FSC CertificationWhat does it mean for forest owners?

A Guide to FSC Certification

• Introduction to FSC certification

• FSC Ireland Standard Development

• FSC Forest Management Certification

• Links and Resources

Introduction to FSC Certification

Who is FSC?

• Forest Stewardship Council is an independent, not for profit organisation established in 1993 to promote responsible forest management.

• The FSC’s mission statement is to promote the environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world's forests through standards development and certification.

• The three pillars of sustainability are represented in the three chambers: Environmental, Social and Economic.

• It is an international certification and labeling system that guarantees that paper and wood products carrying the FSC label come from an environmentally and socially responsible source.

What is FSC certification?

• FSC certification is a market-based, non-regulatory forest conservation tool designed to recognize and promote environmentally-responsible forestry and sustainability of forest resources through the verification of forest management practices and product labeling.

• By certifying forest lands to FSC standards and tracking all wood fiber coming out of these certified forests, final products like paper, furniture, lumber and so forth can be labeled, recognized and demanded by consumers who want to support sustainable forest management.

How does FSC certification work?

• It is a voluntary, market based tool for forest conservation. • It tracks products from forest to shelf. • FSC logo shows consumers that produce is sustainably produced.

1. Forest Management (FM) certification

2. Chain of Custody certification

3. Product Labeling

Types of FSC certification

1. Forest management (FM) certification involves an inspection of the forest management unit by an independent FSC-accredited certifier.

• If the forest complies with FSC standards, it is issued a certificate. • FSC standards are based on ten Principles for responsible forest

management, which apply to all FSC-certified forests in the world.

2. Chain of Custody (CoC) certification involves the tracking of FSC-certified fibre from the forest to the consumer and includes all successive stages of processing, transformation, manufacturing and distribution.

• The FSC label therefore guarantees that the product can be tracked back to an approved source.

FSC Today (25th March 2011)446,124 hectares of forest are FSC certified in Ireland

FSC Chain of Custody (CoC)

The number of FSC CoC certificates has grown from just under 4,000 products in 2005 to 20,000 in 2011.

There are 72 CoC certificates in Ireland.

FSC Ireland Standard Development

FSC Ireland

• Is the FSC National Office for Ireland.• It is a membership based organisation that is open to all interested

individuals and organisations. • The main objectives of FSC Ireland are:

– To advance sustainable forest management in Ireland– To develop a certifiable forest management standard for Irish forests based on

the principles and criteria of FSC– To engage the general public and relevant interest groups in the development

of the Irish standard

• It also assists with information queries from the public and interested parties.

Requirements of FM Standard

• FSC International have set 10 core “Principles” and a number of compliance Criteria.

• These are universally applicable and non-negotiable. • It is the role of the FSC Ireland to develop Indicators and Verifiers for each

Criterion, which detail the measures necessary to deliver the Principles and Criteria.

• The following hierarchy describes the function of each level of the Standard: Principle – What is wantedCriterion – What needs to happenIndicator – What can be measured Verifier – Where auditors can look for evidence that Indicator was fulfilled

FSC 10 Principles of FM

1. Compliance with Laws and FSC Principles2. Tenure and Use Rights and Responsibilities3. Indigenous Peoples' Rights4. Community Relations and Worker's Rights5. Benefits from the Forest6. Environmental Impact7. Management Plan8. Monitoring and Assessment9. Maintenance of High Conservation Value Forests10. Plantations

Standard Development Process• A workplan was developed and registered by FSC in accordance with FSC-STD-60-

006 (Process requirements for the development and maintenance of Forest Stewardship Standards)

• The establishment of a multi-interest Standard Development Group (SDG): – Environmental chamber

• Dr. Ruth McGrath, VOICE/IPPC• Anja Murray, An Taisce• Dr. Evelyn Moorkens, Evelyn Moorkens & Associates• Siobhan Egan, Birdwatch Ireland/Cliona O’Brien, Heritage Council (shared seat)

– Social Chamber • Dr. Sasha Bosbeer, GMIT• Peter Sweetman, the Swans and the Snails Ltd. • Kevin Birchall, Tree Care Ireland• Helen Lawless, Wicklow Uplands Council

– Economic Chamber• Dr. Mick Keane, Coillte• Steven Meyen, Teagasc• Paddy Purser, Purser Tarleton Russell Ltd. • Geraldine O’Sullivan, Irish Farmers’ Association

Standard Development Process (2)• The SDG met regularly for two years to develop Indicators & Verifiers for the

Standard that: – Satisfied the Principles and Criteria of FSC International, and – Reflected the type of forestry in Ireland.

• Technical experts were consulted when necessary so that proposed Indictors were based on the most up to date science.

• The draft Standard was tested (both field and desk studies) by experienced auditors.

• Submitted to Consultative Forum and wider public for a period of 90 days.• The Standard was revised by both SDG and FSC Ireland Steering Committee

based on feedback from field testing and public consultation. • The Standard was submitted to FSC International in November 2010.• Meeting has been sought with FSC Policy & Standards Unit to progress

endorsement of Standard.

FSC Forest Management Certification

FSC Forest Management (FM) Certification

• Forest owner seeking certification need to comply with requirements of the national FSC forest management standard.

• FSC standards are based on our ten Principles for responsible forest management, which apply to all FSC-certified forests in the world.

• Forest management certification involves an inspection of the forest management unit by an independent FSC-accredited certifier (Certification Body)

• If the forest complies with the national FSC forest management standard a certificate is issue.

• The FSC FM certificate is valid for 5 years. • Periodic audits are carried out to determine ongoing compliance. • Non-compliances gives rise to Corrective Actions Requests (CARs) which must be

addressed within a given time frame if the certificate is to be maintained.

FSC 10 Principles of FM

1. Compliance with Laws and FSC Principles2. Tenure and Use Rights and Responsibilities3. Indigenous Peoples' Rights4. Community Relations and Worker's Rights5. Benefits from the Forest6. Environmental Impact7. Management Plan8. Monitoring and Assessment9. Maintenance of High Conservation Value Forests10. Plantations

Examples of FM Requirements?• When direct or indirect employment or supply contracts arise, the forest

owner/manager shall make efforts to provide opportunities for these to be taken up by workers or service providers in the local community (P4 – Community relations & workers rights)

• Forest management operations shall recognise and where appropriate, enhance the value of forest services and resources such as watersheds and fisheries

• A minimum of 4m3/ha for lying and 4m3/ha for standing dead wood shall be retained across the FMU (P6 – Environmental Impact)

• The forest owner shall conserve within the FMU respresentative samples of existing ecosystems that occur within the wider landscape….where the total area protected in the FMU is less than 15%, the forest owner shall create/restore areas to reach this percentage (P6 – Environmental Impact)

• The forest owner shall produce a habitat map for the FMU….this map shall include biodiversit features and actions shall be taken to safeguard these in the Management Plan (MP) and marked for retention in operational maps (P6 – Environmental Impact)

Examples of FM Requirements?• The MP shall contain a forest inventory and map(s) for the FMU, including:

– A timber inventory– A non-timber forest products and services inventory– A statement identifying the key ecosystem servicers provided by FMU

(P7 – Management Plan) • There shall be a system in place which allows all products (timber and non-timber)

harvested within the FMU to be readily identified, from time of harvest to point of sale (P8– Monitoring and Assessment)

• The schedule of felling and regeneration in the Management Plan shall provide for a variety of age classes, species and rotation peroids ….where possible. (P10 –

Plantations) • At least 10% of the area of the FMU under assessment shall be managed with the

objective of transforming to native semi-natural woodland where this is appropriate to the locale (P10 – Plantations)

Cost of FSC FM Certification

• The costs, timescale and resources required for FSC FM certification can vary considerably as it depends on the size and complexity of the forest.

• For small farm forests, Group Certification is most suitable as it reduces the associated costs and administrative burden as they costs are shared amongest the members.

– The auditors do not visit individual members only a sample of the members so the costs, so the cost per member is cheaper than individual certificates.

• It also means that members get support from the group manager in complying with standard.

• Currently Group Certification in Ireland costs approximately €25 – 30 hectare.

Group Certification

FSC is good business

• Branded – FSC is a globally recognised brand– Increased brand recognition among consumers– Avonmore, Vodafone, Penguin, B&Q, Kleenex, IKEA etc.

• Economic benefits – Market access or improved protection from restrictions to markets– Increased timber sales– More stable contracts– In general certified timber earning premium price

• Environmental – Carbon accounting – Biodiversity protection

“FSC is, so far, the only forestcertification standard supported by IKEA”

Links and Resources

Links & Resources

• FSC Irelandwww.irishforestcertification.com

• FSC Internationalwww.fsc.org

• Other www.ttf.co.uk www.proforest.net/smallholders