About the Author :
Christopher Upton and Stephen Bass

Review :
"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