Forest Stewardship Council -FSC

The Forest Stewardship Council is an independent non-profit, non-governmental, organization that provides standard setting, trademark assurance and accreditation services for companies and organizations interested in responsible forestry. Over the past 10 years, 42 million hectares in more than 60 countries have been certified according to FSC standards.

The Forest Stewardship Council was set up in 1993 by environmental groups and timber companies to provide a global system of wood products from "environmentally acceptable, socially beneficial and economically sustainable" sources.

The FSC developed 10 'principles' and 56 specific 'criteria' of good forest management, with which logging companies are expected to comply in order to be granted the FSC's 'Seal of Approval'. The FSC accredits private and independent organizations such as SGS-Qualifier to carry out the actual assessments of logging companies on its behalf.

Forest Stewardship Council assessment criterion no. 6.1 states that "Assessment of environmental impacts shall be completed -- appropriate to the scale, intensity of forest management and the uniqueness of the affected resources -- and adequately integrated into management systems...

"Criterion no. 6.2 states that "Safeguards shall exist which protect rare, threatened and endangered species and their habitats (e.g., nesting and feeding areas). Conservation zones and protection areas shall be established, appropriate to the scale and intensity of forest management and the uniqueness of the affected resources.."

FSC assessment criterion no. 1.5 states that "Forest management areas should be protected from illegal harvesting, settlement and other unauthorized activities."

FSC assessment criterion no. 2.3 states that "Appropriate mechanisms shall be employed to resolve disputes over tenure claims and use rights. The circumstances and status of any outstanding disputes will be explicitly considered in the certification evaluation. Disputes of substantial magnitude involving a significant number of interests will normally disqualify an operation from being certified"

Latex timber clone plantations threaten natural forests :