Interview Alan Smith
In the opinion of Alan Smith, Social Program Manager and Network coordination team leader of FSC International, the FSC system needs to deliver more benefits to the small forest operations.
“So the challenge is for us to develop a way to differentiate the community products in the marketplace”, says Smith.
“One option is being developed by FSC in collaboration with the Fairtrade Labelling Organisation FLO - “Fairtrade Forest Products”. A recent survey by an independent research institution showed that the market for Fairtrade Forest Products exists”. However, Alan Smith points out that this needs to be backed by capacity building of producers. FSC IC and FLO are about to launch a pilot project, which aims to test the concept of dual FSC-FLO models for cost effective certification”.
Core ILO conventions in the CoC system?
Another point of concern for Smith is how to handle social issues in the supply chain. “At the moment, FSC does not have a mandate from the membership to implement ILO core requirements in the CoC standards", he explains.
"However, there are clearly ethical issues and a latent threat to the image of FSC. At the last general assembly held in Manaus, a motion was carried to conduct a feasibility study. The study is now completed. The report is not yet published, but one of the main recommendations based on this work is to incorporate abuse of the ILO conventions in the FSC’s Policy of Association, so that CoC certificates could be terminated in case of such abuse. It will be more complicated to incorporate the ILO core standards into a system designed for traceability only.
Protection of indigenous peoples’ rights
“The third issue that needs to be addressed is the protection of indigenous peoples’ and marginalized forest populations rights”, Smith continues. “The scope and implementation of Principles 2 and 3 will no doubt become subject to review after the General Assembly.
As we have seen in the session this morning (Tuesday, ed.) on FSC certification in Africa, the requirement under Principle 3 for concessions to obtain free and informed consent from indigenous groups in the Congo Basin has proved an effective means of ensuring participation of forest peoples in the certification process. Nevertheless, there needs to be considerable support, not least from certification bodies, for effective application of these two social Principles where clarity of interpretation is often lacking”.
