FSC forest certification, also known as timber certification, is a tool that uses market mechanisms to promote sustainable forest management and achieve ecological, social and economic goals. FSC forest certification includes forest management certification (Forest Management, FM) and production and marketing chain of custody certification (Chain of Custody, COC).

The certification of forest management, also known as sustainable forest management certification or FSC forest certification for short, is aimed at forest management units. According to the forest management standards formulated by an independent third-party FSC forest certification agency, according to recognized principles and standards, The process by which forest management performance is reviewed to demonstrate that it meets the requirements of sustainable management. Chain of Custody certification is the identification of all production links of wood processing enterprises, including the entire chain from the transportation, processing and circulation of logs, to ensure that the final products originate from certified well-managed forests. After passing the certification, enterprises have the right to mark the name and trademark of the certification system on their products, that is, the label of forest product certification.

In the past 20 years, the deforestation and mismanagement of forests by human beings have caused extensive forest decline, resulting in the scarcity of global forest resources, the deterioration of the ecological environment, and the serious threat to the space on which human beings depend. It is widely believed that the root causes of forest problems are policy failures, market failures and weak institutions. The international community, governments and non-governmental environmental protection organizations have expressed great concern and taken a series of actions:

(1) National policy reform. Some countries have formulated and implemented basic policies for the transition to sustainable forest management, started to solve existing problems in forestry, and prioritized the development of forestry and the protection of the environment. 

(2) International intergovernmental process. To encourage and promote sustainable forestry development at the national level through an international intergovernmental process. But the effect is not obvious.

Purpose of FSC Forest Certification

(1) Improve the forest management level of forest management units and promote sustainable forest management;

(2) Stabilize the market share of the company's existing products and create market access conditions for entering new markets.

In addition, FSC forest certification can also achieve the following goals: differentiate products; commercialize forest services; reduce investment risks; promote the participation of stakeholders; obtain financial support; strengthen law enforcement, etc.

What does FSC forest certification include?

There are two types of costs for FSC forest certification: the direct cost, which is the cost of the certification itself, and the indirect cost, which is the cost paid by the forest management unit to improve the management level, adjust the management plan, and train employees, etc. In most cases, the latter is higher than the former.

direct cost

Direct costs, also known as fixed costs, include:

Forest assessment and audit fees; annual audit fees.

The influencing factors include: the feasibility of assessment by certification bodies; the difficulty and scale of certification implementation; the effectiveness and transparency of the FMU management system; the size of the FMU, the complexity of the management structure, the richness of biodiversity, the social Diversity of the environment and clarity of records of relevant activities. Generally speaking, the certification fee of tropical rain forest is higher than that of temperate forest, and the certification fee of natural forest is higher than that of plantation forest.

Overhead

Indirect costs, also known as variable costs, are related to the quality of the forest management system implemented by the certification unit. A good forest management system does not need to make major adjustments to the existing long-term forest management planning and forest operation procedures, nor does it need to make greater investment in training, forest management, etc., thus reducing the payment for certification in these areas. cost of.

Certification fees are related to the size of the certified forest. At the same level of management, small-scale forests are more expensive to certify than large-scale forests.