FSC- for sustainable forestry
by Sajitha Prematunge
I'm a tree lover myself, but there is no denying that the development
process cannot be held back. Development and sustainability must go hand
in hand. But the threat to our tropical rainforest cover is also
irrefutable. Could legalizing forestry in our tropical rainforests,
indeed save it from destruction?
In the 1980s the Western countries realized that the biggest threat
to the environment may be deforestation and that this was most acute in
the tropics. But in reality, the West was indeed a part of the equation.

Elephant logging is encouraged by the FSC certification
programme, due to the minimal damage caused by it to the
surrounding trees. Machine logging causes unnecessary damage
to the surrounding smaller trees and soil |
If it weren't for the demand from the West most of the tropical
rainforests would have survived. Consequently most Western countries
developed their own certification systems, in an attempt to reduce
illegal harvesting and encourage sustainable Forest Management.
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certification system is one such
certification process. Based in Germany it's one of the most successful
globally acknowledged Certification processes of the world, with over 90
million hectares of Forests already certified. Most developed countries
would accept wood based products certified under this system.
In early 2000 the Export Development Board and few other key
stakeholder organizations such as the IUCN - The World Conservation
Union, Ministry of Environment, and Forest Department discussed the
necessity for a FSC Certification programme for Sri Lanka.
With funding from the Dutch Government FSC programme will be able to
certify over 70,000 hectares of Forest Plantations in Sri Lanka.
Professor Shantha Hennayake, National Project Coordinator Forest
Governance Project, and also the Team Leader of the FSC Project
explained that the FSC programme in Sri Lanka has two perspectives.

Pix: IUCN |
One is Sustainable Forest Management and the other, developing
Wood-based Products in a Sustainable manner. Under these two objectives
two certificate schemes are introduced - FSC Forest Certification and
FSC Chain of Custody (CoC) Certifications.
Only Wood-based Products from Sustainably Managed Forests, are
certified by the FSC Certification process.
He further explained that, for the small scale industries and Rubber
small-holders of developing countries, to individually obtaining such a
certification as FSC was nearly impossible, due to its' economic
implications. This was exactly why the FSC Certification project of Sri
Lanka coordinated with FSC Germany to set up the FSC Group
Certification.
Under CoC contractors, saw millers, product manufacturers and
exporters are certified, thereby FSC Certification ensures the
sustainability of the forests by certifying not only the final
Wood-based Product but also the extraction of wood and the entire
production process.
Pre-scoping visits decide what's required for a certain company to
achieve certification. Ownership has to be clear and legal, all
proceedings have to be documented, the whole process has to be very
transparent and their forest management plans should have the three
basic elements - economic viability, social responsibility,
environmental sustainability.
But Sri Lanka does not have local standards for FSC certification
process or a local Certification body. In Sri Lanka the Standards
Institution is involved in the development of National Standards for FSC.
After formulation of FSC National Standards, SLSI will get Accredited
from FSC as a Certification body in Sri Lanka.
'We have not yet focused on the local market because the present
demand for FSC products is mainly from the international market. But
later on we hope to encourage the Government to follow a similar process
for the local market as well.
A programme like this is necessary for Sri Lanka to come out as a
Clean player of the Environmental scenario. The objective of FSC is to
legalize the process while still providing for the needs.'
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