Certification of forest products Regional seminar on rural

Certification of forest products Regional seminar on rural development and agricultural and food quality linked to geographical origin in Asia: lessons and perspectives 8 – 11 June 2009, Imperial Queen’s Park, Bangkok Marija Spirovska, Consultant, Forestry Group FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Marija. Spirovska. Kono@fao. org

How can a “label” contribute to sustainable management of our natural resources o o o Supports economic development through promotion of natural and cultural values of certain region Defines guidelines and codes of practice Supports community mapping, participatory zoning and can lead to creation of biosphere reserves

Forestry - Certification o o Certification as a market driven mechanism for promoting sustainable forest management (SFM) Various schemes: Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC), National schemes (Malaysia, Indonesia, China. . ) Percentage certified area per: Certification scheme Type of forest Geographical region Source: Durst et al. 2006

Forestry - Certification Constraints and opportunities for certification of tropical forests Insufficient global demand Wide gap between existing practices and certification requirements High certification costs Increased marketing and awareness raising Adopting a stepwise approach Group certification and simplified certification procedures

Forestry – Regional labeling Wood and wood products as leading products in establishment of a regional label o Important for areas producing furniture and handicrafts (Entlebuch Biosphere reserve) Regional label as option for adding value and marketing of non wood forest products o As additional income opportunity for communities engaged in SFM o As tool for capacity building and empowering local stakeholders

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