scholarly journals Theory-of-Change Development for the Evaluation of Forest Stewardship Council Certification of Sustained Timber Yields from Natural Forests in Indonesia

Forests ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 547 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Romero ◽  
Francis Putz
Keyword(s):  
Theory Of Change ◽  
Forest Conversion ◽  
Natural Forests ◽  
Forest Stewardship Council ◽  
Apparent Lack ◽  
Forest Stewardship ◽  
Stock Depletion ◽  
Forest Enterprises ◽  
Theories Of Change ◽  
Audit Reports

To illustrate the importance of theories-of-change (ToCs) for evaluation of conservation interventions, we consider the global ToC from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and then develop a more explicit ToC focused on the sustained timber yield (STY) aspiration for natural forest management in Indonesia. We use these ToCs to consider certification implementation processes vis-à-vis indicators for STY extracted from FSC’s Indonesian Stewardship Standard that mentions STY explicitly in 45 and implicitly in 21 of 237 indicators. Analysis of 38 audit reports about 23 enterprises (2001–2017) revealed that only 77 of 504 major non-conformities assigned by auditors addressed STY. This apparent lack of attention to STY is surprising given the exhaustion of timber stocks in many production forests and the closure of many forest enterprises over the past two decades, but our ToC reveals numerous unsatisfied and unsatisfiable assumptions in certification that preclude detection of unsustainable harvests. Furthermore, compliance with governmental regulations on harvest intensities does not allow full timber recovery. To sustain yields, logging intensities need to be reduced and/or silvicultural treatments applied to increase yields, both of which reduce short-term profits. Declining yields might be accepted if the capacity of logged forests to grow timber is not impaired, but forest abandonment due to timber stock depletion is worrisome if it fosters illegal forest conversion.

scholarly journals Procedural Factors Influencing Forest Certification Audits: An Empirical Study in Romania

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aureliu-Florin Hălălișan ◽  
Bogdan Popa ◽  
Iñaki Heras-Saizarbitoria ◽  
Olivier Boiral ◽  
Germán Arana-Landín ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Significant Influence ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Forest Certification ◽  
Forest Stewardship Council ◽  
Process Outcomes ◽  
Environmentally Sensitive ◽  
External Audits ◽  
Forest Stewardship ◽  
Audit Reports ◽  
Audit Team

In the recent decades, forest certification based on third-party external audits has gained momentum. This type of certification has been developed as a monitoring tool aimed at improving governance in corporate environmental management and differentiating products in the increasing environmentally sensitive markets. Although the scholarly literature has extensively analyzed the adoption and dissemination of forest certification, the findings of the external audits and certification practices remain under researched. On the basis of the analysis of 105 audit reports issued by accredited third-party certification bodies in Romania, this article sheds light on procedural factors that have significant influence on the characteristics of non-conformities (NCs) identified by Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) third party audits. Our research offers empirical evidence that certain procedural factors such as the type of assessment, auditing days, number of auditors, or the presence of foreign members in an audit team have a significant influence on the auditing process outcomes: number and grade of non-conformities, standard references, or methods of NC detection. The study opens interesting new lines of research—the influence of procedural or other types of contextual factors on certification outcomes—and provides indications on the effectiveness of the certification procedures and guidelines in certification process quality assurance.

Forest management certification in the Americas: difficulties in complying with the requirements of the FSC system

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-188
Author(s):  
V. M. Basso ◽  
B.G. Andrade ◽  
L.A.G. Jacovine ◽  
E.V. Silva ◽  
R.R. Alves ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Forest Management ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
The United States ◽  
Forest Certification ◽  
Forest Stewardship Council ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Environmental Requirements ◽  
Forest Stewardship ◽  
Audit Reports

'Forest management' aims to maintain forests as producers of goods and services, while ensuring their conservation for future generations. Forest certification has become one of the most widely used mechanisms to encourage and recognize this 'forest stewardship', with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) among the most well-known systems worldwide. FSC is widely used in several Management Units on the American Continent, which is home to large forest areas. Therefore, we evaluated the main difficulties in complying with the principles of the FSC standard in 18 American countries based on verification of non-conformities generated in the process. The data were obtained from information contained in the certification audit reports available on the FSC official website, covering all organizations with valid certificates from 1995 to 2013. We found that the United States presented the lowest mean of non-conformities per audit, which may indicate better capacity of managers to implement practices of its forestry activities. Regarding the deviation type, the United States and Canada presented higher indices in relation to the adequacy of the environmental impacts (P6) of their activities. Meanwhile, the greatest non-conformities in the Central and South America countries occurred in the labor and social area (P4), followed by environmental issues (P6). All organizations presented some type of non-compliance with the criteria set by the FSC and needed to adapt. The major difficulties encountered were related to compliance with environmental requirements. The need to implement corrective actions to maintain the certificate demonstrates a change of management influenced by the forest certification process, thus contributing to minimizing socio-environmental impacts resulting from forest operations.

Sustainability certification and legality verification in Indonesian natural forest-based wood products value chains

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 365-391
Author(s):  
D. Susilawati ◽  
P.J. Kanowski
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Field Performance ◽  
Wood Products ◽  
Natural Forest ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Natural Forests ◽  
Forest Stewardship Council ◽  
Forest Stewardship

Indonesian natural forest concessions and value chains are governed by a mandatory Timber Legality Verification System (SVLK), which includes assessment of Sustainable Production Forest Management (PHPL). Concessionaires and processors may also pursue voluntary forest certification. This study explores actors' compliance with these instruments along wood product value chains originating primarily from natural forests. Empirical results demonstrate that SVLK fostered legality compliance in domestic as well as export value chains, but still allows some possible loopholes. It is easier for actors to comply with SVLK than with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification, because SVLK has less stringent requirements, and uses an assessment system that allows poor field performance and does not foster continuous improvement of practices. These results identify weaknesses in the architecture and implementation of the regulatory instruments, and suggest measures to strengthen Indonesia's sustainable forest management and timber legality systems.

scholarly journals Voluntary Sustainability Certification and State Regulations: Paths to Promote the Conservation of Ecosystem Services? Experiences in Indonesia

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 503
Author(s):  
Intan Kurniati Ningsih ◽  
Verina Ingram ◽  
Sini Savilaakso
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Forest Stewardship Council ◽  
State Regulations ◽  
Certification Standard ◽  
Voluntary Certification ◽  
Market Driven ◽  
Forest Stewardship ◽  
The Impact

The Forest Stewardship Council initiated a Forest Certification for Ecosystem Services (ForCES) project from 2011 to 2017 to improve and promote sustainable forest management addressing a range of ecosystem services. Three sites in Indonesia were included in the pilot. Whilst the development of the certification standard was largely the result of a partnership between the certification standard organization, civil society and research organizations, implementation and monitoring of the impact of this sustainability standard will entail interactions with state regulations. This study examined how voluntary certification, other market-based approaches and state regulations concerning ecosystem services in Indonesia interplay, particularly in the agenda setting and negotiation stage. Using the conceptual lenses of transition theory and state and non-state market-based governance, interrelationships between ecosystem services certification and regulations were found to be complementary and antagonistic. The majority of interrelations were complementary and supporting. However, antagonism exists where regulations do not address multiple land uses and when there are contradictions in how state regulations define ecosystem services. There was limited state involvement in developing the ecosystem services certification standard, with no substitution between the voluntary standard and regulations occurring. To scale and transition this innovatory standard from a niche to a sociotechnical regime level, it is recommended that market-driven governance arrangements at farm, forest concession and landscape level are developed in collaboration with national and local governments. Collaboration can create synergies to incentivize the acceptance, adoption and effectiveness of non-state market driven instruments to positively enhance the conservation of ecosystem services.

scholarly journals Effects of forest certification towards sustainable community forestry in Nepal

1970 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pem N Kandel
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Community Forestry ◽  
Forest Certification ◽  
Managed Forests ◽  
Forest Stewardship Council ◽  
Community Forests ◽  
Sustainable Community ◽  
Forest Stewardship ◽  
Forest Users

In early 2005, 10,045 ha Community Forests (CFs) were certified in Bajhang and Dolakha districts of Nepal by using the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification scheme. After two years of forest certification, subsequent questions are being asked such as: What benefits have certification brought for the Forest Users Groups (FUGs)? What tangible differences are there in forest management system because of forest certification? and What lessons have been learnt from the certified forests? In an attempt to answer these questions, a study was carried out in April 2007 in Dolakha district where 11 (2,182 ha) community managed forests were certified in 2005. On the basis of field study from two certified forests (Vitteripakha and Suspa) of the district, this paper analyzes the effects of forest certification and its implications for enhancing Sustainable Community Forestry (SCF) in Nepal. Key words: Sustainable forest management, forest certification, community forestry Banko Janakari: A journal of forestry information for Nepal Vol.17(1) 2007 pp.11-16

scholarly journals The conservation value of South East Asia's highly degraded forests: evidence from leaf-litter ants

2011 ◽  
Vol 366 (1582) ◽  
pp. 3256-3264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Woodcock ◽  
David P. Edwards ◽  
Tom M. Fayle ◽  
Rob J. Newton ◽  
Chey Vun Khen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Leaf Litter ◽  
Oil Palm ◽  
Species Turnover ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Forest Conversion ◽  
Conservation Value ◽  
Natural Forests ◽  
Ant Communities ◽  
Logged Forest

South East Asia is widely regarded as a centre of threatened biodiversity owing to extensive logging and forest conversion to agriculture. In particular, forests degraded by repeated rounds of intensive logging are viewed as having little conservation value and are afforded meagre protection from conversion to oil palm. Here, we determine the biological value of such heavily degraded forests by comparing leaf-litter ant communities in unlogged (natural) and twice-logged forests in Sabah, Borneo. We accounted for impacts of logging on habitat heterogeneity by comparing species richness and composition at four nested spatial scales, and examining how species richness was partitioned across the landscape in each habitat. We found that twice-logged forest had fewer species occurrences, lower species richness at small spatial scales and altered species composition compared with natural forests. However, over 80 per cent of species found in unlogged forest were detected within twice-logged forest. Moreover, greater species turnover among sites in twice-logged forest resulted in identical species richness between habitats at the largest spatial scale. While two intensive logging cycles have negative impacts on ant communities, these degraded forests clearly provide important habitat for numerous species and preventing their conversion to oil palm and other crops should be a conservation priority.

Does forest certification conserve biodiversity?

Oryx ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. E. Gullison
Keyword(s):  
Biodiversity Conservation ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Market Access ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Forest Certification ◽  
Managed Forests ◽  
Forest Stewardship Council ◽  
Tropical Countries ◽  
High Conservation ◽  
Forest Stewardship

Forest certification provides a means by which producers who meet stringent sustainable forestry standards can identify their products in the marketplace, allowing them to potentially receive greater market access and higher prices for their products. An examination of the ways in which certification may contribute to biodiversity conservation leads to the following conclusions: 1) the process of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certification generates improvements to management with respect to the value of managed forests for biodiversity. 2) Current incentives are not sufficient to attract the majority of producers to seek certification, particularly in tropical countries where the costs of improving management to meet FSC guidelines are significantly greater than any market benefits they may receive; available incentives are even less capable of convincing forest owners to retain forest cover and produce certified timber on a sustainable basis, rather than deforesting their lands for timber and agriculture. 3) At present, current volumes of certified forest products are insufficient to reduce demand to log high conservation value forests. If FSC certification is to make greater inroads, particularly in tropical countries, significant investments will be needed both to increase the benefits and reduce the costs of certification. Conservation investors will need to carefully consider the biodiversity benefits that will be generated from such investments, versus the benefits generated from investing in more traditional approaches to biodiversity conservation.

scholarly journals Da certificação para as concessões florestais: organizações não governamentais, empresas e a construção de um novo quadro institucional para o desenvolvimento da exploração florestal na Amazônia brasileira

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 525-541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcelo Sampaio Carneiro
Keyword(s):  
Forest Stewardship Council ◽  
Forest Stewardship

O artigo discute o processo de construção da certificação florestal na Amazônia brasileira, destacando sua importância para a construção de um novo quadro de suporte à produção madeireira nessa região. Nele, sustentamos que um dos principais resultados da promoção da certificação florestal do Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) na Amazônia foi a constituição de uma aliança entre representantes de organizações não governamentais, ecologistas, segmentos do empresariado florestal e membros da burocracia estatal para a promoção da exploração madeireira baseada no manejo florestal. Nessa perspectiva, os resultados produzidos pela certificação devem ser compreendidos como parte de um processo de promoção das políticas de acesso ao recurso florestal, como são os casos da aprovação da Lei de Gestão das Florestas Públicas e da criação de organizações estatais destinadas ao fomento da produção madeireira na Amazônia.

scholarly journals Elaboração de Carta de Adequabilidade Ambiental de uma pequena propriedade rural no município de São Miguel Arcanjo, São Paulo, utilizando técnicas de geoprocessamento

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-84
Author(s):  
Rafael Teofilo Meira ◽  
Débora Zumkeller Sabonaro ◽  
Darllan Collins da Cunha e Silva
Keyword(s):  
Sao Paulo ◽  
São Paulo ◽  
Forest Stewardship Council ◽  
Forest Stewardship

RESUMO Utilizando técnicas de geoprocessamento, cartas de declividades, de solos, de uso e cobertura vegetal, a Lei Federal nº 12.651/2012 e as recomendações do Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) para áreas ripárias, este trabalho teve por objetivo elaborar uma Carta de Adequabilidade Ambiental que indica os níveis de adequação ambiental e legal da área de estudo. A Carta de Uso do Solo e Cobertura Vegetal mostrou que o uso agrícola ocupa 44% da área de estudo, seguido pela vegetação nativa (29,1%). A Carta de Declividaderevela que 62,1% da área de estudo possui classe de declividade entre 6 e 12% e 23,3% entre classe de 12 a 20%. Na área de estudo foi identificado somente o Latossolo Vermelho Distrófico, de baixa vulnerabilidade à erosão. Baseado na lei já citada e recomendações do FSC (2005) para gerenciamento de áreas ripárias, foi elaborada a Carta de Usos Restritosna qual a área de preservação permanente (APP) existente ocupa 22,4% da área, a APP a recompor 0,3%, a reserva legal 18,3% e a área de gestão ripária 9,9%. Essas três últimas cartas temáticas foram sobrepostas, considerando sua importância na conservação dos recursos hídricos e atendimento legal, para gerar a Carta de Uso Conservacionista, que demonstra que as áreas com alta e muito alta prioridade são as APP e as de declividade entre 12 e 20% e representam 45,5% da área de estudo. Essa carta foi sobreposta pela Carta de Uso do Solo e Cobertura Vegetale por meio de uma soma ponderada foi produzida a Carta de Adequação Ambientalque indica os níveis de adequação da área de estudo. A integração de variáveis ambientais com os requisitos legais se mostrou eficaz para avaliar as áreas potenciais para adequação ambiental, indicando que aproximadamente 44% da área de estudo necessita de algum tipo de adequação.

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