After a participatory process involving FSC members, public consultations, and field testing, Brazil now has a new FSC Forest Stewardship Standard for Natural Forests. This will replace the previous version (SLIMF and “Terra Firme”) and will come into effect on 1 October 2025.
Natural forests certified under this new standard will ensure environmental and social benefits, promoting biodiversity conservation, sustainable resource management, and the protection of the rights of local and Indigenous communities. Additionally, it will enable Brazilian forestry companies to respond to the growing demands of both the local and international markets.
Brazil is home to one of the largest expanses of tropical forests in the world, essential for global biodiversity and climate balance. FSC certification has guided forest management in the country for more than two decades, but an update of the standard was necessary to align it with FSC’s Principles and Criteria and to strengthen its impact.
The new standard aims to balance responsible forest production with conservation, ensuring that Brazilian forests continue to provide ecological, social, and economic benefits in the future.
more at: https://fsc.org/en/newscentre/general-news/new-fsc-forest-stewardship-standard-for-natural-forests-in-brazil-advancing