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Forest Certification Comparison. A brief look at the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and the Forest Stewardship Council. By Sara Jo Shepler June 1, 2010. Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Origins founded in 1993 response to 1992 UN conference
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Forest Certification Comparison A brief look at the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and the Forest Stewardship Council By Sara Jo Shepler June 1, 2010
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) • Origins • founded in 1993 • response to 1992 UN conference • addresses global deforestation, land use practices, pollution, ecosystem degradation in unmanaged forests • Primary Focus • Indigenous rights • labor rights • environmental impacts • Where in the world? • over 50 countries participate globally • most of Europe, Africa, South America • www.fsc.org , May 2010 http://nature.wallpaperme.com/random?g2_itemId=5024 www.fscus.org
Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) • Origins • established in 1994 • also response to 1992 UN conference • address “market concerns about forest management and illegal logging, primarily in developing countries” • Primary Focus • biodiversity conservation • SFI fiber sourcing requirements • training and support for loggers and programs • Where in the world? • North America: 9 programs in the US, 4 in Canada • www.sfiprogram.org/miscPDFs/SFP key facts1.pdf , May 2010 forestry.about.com/library/graphics/rockmt1.jpg www.sfiprogram.org
Findings • SFI rated higher in: • Clear guidelines = easy application to local scale • Clearer and better coordinated assessment process • Continuous improvements required over time • Extensive staff training is required • FSC rated higher in: • Comprehensiveness • Addresses biological, ecological and social issues • More attention given to concerns of various stakeholders Sample, Price, Mater 2003 www.californiachaparral.com/images/560_Sly_Park_Forest_II.jpg
Implications • Programs differ in “origins and approaches” but impact each other • Social considerations • Chain of custody • Procurement requirements • Criticisms of programs addressed through competition, alternative standards (Tikina and Innes 2008) www.cs.uni.edu/~wallingf/blog-images/misc/forest.jpg
Questions? Foster B, Wang D, Keeton W. 2008. An Exploratory, Post-Harvest Comparison of Ecological and Economic Characteristics of Forest Stewardship Council Certified and Uncertified Northern Hardwood Stands. Journal of Sustainable Forestry. 26:3, 171-191. Sample VA, Price W, Mater C. 2003. Cerification on Public and University Lands. Journal of Forestry. December: 21-25. Tikina A, Innes J. 2008. A framework for assessing the effectiveness of forest certification. Canadian Journal of Forest Resources. 38: 1357-1365.