A framework for assessing the effectiveness of forest certification

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 1357-1365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna V. Tikina ◽  
John L. Innes

With increasing concerns about the costs of forest management, there is a need to rigorously evaluate any management activities that add to costs. Certification has been widely adopted at considerable financial cost to those managing forests. Although there have been many studies of the impacts of certification, there is no comprehensive framework for assessing whether or not certification has been effective in achieving its goals. To do this, certification needs to be viewed as a part of an international environmental regime. Using established methodologies, this paper applies an evaluation framework and examines forest certification effectiveness in a number of categories: problem solving, goal attainment, behavioural effectiveness, process effectiveness, constitutive effectiveness, and evaluative effectiveness. It is too early to assess its effectiveness in problem solving and goal attainment. However, forest certification has been quite successful at process and constitutive effectiveness and is now widely recognized by a range of institutions. Its effectiveness in changing behaviours is less clear, and its evaluative effectiveness remains to be determined.

1970 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pem N Kandel

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


Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 1357
Author(s):  
Hsing-Chih Chen ◽  
Tien-Pai Tseng ◽  
Kun Cheng ◽  
Supasit Sriarkarin ◽  
Wanyun Xu ◽  
...  

We established an evaluation framework for sustainable forest management (SFM) development based on locals’ perspectives using the importance-performance analysis (IPA) method in a rural area of Taiwan. It identified the factors that affected local people’s participation in and awareness of SFM based on local demographics, development factors of SFM, and perceptions of SFM, through the logistic regression method (LRM). Both the levels of importance and performance (I-P) of the SFM indicators were rated by the local residents and the differences between importance–performance among indigenous and non-indigenous people were examined. The factors that affected differentiation of local people’s participation in the SFM program were: (1) forestry workers, (2) indigenous people, and (3) SFM development factors. The findings provide both theoretical constructs and policy implications for SFM mechanisms for the forest stewardship council (FSC) and sustainable development goals (SDGs) in a sustainable rural development.


1999 ◽  
Vol 75 (5) ◽  
pp. 811-820
Author(s):  
Andrew M. Carpenter ◽  
Winifred B. Kessler

Forest certification programs establish standards for sustainable forest management (SFM), and processes for evaluating the practices of companies relative to those standards. FORESTCARE is a volunteer, provincial-level certification program initiated by the Alberta Forest Products Association, its members, and stakeholders. Using a participating woodlands operation in northern Alberta as a test case, we examined how SFM criteria are applied in the FORESTCARE program, and whether measurable progress is evident. We also compared the FORESTCARE audit process with corporate and government audits performed in the same year. The test case revealed specific, measurable changes in management that represent actual or potential progress toward SFM. However, the improvements could not be directly attributed to the FORESTCARE Program. Recommendations are provided for strengthening FORESTCARE processes and practices. Key words: Alberta forestry, ecosystem management, FORESTCARE, forest certification, forest planning, public participation, sustainable forest management


1996 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 257-258
Author(s):  
William P. Furey

Forest Certification is one of the priority issues facing the forest industry and will become increasingly more important as we move towards the year 2000. It will provide a voluntary, impartial process for each company to demonstrate to the general public, customers and Government, that its forest management practices meet or exceed established standards necessary for sustainability. Key words: sustainable forestry, Canadian forest management standards, forest certification


2007 ◽  
Vol 83 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurence Bourgeois ◽  
Daniel Kneeshaw ◽  
Louis Imbeau ◽  
Nicolas Bélanger ◽  
Stephen Yamasaki ◽  
...  

In order to receive forest certification and to respond to societal desires, many forest companies are attempting to demonstrate that their forest activities are «sustainable». The main objective of this paper is to qualitatively evaluate the ways in which forestry-related provincial regulations in the three provinces (Alberta, Ontario and Quebec) that contain most of the Canadian boreal forest help forest companies achieve certification with respect to ecological criteria. In the process of continually evolving towards sustainable forest management, we evaluate how these provincial regulations governing forest operations can be helpful in maintaining three criteria: biodiversity, the aquatic environment and soils. This study shows that the regulations evaluated have varied in their approach and thus have different strengths that must be underlined: (1) Ontario's approach is the strongest in terms of biodiversity, (2) Alberta and Ontario provide measures to abandon roads after harvesting, (3) Quebec provides the greatest specific measures for protecting waterways and aquatic species, (4) Alberta shows the greatest consideration for maintaining the most soil properties and functions. Better links between different regulations are necessary in all jurisdictions. The continual improvement of Canadian forest rules is often slow and advances at a different pace depending on regulators but it should be supported in all provinces. Key words: sustainable forest management, biodiversity, aquatic environment, soils, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2523 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun-Yen Lee ◽  
Ching-Hsing Chang

Forest certification plays a notable role in promoting sustainability. This certification shows that forestland holders have adopted innovative practices toward realizing sustainable business models. Relatively little analysis has been devoted to identifying the efforts of transforming a conventional business model into a sustainable version through the application of forest certification. This paper examines the elements of a sustainable business model: value proposition, value creation and delivery, and value capture in certified forestland holders’ business operations. Empirical results have confirmed that certification signifies a successful sustainability transformation within adopting firms. However, these small organizations struggle with obtaining know-how regarding sustainable forest management. There needs to be adequate external support, such as government consultants or academic researchers, in order to successfully adopt third-party forest certification. However, while practicing sustainable forest management activities will not guarantee premium prices, the certification has, in some rare cases, helped to develop a new niche market. Good communication with stakeholders has improved firms’ relationships with local residents, but more channels of communication are still needed to activate green consumers.


2001 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 309-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bill Wilson ◽  
Takuya Takahashi ◽  
Ilan Vertinsky

Certification has rather quickly emerged to become an important element within the response amalgam to public concerns about the sustainability of commercial forestry. This paper presents the results of a national survey designed to examine the attitudes of Canadian forest companies toward the various certification vehicles and the underlying basis for those attitudes. Included are the ISO 14001, CSA, FSC and FORESTCARE vehicles. The results, which include responses from 117 companies, confirm a recognized need to achieve forest certification and that the appropriate certification vehicle remains unsettled. It is also clear that the forest industry does not expect a price premium to accrue from any of the vehicles. Instead, the main reason for certification is to secure continued access to public forest lands through improved public acceptance of forest management and reduced pressure from environmental groups. Key words: forest certification, sustainable forest management, criteria and indicators


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