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Challenges in Making FSC Work in Tropical Forests

This overview discusses key challenges faced in implementing Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification in tropical forests, including feasibility, governance, markets, effectiveness in conservation and equity. The text provides insights on the dynamics, necessity of standards, governance, market gaps, biodiversity conservation issues, bias towards industrial plantations, and equity considerations for various forest stakeholders. It also highlights potential solutions and barriers to successful FSC adoption in tropical regions.

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Challenges in Making FSC Work in Tropical Forests

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  1. Making FSC Work in the Tropics: An Overview of Key Challenges ~ Presented December 5, 2005 at a GTZ sponsored side event to the FSC General Assembly in Manaus, Brazil ~ Constance L. McDermott Program Director, Postdoctoral Associate Yale Program on Forest Certification

  2. Distribution of FSC endorsed and total global forests by biome Source: : www.fsc.org Sept. 11, 2005; UNEP

  3. Major variation in certification dynamics between regions and countries Source:Cashore, B.; F. Gale; E. Meidinger; D. Newsom. In Press. Confronting Sustainability: Forest certification in developing and transitioning societies. Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies

  4. FSC is growing in Tropics Source:http://www.fsc.org

  5. Key Challenges • Feasibility--Can it work? (Means) • Governance • Markets • Effectiveness--Why do it? (Ends) • Conservation • Equity

  6. Feasibility (Means)

  7. FeasibilityGovernance • Certification standards  “The StandardsGap”* • State law and enforcement • Land tenure • Environmental regulations • * J. Ebeling. 2005. The Effectiveness of Market-based Conservation: Can forest certification compensate for poor environmental regulation in the tropics? Paper prepared for the Berlin Conference on the Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change.

  8. FeasibilityGovernance • Developing countries often have stringent rules, lack enforcement. Source: Cashore, B.; McDermott, C. 2004. Global Environmental Forest Policies. Report available at: www.ifor.ca

  9. FeasibilityGovernance • Hypothesis: • Forest certification requires a basic level of state law enforcement. Therefore FSC should look for strategic partnerships with governments.

  10. FeasibilityMarkets • The Market Gap • Lack of eco-sensitive markets for tropical wood

  11. FeasibilityMarkets • Governing through tropical markets?: Fuelwood dominates • About 1/2 of global roundwood production is for fuelwood in developing countries • About 80% of industrial roundwood is produced in developed countries Source: UNEP. 2002. Global Environment Report - 3

  12. FeasibilityMarkets *India not included due to data inaccuracies. Source:Friends of the Earth/Imaflora/Imazon 1999, source ITTO, 1997

  13. FeasibilityMarkets • Hypothesis: • For FSC to be adopted across a significant % of tropical forest area, it is critical to develop domestic and import markets in top tropical wood consuming countries.

  14. Effectiveness (Ends)

  15. EffectivenessConservation • The Biodiversity Challenge • Forest certification does not address causes of deforestation (15.2 million ha. tropical forests lost per yr.) • Is sustainable management of tropical natural forests possible? • Certification bias towards plantations w/ low diversity, high levels of production

  16. EffectivenessConservation • Hypotheses: • More research is needed on requirements for environmentally sustainable tropical forest management. • The FSC should promote markets for tropical forest products that can bear lower levels of production and greater product diversity.

  17. EffectivenessEquity • The Industrial Plantation Bias • Large industrial firms, plantations dominate • Sell for export, where pressure to certify is greatest • Technical and institutional compatibility with certification • Economies of scale • Community/non-industrial/low tech operators lack markets, incentives and capacity • Consume/sell locally • Disconnect between local capacity/knowledge and technical nature of certification standards and procedures • Standards imposed from outside of communities, lack shared goals • BUT donor/NGO support

  18. EffectivenessEquity

  19. Effectiveness Equity • Hypothesis: • FSC may not be feasible for many community/non-industrial/low tech enterprises. At the least, it requires modifications such as: • Reduced requirements • Step-wise certification • Sustained external funding • Industry partnerships • Complete system make-over? • Creation of new niche markets/ special labels?

  20. Other barriers • Poverty • Subsistence economies • Conflicts over indigenous/local resource rights • Lack of civil society rights to organize • Armed conflict

  21. Summary • The Standards/Governance Gap • The Market Gap • The Biodiversity Challenge • The Industrial/Plantation Bias

  22. FSC is growing in Tropics Source:http://www.fsc.org

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