Forest Certification: Roots, Issues, Challenges, and BenefitsDaniel J Vogt, Bruce C Larson, John C Gordon, Anna Fanzeres Forest certification has been widely accepted as a tool that would encourage industrial and non-industrial management of resources in an environmentally acceptable, socially beneficial and economically viable manner. Much has been written on certification yet five issues have been missing, which this book addresses: an analysis of the scientific basis for the certification standards; a formal and mechanistic incorporation of social and natural system sustainability as part of the standards; the rationale for the different sets of standards that are currently being used to certify governmental, industrial and non-industrial organizations; the success of the different sets of standards in assessing the environmental acceptability, social benefits and economic viability of the managed system; and, the difficulty of certifying small landowners with current protocols. Forest Certification examines the historical roots of forest certification, the factors that guide the development of certification protocols, the players involved in certification, the factors determining the customers to be certified, and the benefits of certification. The book also covers the terminology and other issues intrinsic to certification that direct the structure of standards, the similarities between indicators of different human disturbances within the ecosystem/landscape and certification standards, and, finally, a case study evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of existing certification protocols. Forest Certification is unique in its analysis of the scientific basis for the structure of the forest certification protocols. It documents the roles of human values in the development of assessment protocols but demonstrates how elements of existing protocols should be used to produce non-value based standards. |
Contents
Issues in forest certification | 1 |
11 Improvements crucial to successful implementation of forest certification | 2 |
12 Why certification is relevant | 5 |
Roots of Forest Certification Its Developmental History Types of Approaches and Statistics | 11 |
22 Other relevant initiatives in forest certification | 20 |
23 The certification of environmental claims in industrialized countries | 29 |
24 Analysis of forest certification approaches | 34 |
25 Current statistics and characterization of certified forests by ownership type and land area | 38 |
633 Competition control for tree growth chemical | 243 |
65 Summary | 245 |
Synthesis Discussion of Issues Relevant to Certification | 247 |
73 Public participation in certification | 255 |
74 Importance and participation of nonindustrial private forests | 256 |
constraints and opportunities for nonindustrial private forestland owners | 259 |
76 Estimating price premiums necessary to pay for forest certification | 273 |
77 Chain of custody as an impediment to certification | 281 |
Definitions and Current Values Integrated into Certification Protocols | 51 |
31 Defining terminology | 52 |
32 Valueladen issues of certification | 80 |
Case Study and Evaluation of the Dominant Certification Protocols | 105 |
42 Analysis of the elements comprising the dominant certification protocols as structured in January 1998 | 107 |
student evaluation of protocols at Yales Tourney Forest | 130 |
Indicators relevant for inclusion in assessments types minimum number and those derived from nonhuman values | 173 |
51 Indicators selection criteria | 174 |
52 Nonvaluebased indicators relevant for incorporation into forest certification | 183 |
53 Social legacies constraining natural resource uses | 216 |
Direct and indirect impacts of natural resource management practices on the ecosystem | 223 |
62 Forest management activities leading to regeneration | 226 |
62443 Drainage | 242 |
Mexicos experience | 287 |
Challenges and benefits of certification | 295 |
82 Opportunities and challenges identified by certifiers and certified owners | 298 |
83 Factors affecting future use of certification as an assessment tool | 301 |
84 Reasons for forestland owners not to become certified | 305 |
85 The past and future goals of certification | 309 |
The Forest Principles | 317 |
Summary of Chapter 11 of Agenda 21 Combating Deforestation 1992 | 323 |
Some intergovernmental initiatives on forest issues after UNCED | 325 |
References | 331 |
361 | |
Common terms and phrases
alien species approach assessment biodiversity Canadian Standards Association certification protocols certified wood certifying organizations changes clearcutting communities conservation criteria and indicators degradation disturbance ecological economic ecosystem function edge environment evaluation example exist forest certification forest ecosystems forest products forest resources Forest Stewardship Council forestland owners Forestry and Environmental global habitat harvest human identify impact implementation important increase industry initiatives invasive species issues keystone species Kristiina label land area landscape legacies logging management plan management practices management unit natural resource NIPF nutrient pine plant policies potential private landowners programs pursue certification Rainforest Alliance regeneration relevant result SGS Forestry silvicultural small landowners Smartwood social and natural soil Soil Association species diversity standards structure sustainable development sustainable forest management Sustainable Forestry Initiative sustainable management timber Toumey Forest trees tropical forests types values Vogt wildlife Yale