Below
is a list of organizations working on forest policy and governance.
These links are only a starting point for understanding certification
and forest management issues; they are not endorsed by our program.
If you would like to add a link or file to the website, please contact
ypfpg@yale.edu
American Tree Farm System (ATFS)
The American Tree Farm System® (ATFS) is a program of the American Forest Foundation that promotes sustainable forest management on US private lands. As one of its many services, ATFS conducts a third-party certification program for private forestlands, under the oversight of the American Forest Foundation.
Asia
Pacific Forest Certification
A reader-friendly gateway to information on certification in the Asia Pacific,
with up-to-date information on a country basis, step-by-step advice for forest
managers seeking certification, and comparative information on certification
schemes.
Canadian Standards Association (CSA)
The Canadian Standards Association is a not-for-profit membership-based association
serving business, industry, government and consumers in Canada and the global
marketplace. CSA has developed a national forest certification scheme based on a Sustainable Forest Management Standard, CAN/CSA Z809.
CATIE
The Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center based out of
Costa Rica.
CIFOR
CIFOR's mission is to contribute to the sustained well-being of people in developing
countries, particularly in the tropics. It achieves this through collaborative,
strategic and applied research and by promoting the transfer and adoption
of appropriate new technologies and social systems for national development.
European
Forest Institute
Progress reports on certification in different countries.
FERN – the
EU forest campaign
A comprehensive list of forest certification publications, including NGO statements,
reports and articles.
Forest Certification
Resource Center
An easily navigable website with basic information on how certification works,
as well as listings of certified products, forests, and businesses.
Forest
Certification Watch
An independent source of news and information on forest certification globally.
Forests
for Life Programme – WWF
WWF’s Forest program hinges on certification and a partnership with FSC;
it has set a goal of at least 100 million hectares of independently certified
forests around the world representing the widest diversity of forest types
and management systems by 2005.
ForestTrends
The mission of Forest Trends is to maintain and restore forest ecosystems by
promoting incentives that diversify trade in the forest sector, moving beyond
exclusive focus on lumber and fiber to a broader range of products and services.
The site has a substantial resource library.
Forest
Stewardship Council (FSC)
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an independent, non-profit forest certification scheme with global membership. FSC performance standards are based on ten international Principles and associated Criteria that provide a common framework for FSC-accredited forest certification worldwide.
GTZ
Forest Certification
A portal to basic information, international (notably developing country) news
on certification, many links, and an in-depth depository of papers in PDF format.
IMAFLORA
- Instituto de Manejo e Certificação Florestal e Agrícola
The Brazilian certifying body for the FSC. (Website is mostly in Portuguese.)
International
Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO)
IUFRO is a non-profit, non-governmental international network of forest scientists.
Its objectives are to promote international cooperation in forestry and forest
products research.
ISO
The International Organization for Standardization is a network of national standards
institutes and the source of ISO 9000, ISO 14000 and more than 14 000 International
Standards for business, government and society.
KPMG
An international firm that conducts forest certification audits. Canada-based, FSC-accredited.
Malaysian Timber
Certification Council (MTCC)
An independent non-profit national certification body. The website contains
news updates and the activities of the Council.
NEPCon – Nature,
Ecology and People Consult
A non-profit consultancy company focused on forest certification and sustainable
natural resource management. The website contains news on Eastern European
certification and documents.
Programme for the Endorsement of Certification
schemes (PEFC)
The PEFC Council is an independent, non-profit global umbrella organisation
for the assessment of and mutual recognition of national forest certification
schemes.
ProForest
Publications
Links to publications on certification, particularly useful to the practitioner.
SCS
Scientific Certification Systems certifies forest management and chain-of-custody
worldwide, in addition to other products related to environmental and food
safety standards. US-based, FSC-accredited.
SGS Qualifor
A worldwide certification program evaluating forest management and chain-of-custody
systems. South Africa based, FSC-accredited.
SmartWood
The oldest certification program worldwide, and a program within Rainforest
Alliance. US based, FSC-accredited.
Soil
Association Woodmark
A worldwide certification program evaluating forest management and chain-of-custody
systems. UK based, FSC-accredited.
Sustainable
Forestry Initiative Program (SFI)
A North American certification scheme established by the American Forest and
Paper Association.
UNECE
Timber Committee
UN Economic Commission of Europe’s Timber Committee, and the FAO European
Forestry Commission work together to promote sustainable forest management
in Europe, the CIS and North America. The site’s publications and databases
are particularly useful.
The United
Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF)
The United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) is a subsidiary body of the Economic
and Social Council of the United Nations. Its main objective is to promote "the
management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests
and to strengthen long-term political commitment to this end".
World
Bank/WWF Alliance
The World Bank/WWF Alliance for Forest Conservation and Sustainable Use is
a strategic, performance-based, global partnership seeking, among other goals,
to have 200 million hectares (495 million acres) of the world's production
forests under independently certified management.
World
Wildlife Fund – Forest Certification
Discusses WWF’s position and work on forest certification |
