The Forest Stewardship Council ( FSC ) is an independent, non-governmental, not-for-profit organization established to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests. FSC members consist of a diverse group of representatives from environmental and social groups, the timber trade and the forestry profession, indigenous people's organizations, responsible corporations, community forestry groups, and forest product certification organizations from around the world.
FSC is a certification system that provides internationally recognized standard-setting, trademark assurance and accreditation services to companies, organizations, and communities interested in responsible forestry. FSC 's certifications encompass:
- FSC forest management certification - Forest managers or owners who want to prove that their forest operation are socially beneficial and managed in an environmentally appropriate and economically viable manner can apply for forest management (FM) certification.
- FSC chain of custody certification - FSC chain of custody traces FSC certified timber through the production chain. FSC chain of custody (CoC) certification is for companies that manufacture, process or trade in timber or non-timber forest products and want to demonstrate to their customers that they use responsibly produced raw materials. FSC chain of custody helps companies to strengthen their sourcing policies and comply with public or private procurement policies where FSC is the preferred option.
- FSC Controlled Wood - Forest Management companies that comply with the five FSC Controlled Wood criteria will be able to supply FSC Controlled Wood to FSC Chain of Custody operations. FSC Controlled Wood supports the production of FSC Mixed Sources by providing FSC certified companies with tools to control the non- FSC certified wood in their product groups to avoid the wood produced in socially and environmentally most damaging ways.
| Sub-Category |
Private Sector
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| Standard for |
Forest management, timber and wood products, non-timber forest products
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| Focus |
Encouraging well-managed forests that adhere to agreed-upon social, economic, and environmental standards.
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| Structure |
The FSC Principles and Criteria describe how the forests have to be managed to meet the social, economic, ecological, cultural and spiritual needs of present and future generations. They include managerial aspects as well as environmental and social requirements. These 10 principles and 56 criteria form the basis for all FSC forest management standards. Based on these 10 principles, the FSC has developed further rules (called policies or standards) that further define and explain certain requirements stipulated in the 10 principles.
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| Conformity Requirements |
Overview of the FSC Principles and Criteria:
Principle 1: Compliance with all applicable laws and international treaties
Principle 2: Demonstrated and uncontested, clearly defined, long–term land tenure and use rights
Principle 3: Recognition and respect of indigenous peoples' rights
Principle 4: Maintenance or enhancement of long-term social and economic well-being of forest workers and local communities and respect of worker’s rights in compliance with International Labour Organisation ( ILO ) conventions
Principle 5: Equitable use and sharing of benefits derived from the forest
Principle 6: Reduction of environmental impact of logging activities and maintenance of the ecological functions and integrity of the forest
Principle 7: Appropriate and continuously updated management plan
Principle 8: Appropriate monitoring and assessment activities to assess the condition of the forest, management activities and their social and environmental impacts
Principle 9: Maintenance of High Conservation Value Forests (HCVFs) defined as environmental and social values that are considered to be of outstanding significance or critical importance
Principle 10: In addition to compliance with all of the above, plantations must contribute to reduce the pressures on and promote the restoration and conservation of natural forests.
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| Auditing System |
FSC-accredited certification bodies certify to the FSC Principles and Criteria. FSC has an integrated accreditation program that systematically controls its certification bodies. Compliance with these rules and procedures is verified by Accreditation Services International (ASI) – the company managing the FSC accreditation program – through office audits and the witnessing of one trial audit in the field prior to gaining FSC accreditation. One such requirement is that all FSC accredited certification bodies have to be in compliance with relevant international ISO standard (ISO/IEC Guide 65: 1996 (E)).
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| Geographic Focus |
International
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| Website |
http://www.fsc.org/
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