Forest Certification in Gabon: Challenges and Progress

1. Forest Certification and its impacts in Gabon Richard Eba’a Atyi

2. Introduction • Gabon is located in the West Coast of the Central Africa Sub-region • Total land area of Gabon: 26.7 million ha • Forest cover: 80.2% of the Total land area • Exceptional biological diversity • Population about 1.2 million inhabitants (low density) • National Economy based on oil (80% of GDP) • Timber harvesting and processing first source of employment from the private sector • Timber timber industry centered on one main species: Aucoumea klaineana (Okoumé)

3. Background • Ownership and tenure • Markets of timber products • Public policy approach

4. Ownership and tenure • All forests are an exclusive property of the the state of Gabon • Forest categorized in two: the state permanent forest domain and the rural forest domain • All timber harvesting preconditioned by authorization from the forestry administration • Local community enjoy customary usage rights over some forest products

5. Ownership and tenure (continued) • Three types of logging permits (CFAD, PFA and PGG) • CFAD and PFA are logging concession granted within the permanent forest domain • Logging companies have no rights to exploit NTFP in concessions granted to them • Two types of taxes: area based (about one US$ /ha, and value based according to species) • 11 million ha already granted to 221 companies • 50% of the area opened are managed by 13 companies mostly owned by French business holdings

6. Markets of timber products from Gabon • Two production zones • Production of approximately 4 million cubic meter of industrial roundwood (70% of the production exported as raw logs) • SNBG in charge of the commercialization of timber products in international markets • Asian markets (particularly China) are the most important for Gabon’s timber products • Processed products are however exported towards Europe • Certified products exported mainly to Europe

7. Public policy approach • Dominant role of the government in the decision making process • No institutionalized public debates on forest laws and regulations before adoption • Logging enterprises are usually informed and capable of influencing the process • Donor community has much influence in State decision making (WB, IMF) • International ENGOs also influential • Poor involvement of local populations

8. Initial support to forest certification Gabon • Important role of international organization • The EU/WWF project • The National Working Group (NWG) on forest certification • ITTO and ATO • The Keurhout Foundation • Government and sub-regional organizations

9. Forest certification schemes of interest • Keurhout • FSC • PEFC • PAFC?

10. Development of standards • The Keurhout approach • Minimum requirement • The FSC approach • No FSC working group • No specified national standards endorsed by FSC • The ATO/ITTO harmonized standards • A regional approach to standards development • Involvement of CIFOR and international ENGOs

11. Main problems and constraints in forestry sector • Poor capacity of the forestry administration • Inadequate policy and institutional framework • Inadequate control, monitoring and enforcement of forestry laws • Lack of necessary preconditions for long term investment by the private sector • Insufficient access of local actors to information • Inadequate scientific knowledge

12. Reaction to forest certification by policy makers and local stakeholders • Negative perception by forestry administration at the beginning • Certification process dominated by NGOs • Problem of sovereignty • Certification does not take into account the specific environment of Gabon • Improved perception later • Potential positive impact on forest law enforcement

13. Reaction of forest concessions managing enterprises • Initial positive reaction • The Leroy Gabon case • Negative opinion of FSC • Fear of boycott of African tropical timber products in international markets • IFIA code conduct • Move towards the Keurhout scheme

14. Current status of forest land certification • 1.5 millions ha certified under the Keurhout system • Three companies involved (Leroy, Rougier, Thanry) • No FSC certificate

15. Effects of forest certification • Difficult to isolate the effects of forest certification from those of general policy changes of the last few years. • Local population have a better say in forest management related issues (recent policy changes are partly responsible) • Improved governance in the forestry sector • Companies managing certified forest are more opened • Effect on local development (Thanry case)

16. Conclusion and prospects • Forest certification can be considered as potential tool to promote sustainable forest management in Gabon • Forest certification weak as a market incentive for SFM in Gabon (importance of Asian markets) • Additional incentive to join forest certification from other processes such as the FLEG initiatives • What certification system to join? • New FSC Regional Office for Africa

17. Conclusion and prospects (continued) • Pan African Forest Certification? • Phased approach to forest certification? • Potentials for forest certification to contribute to SFM limited