FSC impact study

As the title may seem to indicate, this 245-page publication is probably not the most obvious choice for your bedside table. However, this is partly due to the complexity of the issue and the fact that the report avoids simplistic conclusions. With a little patience, you can actually  find a gold mine of information in this thorough work. FSC has also published a useful summary.

The study presents the findings of numerous scientific and professional reports produced during the past decade. In spite of the research difficulties  duly pointed out by the authors, a convincing picture of impressive multi-level, multi-faceted impact emerges based on all these sources.

All-round impact 

Ample evidence is presented for the positive impact of FSC certification on the ground. This applies to biodiversity conservation, social and community issues as well as worker health and safety. FSC certification also supports a more inclusive management style, where stakeholders and employees of forest operations get more involved in decision-making.

It is stressed that FSC is a unique model which has changed the entire scene of the wood industry by taking the lead in establishing forest certification as a permanent market feature. As the report states: "Forest certification is now so broadly applied in the forestry and wood industry sector that it is very unlikely ever to disappear".

The report also documents the impact of FSC on a broader scale. For instance,  it helps to foster participatory forest policy processes, encourages transparency and can impact discussions on land tenure, exmplified by FSC processes which supported formalization of land tenure rights in Guatemala and Brazil. One study even found that "forest certification supports sustainable development in a particularly effective and obvious way".

Economic benefits partly hidden?

When it comes to economic benefits, evidence of increased market access or price premiums is more circumstantial and off-the-record. However, the report presents several recent examples of price premiums paid for certified timber,  and a 2007 PriceWaterHouse Coopers report quoted by FSC concludes : "Certification by the FSC has a favorable impact on the achievable market price".

Another 2007 study quoted in the report summarizes the situation in this way: "Sellers of certified timber prefer not to publicize the availability of a premium because they don't want to see the premium disappear as more sellers enter the market. However, off-the-record discussions with both sides indicate that the economic benefits come in form of greater assurance of access to markets and, in a large number of cases, actual higher cash prices that are being paid quietly and consistently.” 

Weak spots

The report appears well-balanced as it also provides numerous examples of studies documenting where there is still room for improvement. As might be expected, the review demonstrates some well-known weak points of the FSC system: The comparatively slow progress of certification when it comes to smallholders and tropical countries. 

However, recent development could indicate that major progress will happen on these points as well. This would certainly boost the already significant impact of FSC certification around the world.