Certification used to protect forests
Copyright 2001 The Yomiuri Shimbun
September 11, 2001
Takeshi Kuroiwa Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer
Amid growing concern over the rate at which forests around the world are being destroyed, WWF Japan and the Japan Forest Technical Association recently held a public seminar in Tokyo on an international scheme for sustainable forest management.
Domestic and foreign speakers, including professionals from the forestry industry, were invited to participate in the event, whose main theme was how to promote the forest management system run by the Forest Stewardship Council.
The FSC is a nonprofit organization established in 1993 with its headquarters in Oaxaca, Mexico. The FSC has devised guidelines and standards aimed at promoting the "environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of forests." The FSC also accredits and monitors independent certifiers who operate according to the guidelines.
The FSC certifies forests that comply with its standards, allowing any timber or timber-based products from such forests to carry the FSC Trademark.
At the seminar, FSC International Board of Directors Chairman Mauricio Schmitz explained the necessity of promoting the FSC system. He said that 12 million to 15 million hectares of forest are lost annually in the world as a result of rampant illegal logging and bad management.
Schmitz emphasized the significance of holding an FSC seminar in Japan since the nation is "one of the biggest centers" for trading forestry products. According to Schmitz, 330 forests covering a total of 24 million hectares in 47 countries worldwide are currently certified by the FSC.
During the seminar, Rachel Shotton, an official of WWF UK, reported the progress of the FSC system in Britain. In her speech, she warned the audience: "If the current rate of deforestation continues, the world's rain forests will vanish within 100 years."
In response to this situation, WWF UK has launched a Local Authority Project that aims to "persuade local authorities and the central government to use independently certified timber and provide free guidance, policy documents and help with sourcing timber to the government."
Shotton said there is a healthy demand for FSC certified products among members of the general public. She added that demand is also strong in the public sector, which "wants to behave in an environmentally friendly way."
As a result of these efforts and strong demand, Shotton said that there was "no price difference" in Britain between FSC certified timber and non-certified timber.
Kochi Gov. Daijiro Hashimoto also presented a speech at the forum. Eighty-four percent of Hashimoto's constituency comprises forestland.
To promote the FSC system in the nation, Hashimoto said it was necessary to increase awareness of the environment especially in the business sector. Hashimoto said there was still a tendency in the sector to ignore measures to protect the environment when profits were not good.
Hashimoto emphasized that the FSC system is economically viable. He said that local forest owners could "differentiate their FSC certified products" from non-certified products.
The Kochi prefectural government has assisted local governments to obtain FSC certificates in various ways, including the translation into Japanese of information on the FSC system written in English.
Recently, the local forest owners' cooperative in Yusuharacho in the prefecture became the second forest management certificate holder in the country.
Forest management companies were also represented at the seminar. Toru Hayami, president of Hayami Forest, said many still believed that Japan's forestland is owned by individuals. Last year Hayami Forest in Mie Prefecture became the first company in Japan to receive FSC certification.
Hayami said the public benefit of forestland should always be carefully considered when evaluating how the preservation of nature can be achieved.
Explaining why his company had applied for certification, Hayami said, "The FSC system represents a new frontier in forest management."
For more information, visit FSC's Web site at www.fscoax.org.