Striving to Improve Smallholder Access to Certification

At the heart of PEFC is our ambition to enable smallholders to access forest certification, independent of region and socioeconomic condition. But there is more than can be done.

This was highlighted last week at the first meeting of Standards Revision Working Group 2, responsible for the revision of PEFC’s Group Certification Standard and the development of a set of requirements for certification bodies operating audits in forest management.

The importance of strengthening the management system approach and of clearly describing the interaction between group members and group management was emphasized by representatives from the accreditation community. While the current standard already responds to these issues, their further development will support the use and expand the application of the standard.

Other important areas of discussion included internal audit procedures on how sampling is applied. In this context, technologies such as remote sensing can contribute to further enhancing the transparency and credibility of certification of large groups.

“This revised standard will enable us to improve the support we provide to small- and family forest owners around the world, ensuring we continue to be the certification system of choice for smallholders,” said Michael Berger, Head of Technical Unit at PEFC International, following the conclusion of the working group meeting.

read more/source: http://www.pefc.org/news-a-media/general-sfm-news/2113-striving-to-improve-smallholder-access-to-certification

Related Posts

Call for nominations: Certification Body Requirements for Sustainable Forest Management Certification Working Group

PEFC invites stakeholders globally to nominate candidates from the conformity assessment community, civil society, and customers and consumers, to complete the Certification Body Requirements for Sustainable Forest Management Certification Working Group. This temporary working group is responsible for the development of PEFC ST 1004, Requirements for Certification Bodies conducting PEFC Forest Management certification. This standard will set the requirements for certification bodies that carry out PEFC forest management certification, replacing the current Annexe 6. Work on the new PEFC ST 1004 is already well advanced, with the working group expected to work on finalizing the document over the next months.

PEFC to Develop Mechanism for the Transfer of GHG Emission Data

The use of the PEFC framework to transfer Green House Gas (GHG) emission related data along the supply chain has been the subject of increasing interest among the bioenergy sector and other industry sectors processing forest-based materials in recent years. Key to this rising interest is the growing demand from governmental and private customers, particularly in Europe, that biomass used for energy production is from sustainable sources, such as PEFC-certified forests, and is delivered with credible and transparent information on GHG emissions linked to its production, processing and transport. In response, PEFC International has established a Task Force for the development of a voluntary mechanism for the transfer of GHG emission related data along the PEFC-certified supply chain. The objective of this newly established Task Force is to develop a set of technical requirements, which can be used as a strictly voluntary tool for data transfer.

Biomass Basics: Clearing the Air About Paper’s GHG Emissions

Have you heard that the earth is flat, literally flat? Yes, there are serious organizations making impressive-sounding arguments and throwing scientific jargon in every direction to disprove what real science and observation have taught us about our planet, but in the end the earth is still round. So it is with the claim that paper manufacturing is “a major contributor to climate change.” Too many ENGOs and other self-interested parties have invested years trying to refute the findings of global scientific authorities like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that the paper industry is largely greenhouse gas neutral. But just like the Flat Earth argument, it takes only a little high school science, sound data and a bit of common sense to separate the truth from the blizzard of activist rhetoric posing as climate change “studies.”
Back To Top
×Close search
Search