scholarly journals Possible impact of forest product certification on the worldwide forest environment

1999 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 208-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc-André Côté
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Market Access ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Wood Products ◽  
Forest Product ◽  
Wood Product ◽  
Forest Certification ◽  
Forest Environment ◽  
Product Certification ◽  
Marketing Tool

Supporters of forest and wood product certification are generally seeking to improve forest management and to ensure market access to forest products. Although wood products certification can be seen as an interesting marketing tool, it is doubtful whether it will improve forest management at the international level. Forest and wood product certification is already seen as a complementary tool to other existing instruments such as regulations and subsidies. However, a closer analysis shows that certification could be focused on the wrong countries, management units, scales of management, actors and problems to be potentially effective. This article aims to assess the possible impact of certification processes on the worldwide forest environment. The identification of possible limitations of forest product certification process could help to make that instrument more effective. Key words: forest certification, environmental impact

The efficacy of forest certification: Perceptions of Canadian forest products retailers

2011 ◽  
Vol 87 (05) ◽  
pp. 636-643 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Chen ◽  
Anna Tikina ◽  
Robert Kozak ◽  
John Innes ◽  
Peter Duinker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Wood Products ◽  
Iso 14001 ◽  
Forest Certification ◽  
Forest Stewardship Council ◽  
Market Place ◽  
Certified Wood ◽  
Forest Stewardship ◽  
Nation Wide Survey

A nation-wide survey of wood products retailers was conducted to examine their perceptions related to forest certification and its impacts in the market place. Four widely accepted forest certification standards were taken into account: International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) 14001, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Z809 Standard. The survey inquired about the economic impacts of forest certification, namely wood purchasing policies and the potential for price premiums on certified wood products. The responses indicated that most retailers had no particular purchasing policies for certified products. However, they reported up to a 20% price premium on certain certified products, although the number of consumers who request certified wood products was small (less than 10%). The retailers also indicated that the most important reasons for buying or selling certified forest products revolved around improved company image, being an environmental leader in the field, and maintaining or increasing market share. Finally, respondents felt that forest certification had minimal impacts on the social aspects of forest management, while the environmental and economic aspects of forest management were perceived to be subject to more marked changes.

scholarly journals CSA's SFM Program: Market access through sustainable forest management

2003 ◽  
Vol 79 (6) ◽  
pp. 1060-1066
Author(s):  
Peter J Johnson ◽  
Teresa M Borgiel
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Market Access ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
The United States ◽  
National Standard ◽  
Forest Certification ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Criteria And Indicators ◽  
Chain Of Custody

A growing number of national and international buyers are now specifying "certified" forest products in their procurement policies. In response, the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) has worked with a diverse range of stakeholders interested in Sustainable Forest Management in Canada to develop CSA's Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) Program. CSA's SFM Program consists of four distinct, yet inter-related components: CAN/CSA Z809, Canada's National Standard for Sustainable Forest Management; chain of custody for forest products; product marking with CSA International's SFM Mark; and, CSA International's Forest Products Group. When these components are combined they provide a comprehensive, credible, and affordable forest certification and product-marking program. The list of organizations accepting forest products certified through the CSA SFM Program is growing within Canada, the United States and abroad. Key words: Canadian Standards Association (CSA), forest certification, certified forest products, chain of custody, product marking, criteria and indicators.

Does forest certification conserve biodiversity?

Oryx ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. E. Gullison
Keyword(s):  
Biodiversity Conservation ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Market Access ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Forest Certification ◽  
Managed Forests ◽  
Forest Stewardship Council ◽  
Tropical Countries ◽  
High Conservation ◽  
Forest Stewardship

Forest certification provides a means by which producers who meet stringent sustainable forestry standards can identify their products in the marketplace, allowing them to potentially receive greater market access and higher prices for their products. An examination of the ways in which certification may contribute to biodiversity conservation leads to the following conclusions: 1) the process of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certification generates improvements to management with respect to the value of managed forests for biodiversity. 2) Current incentives are not sufficient to attract the majority of producers to seek certification, particularly in tropical countries where the costs of improving management to meet FSC guidelines are significantly greater than any market benefits they may receive; available incentives are even less capable of convincing forest owners to retain forest cover and produce certified timber on a sustainable basis, rather than deforesting their lands for timber and agriculture. 3) At present, current volumes of certified forest products are insufficient to reduce demand to log high conservation value forests. If FSC certification is to make greater inroads, particularly in tropical countries, significant investments will be needed both to increase the benefits and reduce the costs of certification. Conservation investors will need to carefully consider the biodiversity benefits that will be generated from such investments, versus the benefits generated from investing in more traditional approaches to biodiversity conservation.

scholarly journals FOREST CARE: Evaluating progress toward sustainable forest management in Alberta

1999 ◽  
Vol 75 (5) ◽  
pp. 811-820
Author(s):  
Andrew M. Carpenter ◽  
Winifred B. Kessler
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Forest Planning ◽  
Test Case ◽  
Forest Certification ◽  
Certification Program ◽  
Audit Process ◽  
Certification Programs ◽  
Northern Alberta

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

Forest certification costs and global forest product markets and trade: a general equilibrium analysis

2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (7) ◽  
pp. 1731-1743 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianbang Gan
Keyword(s):  
General Equilibrium ◽  
Computable General Equilibrium ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Trade Diversion ◽  
Forest Product ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Equilibrium Analysis ◽  
Forest Certification ◽  
Product Markets ◽  
Regional Forest

The impacts of forest certification costs on the output, price, and trade of forest products were assessed via computable general equilibrium modeling under various scenarios representing tropical, temperate, and global forest certification. Despite causing more severe and extensive impacts, global certification seems more acceptable than regional certification to major timber-producing countries. The regions that would suffer the most from global certification would not be major timber-producing regions, but major net importers of forest products like East Asia. With 5%–25% increases in forestry production costs resulting from certification, the world's forestry output would decline by 0.3%–5.1%, while the world price would rise by 1.6%–34.6%; impacts on global lumber and pulp and paper markets would be much more moderate. In general, forest certification would have larger impacts on trade and price than on output. While causing trade diversion and substitutions between tropical and temperate forest products and affecting regional forest product markets, forest certification would not substantially induce substitutions between wood and nonwood products at the global aggregate level. Because of the possible leakages (deforestation elsewhere) associated with regional certification and the land-use shifts resulting from sectoral production shifts at the regional level, forest certification may not necessarily curb tropical deforestation.

Chain of Custody

1997 ◽  
Vol 73 (6) ◽  
pp. 697-699
Author(s):  
Tony Rotherham
Keyword(s):  
Forest Product ◽  
Forest Certification ◽  
Product Certification ◽  
Point Of Sale ◽  
Chain Of Custody ◽  
Problems And Solutions ◽  
A Chain

A chain of custody provides a link between the forest of origin and the forest product at point of sale. Several systems have been proposed, strengths and weaknesses, problems and solutions are discussed.I will address two aspects of Chain of Custody.• What is it?• What benefits will it bring to Canadian forestry?Chain of Custody can be broadly defined as a system or way to provide a link between the Forest of Origin and a Forest Product at point of sale. Chain of Custody is usually associated with the broader subject of Forest Certification or Forest Product Certification. At least three types of approaches have been proposed. Each has its strengths and weaknesses.

scholarly journals A Case Study to Determine Drivers and Barriers of Appalachian Forest Products in Central America

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (22) ◽  
pp. 40
Author(s):  
Scott W. Lyon ◽  
Henry Quesada-Pineda ◽  
Robert L. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Central America ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Wood Products ◽  
Forest Product ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Central American ◽  
Potential Market ◽  
Market Opportunities ◽  
The Government

The purpose of this research was to determine drivers and barriers of Appalachian wood product competitors in Central America. Potential market opportunities for Appalachian forest product companies in Central America were evaluated and strategies were developed to increase exports of Appalachian wood products to Central America. The findings support the claim that United States forest product companies have not put enough effort into marketing forest products to Central America. Forests in El Salvador, Panama, and Costa Rica are limiting harvests and the industry lacks support from the government, reducing the amount of raw material and production. Inconsistencies between Appalachian and Central American wood products industries (e.g., dimensions) act as a barrier to the efficient exchange of wood products. The best market strategies for Appalachian forest products companies to increase sales into Central America are: partner with local wholesalers, offer higher value-added products, and maintain similar pricing with competition. An outside source of wood is needed to meet the needs of growing regional infrastructure.

Forest certification and Canadian forestry — An overview and update

1996 ◽  
Vol 72 (6) ◽  
pp. 591-594 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth A. Armson
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Forest Management ◽  
Management System ◽  
Forest Product ◽  
Forest Certification ◽  
Market Place ◽  
Certification Process ◽  
Recent Interest ◽  
Social Market ◽  
Forest Conditions

Forest certification is the identification and recognition that a forest management system and the specific forest to which it is applied has met agreed-to standards and requirements. The relatively recent interest in certification stems from three intertwined roots. These are social, market-place and professional. It was the concept of sustainable development in the late 1980s which provided the soil in which the roots would flourish. The development of certification schemes has varied depending on whether or not the focus was on a forest product or the forest and its management. The use of external independent audits as central to the assurance of credibility for the certification process is generally accepted. Differences and disagreements about certification have related mainly to what was being certified, the process of developing standards, and who would control certification. All certification schemes must have international credibility if they are to address market-place concerns, and therefore they must be trade-neutral. Within the jurisdiction within which they operate, they should be equally applicable to all forest conditions and ownerships. The initiation of forest certification is a watershed for Canadian forestry and foresters.

scholarly journals Forest certification in Canada: An exploratory study of perceptions of provincial and territorial government employees

2012 ◽  
Vol 88 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna V. Tikina ◽  
Robert A. Kozak ◽  
John L. Innes ◽  
Peter N. Duinker ◽  
Bruce C. Larson
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Market Access ◽  
Forest Certification ◽  
Government Employees ◽  
Corrective Measures ◽  
Territorial Government ◽  
Certification Requirements ◽  
Positive Effect

This article provides a review of the governmental approaches to forest certification and of the applicability of forest certification requirements across Canada. Surveys of Canadian provincial and territorial government employees were conducted to examine their views about the rise of non-governmental governance in the form of forest certification. Respondents perceived that forest certification has had a positive effect on many aspects of forest management. The most prominent effects of certification from their perspectives were improved market access, increased monitoring, better emergency preparedness, and the creation of a mechanism by which corrective measures can be applied to remedy issues.

scholarly journals Forest certification in Asia: The changing marketplace for value-added wood product manufacturers in China and Vietnam

2012 ◽  
Vol 88 (05) ◽  
pp. 578-584 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tait Bowers ◽  
Ivan Eastin ◽  
Indroneil Ganguly ◽  
Jeff Cao ◽  
Mihyun Seol
Keyword(s):  
Value Added ◽  
Wood Products ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Wood Product ◽  
Forest Certification ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Manufacturing Operations ◽  
Product Manufacturing

China and Vietnam have become two of the key wood manufacturers in Asia that export a large percentage of value-added wood products globally. As regulations and environmental awareness from countries that import these products increase, manufacturers have had to establish certification practices for continued accessibility to these markets. A study based on managerial interviews and a survey with over 800 wood product manufacturing operations in China and Vietnam asked questions on how forest certification had been implemented in their business practices and what challenge had come from the adoption of these standards. These responses were analyzed to determine the contributing factors to the commitment to certification. Comparisons between China and Vietnam were used to identify country-specific factors that may influence a company's decision to obtain forest certification for its operations. Survey respondents indicated that acquiring certified raw material supply, market awareness, and certification costs were found to be the major constraints encountered in adding certified products to their sales mix. Lack of a domestic supply of certified wood was also a problem that led to a heavy reliance on imported wood at additional costs to the bottom line. Results revealed significant differences among the two countries regarding their perceptions of the benefits of certification, but showed that market benefits were the leading driver to a company's commitment to certification.

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