The impacts and mechanics of certification

Certification was envisaged as a means of rewarding responsible forest management and since the mid 1990s the area of certified forest has expanded exponentially. Yet this increase has mainly been in developed, temperate countries and in forest management units that are plantation or a mix of plantation and natural forest. The success of certification has spawned a number of different approaches, which largely reflect the interests of their main stakeholders. Two schemes, the PEFC and FSC dominate. There is evidence of financial benefits to certified producers through better access to markets, but the expected premium for certified products tends to be more elusive. Other less tangible benefits relate to public image and a reduction in stakeholder conflict. Concerns involve the distribution of benefits between the producer and the retailer and certification favouring large, integrated forest organisations at the expense of others. The effect of certification on liberalisation of trade is also discussed.