Quality management and certification in sustainable forest management (SFM): The case study of Russia

Abstract

Sustainable Forest Management is a main part of the Global Sustainable Management. The main instruments for the implementation of the concept of Sustainable Forest Management are Forest Certification and Forest Quality Management. In the article authors investigated the essence, content and principles of Sustainable Forest Management as a key element of the formation and implementation of the Sustainable Development of the Society and its adaptation in the case study of post-communist countries like Russia. Also specific of Forest Certification and Forest Quality Management in Russia was investigated. The obtained result laid the foundation for the review and systematization of the interests of key players in the domestic forest industry, the prerequisites and limitations for the implementation of the Sustainable Forest Management Concept. For this purpose, the authors carried out situational analysis, interviewing, content analysis of media texts. In the article are analyzed 7 top-forestry Russian enterprises and also Russian timber industry complex generally. Based on the results of the study, the interests and priorities of the parties participating in the development of the national concept of sustainable forest management have been identified and systematized. This allowed us to identify incentives and prerequisites, problems and limitations, as well as prospects and directions for the development of forest certification in the territory of the Russian Federation. Based on the research results, it is concluded that Quality Management and Forest Certification are considered by all stakeholder groups as a key tool for ensuring Sustainable Forest Management by the case study of Russia.