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Forest Stewardship Council Certificate

Background

  • The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international, independent, non-profit organization founded in 1993. Its purpose is to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests through sustainable and ethical practices.
  • FSC India is the Indian branch of this global organization, operating under the same principles and standards adapted for Indian forestry and timber supply chains.
  • FSC provides certification systems for forests and forest-based products to ensure they are produced in a way that is:
    1. Environmentally appropriate
    2. Socially beneficial
    3. Economically viable
  • The presence of the FSC label on forest products fosters brand recognition and credibility, leading to direct access to sustainability-conscious markets and a higher premium for forest products.

Forest Stewardship Standard (FSS) for India

  • India launched its Forest Stewardship Standards (FSS) in the year 2022. This standard is applicable to all forest operations (forest / plantations owner or even a group of forest / plantation owners) within India. 
  • Applicable Forest Products:
    • Rough Wood
    • NTFPs: Fruits (edible or non-edible);
    • Sap or gland secretion: gum, resin, oils, rubber/latex;
    • Medicinal plants;
    • Leaves, seeds, barks, nuts, roots, grasses, ferns, lichens, flowers, mushrooms;
    • Stem plants: bamboo, rattan.

Principles of Forest Stewardship Council

  1. The Organisation shall comply with all applicable laws, regulations and nationally ratified international treaties, conventions, and agreements.
  2. The Organization shall maintain or enhance the social and economic wellbeing of workers.
  3. The Organization shall identify and uphold Indigenous Peoples’ legal and customary rights of ownership, use and management of land, territories and resources affected by management activities.
  4. The Organization shall contribute to maintaining or enhancing the social and economic wellbeing of local communities.
  5. The Organization shall efficiently manage the range of multiple products and services of the Management Unit to maintain or enhance long term economic viability and the range of environmental and social benefits.
  6. The organization shall maintain, conserve and/or restore ecosystem services and environmental values of the Management Unit and shall avoid, repair or mitigate negative environmental impacts.
  7. The Organization shall have a management plan consistent with its policies and objectives and proportionate to scale, intensity and risks of its management activities. The management plan shall be implemented and kept up to date based on monitoring information to promote adaptive management. The associated planning and procedural documentation shall be sufficient to guide staff, inform affected stakeholders and interested stakeholders and to justify management decisions.
  8. The organization shall demonstrate that, progress towards achieving the management objectives, the impacts of management activities and the condition of the Management Unit, are monitored and evaluated proportionate to the scale, intensity, and the risk of management activities, to implement adaptive management.
  9. The organisation shall maintain and/or enhance the High Conservation Values in the Management Unit through applying the precautionary approach.
  10. Management activities conducted by or for the organization for the Management Unit shall be selected and implemented consistent with the organization’s economic, environmental, and social policies and objectives and in compliance with the Principles and Criteria collectively.

Advantages of FSC Certificates

  1. Gain Market Access: Entity shall have the opportunity to secure and expand access to attractive markets and benefit from the growing global demand for sustainably sourced wood.
  2. Protect and strengthen the reputation: Entity will receive independent verification of commitment to responsible forestry practices.
  3. Benefit from a global mark of trust: The FSC label is one of the world’s most trusted marks for sustainable forestry. It signals the commitment to sustainable forest management.
  4. Make a real difference: Entity will follow responsible forestry practices proven to help fight climate change and protect biodiversity.
  5. FSC certification is a proven solution to prevent deforestation, preserve biodiversity, and protect human rights.
  6. It provides a framework to implement sustainable practices in forests.

Types of FSC Certification:

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a globally recognized certification system with million hectares of forestland certified under its forest conservation standards. FSC ensures traceability of products from the forests to the point of sale.

1. Forest Management (FM) Certification:

    • For forest owners or managers to demonstrate that their forest operations are environmentally friendly, socially beneficial, and economically viable.
    • More than 1,800 forest management certificates have been issued worldwide, covering 230+ million hectares of certified forest. Of this, 8+ million are small and low-intensity managed forests and 2+ million are community-managed forests. 

2. Chain of Custody (CoC) Certification: For companies handling FSC-certified products through the supply chain or we can say for companies that produce and distribute forest-based products.

The basic requirements of obtaining Chain of Custody Certificates are:

To qualify for chain of custody certification an organization must implement a management system that ensures the following. 

  • The forest-based materials used by an organization in part, or all of organization’s production are FSC -certified. This includes reclaimed materials. 
  • FSC-certified material is identified and tracked during the manufacturing and distribution processes. 
  • All documents and records relating to FSC- certified product production, purchase, and sales are kept. 

Organization must also meet FSC’s core labour requirements, including: 

    • no child or forced labour; 
    • no discrimination in employment and occupation; 
    • freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining.

Process to Apply for Forest stewardship council (FSC) certificate in India

1. Identify the Right Type of Certification

There are 2 main types of FSC certifications, and choosing the right one is the first step:

Type of Certification

Who It’s For

What It Covers

Forest Management (FM)

Forest owners, managers (private, government, or community forests)

Sustainable forest operations

Chain of Custody (CoC)

Manufacturers, processors, traders

Tracking FSC-certified materials through supply chains

2. The general process includes the following steps:

  • Comply with the requirement of FSC-FM Standards for FM Certification
  • Choose an FSC-accredited certification body: Only third-party, accredited certification bodies can conduct audits and certify organization. Applicant will select an independent body to work with.  
  • Submit an application: An Application will detail the steps an organization is taking to meet the FSC-certification requirements outlined by chosen certification body.
  • Complete an assessment: Chosen certification body will conduct an assessment to verify that the organization is following all appropriate standards and policies.
  • Complete FSC Check: Submit the information FSC requests to provide by filling up the questionnaire in FSC Check before signing the Trademark License Agreement to become a certificate holder.
  • Receive Approval: Once receive certification approval, organization can begin producing and selling FSC-certified materials and products. 
  • Complete an Annual Audit: Certification body will conduct annual audits to assess conformance to forest management certification. 

Note: FSC offices or representatives do not issue certificates. To obtain certification, interested applicants must contact an independent certification body. FSC offices and representatives can assist in obtaining contacts to certification bodies operating in a specific country.

FSC solution for retailers:

 The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) promotional license lets retailers, brands, and others use the FSC trademarks to show their commitment to sustainable forestry. It’s designed for companies that are not certified but do sell or use FSC-certified finished and labelled goods.

How to apply for a Promotional license: 

The general process to apply for a FSC Promotional License can be accessed through the following link:

https://asiapacific.fsc.org/fsc-india#chain-of-custody-standards

Other Certifications offered by FSC:

While FSC India talks about two certificates – Forest Management (FM) and Chain of Custody (CoC), other Certificates offered as per FSC website as such are:

  • Controlled Wood (CW) Certificate – This certificate is applicable to companies that want to demonstrate responsible sourcing of wood from controlled sources. Controlled wood is non-certified material that has been assessed to meet specific FSC requirements, such as avoiding wood from illegal logging, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and sources that violate traditional and human rights.
  • Project Certification: FSC also offers project-level certification, which assesses the sustainable management of forests or the responsible sourcing of wood for specific projects or initiatives. This type of certification is often relevant for large-scale developments, construction projects, or specific supply chains.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this Article is intended solely for personal non-commercial use of the user who accepts full responsibility of its use. The information in the article is general in nature and should not be considered to be legal, tax, accounting, consulting or any other professional advice. We make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied regarding the accuracy, adequacy, reliability or completeness of any information on our page/article. 

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