Certified Forest Products Research Articles

Forest certification and economic insights: a European perspective

In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for forest certification and certified forest products in Europe. This trend is related to major worldwide challenges, such as the need to decarbonize the economy and mitigate climate change but also social and consumer demands for wider fair trade. However, whether forest certification influences economic valorization in forestry remains a question. The aim of this study is to analyze forest certification levels across Europe and identify potential relationships between the level of certification in forest areas and relevant economic indicators at country level. This study collected openly available data on total and certified forest areas, economic indicators, and environmental indicators for 28 European countries and explored the correlation between certified forest areas and economic performance in the forestry sector. Findings show that forest certification can significantly improve the economic performance of European forests. It has a more pronounced positive effect on economic incomes than on costs’ reduction. While certification costs do rise with the extent of forest area, they tend to stabilize at larger scales, suggesting that the certification process is economically sustainable and scale is relevant. Czechia and the Netherlands stand out for having the highest net values added related to forest certification, reflecting an effective economic exploration of forest resources. This study offers new perspectives to natural and social scientists, as well as to industry and policy makers, by proving contextualized data to support decision making. Additionally, it provides hints for further studies and policy guidelines on sustainable development and the impact of forest certification schemes.

Socioeconomic and environmental impact of forest certification in ejidos and communities of the state of Durango, Mexico

A principal objective of forest certification is to ensure that forest management operations and administration provide opportunities for social, economic and environmental development. This study assessed the implementation of 48 specific forest certification practices through field interviews and site inspections in 13 forest properties certified in Durango according to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and compared them with practices on a pooled set of matching non-certified properties. The results of field observations indicate that forest certification has prompted measurable changes in sustainable forest management practices in Mexico. For 24 identified forest management and environmental certification practices, there were four statistically significant differences at p<0.10, and 7 at p<0.25. Six of 11 forest certification practices were significantly different at p<0.10 for the social component, and 5 of 13 in the economic category. Forest certification in Mexico is related to better forest management practices and as a promoter of a better quality of life for communities. However, it still faces challenges to achieve better prices for certified forest products in the market, but has helped firms enter new market segments.

The Impact of Attitudes towards Certified Forest Products on Purchase Intention: The Moderating Role of Subjective Product Knowledge

The Impact of Attitudes towards Certified Forest Products on Purchase Intention: The Moderating Role of Subjective Product Knowledge

Willingness to pay for certified wooden products: a critical literature review

Abstract Forest certifications aim to promote sustainable forest management through the certification of forest products derived from forests managed according to a set of guidelines. However, managing a forest following the sustainability benchmarks indicated by the different certification systems has a higher cost than non-certified forests. This cost difference is therefore reflected in products made from these certified forests. An Environmentally Certified Timber Product (ECTP), in fact, should be more expensive than its identical competitor made from non-certified wood because of its higher management and chain of custody costs. The purpose of this review is to highlight how, over the past decade (2010–2020), customer willingness to pay (WTP) for ECTPs has been estimated and what parameters lead consumers to choose ECTPs. Results revealed several methodologies for estimating WTP, the main one being Contingent Valuation, although Discrete Choice Experiments would seem to be more effective. In monetary terms, the average WTP obtained ranges from 17% for products with a higher base price, such as furniture, up to 68% for those with a lower price, such as paper. Finally, several parameters drive consumers to choose ECTPs, such as socio-demographic factors, prior knowledge of brands and labels, and choice of product attributes.

The social welfare effect of forest certification under environmental spillovers

Forest certification has positive environmental spillovers. Considering environmental spillovers, this study analyzed the social welfare effects of forest certification using partial and general equilibrium methods. The results of the partial equilibrium analysis showed that social welfare in producing countries tended to increase under the market expansion of certified forest products. The general equilibrium analysis results indicated that, in autarky, or economic independence, the production amount of certified forest products could increase. If conventional forest products are imported and certified forest products are exported, then the level of utility in free trade condition is greater than that in autarky. If conventional forest products are exported and certified forest products are imported, then the price of imported products must be compared with the price of the autarky domestic market to determine the utility level of free trade and autarky. If the price of certified products is less than the price at the time of autarky, then the total utility level increases; otherwise, it decreases. The social welfare effect of forest certification can be increased through expanding the market demand of certified products and giving these products subsidies in production and price incentives in importing.

Sustainable Development—International Framework—Overview and Analysis in the Context of Forests and Forest Products—Competitiveness and Policy

Abstract Green marketing in forest products (e.g., by certified forest products) can be done by forest certification while sustainable development may be seen as an opportunity in new markets. Innovations to meet customer needs in key markets have an effect on company competitiveness. The bioeconomy policy accounts very much for the sustainable use of biomass resources. Sustainable development can include certification and trade. Green approaches to accentuate sustainable development and stakeholder collaboration is key to an emerging bioeconomy. Customers as stakeholders are linked with sustainable development and green business entities during the policy making phase. Marketing and communication in the green business sector is essential for sustainable product development and offers new market opportunities. Likewise, strategy and policy are important to be competitive in the business environment. The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) philosophy is one strategy that can enhance competitiveness and trade in the bioeconomy market, and can also be a driver in marketing and sustainable development. This article is qualitative research based and covers research articles and literature found in key academic databases such as Proquest, Academic Search Complete [EBSCO], Agris, CAB Abstracts, SCOPUS [Elsevier], Web of Science [ISI] and Google Scholar and other internet sites). The bioeconomy means the use of renewable biological resources from land and sea, like crops, forests, fish, animals and micro-organisms to produce food, materials and energy (EU 2021). International and national policies of Green Economy definition can be found at the UN, Green Growth at the OECD and the Bioeconomy at the EU Web pages.

Forest outgrower schemes in small and medium-sized farmers in Brazil

Outgrower schemes are an alternative for supplying companies and can generate benefits for both the farmers and for the community. The main reasons that lead companies to adopt this type of strategy are the reduction of investment in land purchases, lower cost of wood at the factory, to increase the diversification of sources of raw materials, as well as greater integration with landowners close of companies. Of the total of 7.84 million hectares of trees planted in Brazil in 2016, 34% belonged to companies in the pulp and paper industry, 29% were independent operators and participants in outgrower schemes, and the charcoal-fired steel industry represented 14% of the planted area. In 2016, 19,900 people benefited from the outgrower programs adopted by Brazilian Tree Industry (IBÁ) member companies, planting 545,000 ha. For rural producers, the forest development consists of an alternative to traditional income generation to their properties, which may use idle or underused areas with low technical risk due to production inputs and technical assistance provided by the companies. The most frequent outgrower modalities include providing forest species seedlings, revenue anticipation programs and wood purchase guarantee at harvest time. For the community, these include the possibility of creating new wood-based forest business and generating jobs in the region. This program prevents land concentration, makes local activities feasible, creates opportunities of additional income and assists in settling people in the countryside. Also, greatly improves the acceptability of eucalypt plantations in the region and is positive for the certification of forest products. From the environmental standpoint, outgrower scheme mitigates the pressure on native forests, recovers degraded soils and promotes soil conservation.

Governing the Governors: The Global Metagovernance of Fair Trade and Sustainable Forestry Production

To promote environmentally sustainable corporate behavior, a complex system of global private governance operates where civil society groups play dominant roles. We argue that the concept of “metagovernance” developed in the public administration literature helps scholars and practitioners make sense of the constellation of actors, structures, and processes that have emerged in the field of global private governance. This article advances the metagovernance research agenda by providing a comparative application of the concept to two global private governance schemes: the fair trade and sustainable forest product certification systems. We examine the key organizations, arrangements, and relationships that constitute these systems to demonstrate that metagovernance in this sphere is produced heterarchically: multiple organizations within global private governance schemes are mutually responsible for their own coordination. We argue that employing metagovernance as an analytical tool enables the identification and appraisal of the strengths and weaknesses of complex systems for “the governance of governance” from a holistic perspective. Related Articles Alejo, Antonio. 2019. “Contemporary Diplomacy, Global Politics, and Nongovernmental Actors: Dilemmas of the Multistakeholder Mechanism of Participation in Mexico.” Politics & Policy 47 (1): 105‐126. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12284Bance, Philippe, and Angelique Chassy. 2017. “The Rollout of the Multilevel Governance System: A Source of Reworking the Contingent Valuation Method?” Politics & Policy 45 (6): 1080‐1107. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12236Burau, Viola, and Carole Clavier. 2018. “Understanding Gaps in the Coexistence between Different Modes of Governance: A Case Study of Public Health in Schools in a Multilevel System.” Politics & Policy 46: 604‐629. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12269 Related Media FLOCERT. N.d. “How it Works.” https://www.flocert.net/solutions/fairtrade-resources/how-it-works/Forest Stewardship Council. N.d. “Who We Are.” https://ca.fsc.org/en-ca/about-usfsc‐watch.com. 2016. “Jari Certificate Suspension: Why Was it Ever Certified in the First Place?” https://fsc-watch.com/2015/12/22/jari-certificate-suspension-why-was-it-ever-certified-in-the-first-place/

Forest Certification and Country of Origin: Choice Experiment Analysis of Outdoor Decking Material Selection in E-Commerce Market in Finland

Since the early 1990s, there has been hope that the uptake of certified forest products would ensure more sustainable forest management and also deliver business benefits along the value chain. Our study applies a Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE) to model an e-commerce purchase in the case of multiple products with various attribute and certification combinations in the Finnish retail outdoor decking material market. We received 2772 responses from 231 participants in an online survey. Applying conditional logit and latent class models, we were able to assess the relative importance of attributes, identify various consumer segments, and simulate various scenarios for communicating the certification and origin of forest products and competing materials. Our results show that the most important attribute for consumer decision-making was the outdoor decking material followed by price, origin, and certification. Some consumer segments showed a habit of only choosing certain materials or domestic products, while paying less attention to other product attributes. Simulations for an e-commerce purchase situation also implied that communications concerning intangible product attributes, such as domestic origin and environmental certifications, could be used in the brand building of the forest sector to gain competitive advantage and increased market shares over other sectors. The results suggest that the conventional and constantly developing e-commerce marketing tools should be harnessed also in forest product and more general environmental marketing.

Assessment of Chain-of-Custody Certification in the Czech and Slovak Republic

Forest certification is a voluntary verification tool that has been gaining importance within the global sustainability issues as an independent verification tool for sustainable forest management and wood processing industry and as an influencer in private and public purchasing policies and a component of emerging wood harvesting and trade legality schemes. This study focuses on the chain-of-custody (CoC) component of forest certification. A survey of CoC certified companies in the Czech Republic and Slovakia was carried out to explore the understanding of the concept and role of forest and CoC certification as an environmental, economic, and social tool. It aimed to determine expectations following from the implementation of CoC certification by companies and to identify difficulties in existing certified wood product supply chains and costs related to purchase and sales of certified forest products, respectively. Results indicate that respondents demonstrated a high level of understanding of the CoC concept and that they link forest certification mainly to the issues of legality, tracing the origin source of supply and promotion of sustainable utilisation of wood. The main expected benefits are linked to the improvement of an external company image followed by penetration of new markets and increase of sales volume. CoC is not considered a tool to improve internal company performance and efficiency. The key problems connected to certified supply chains relate to the sufficient quantity of certified forest products, low margins and overpriced certified material inputs. Respondents reported none or minimum price premiums for their certified products over non-certified alternatives. Several differences related to the understanding of the sustainable forest management concept and the level of price premium paid for certified inputs were identified between the PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified companies as well as between the different forest products sectors.

フィンランド木材産業における森林認証製品のマーケティング（特集 日本林業再構築のモーメントと方向をどう考えるか(II)）

フィンランド木材産業における森林認証製品のマーケティング（特集 日本林業再構築のモーメントと方向をどう考えるか(II)）

Progress of forest certification in China

The Chinese Government is committed to forest certification as a market-based instrument to promote sustainable forest management. Forest certification includes a number of regulations, rules and policy paradigms related to certification and there are numerous challenges facing the uptake of forest certification in China. In particular, the ban on commercial logging in natural forests implemented by the Natural Forest Protection Program has resulted in little demand for forest certification of natural forest management units. However, there are also certification opportunities, such as the certification of non-timber forest products that benefit local communities who depend on forests for the goods and services they provide. This paper provides an overview of progress in forest certification in China, including its development history, organizational structure, scheme documents, certification scopes and standards, accreditation, certification bodies and auditors, and certification logos. The paper also focuses on government support for the supervision and management of forest certification through policy incentives, including the potential government procurement and subsidy policies for certified forest products. Finally, the paper analyzes certified non-timber forest products as an example of the value of certification to promote sustainable forest management and how the concept of forest certification can be used to add value to forests and ensure they are responsibly and sustainably managed. In general, forest certification in China has a clear role in sustainable forest management, both for timber and non-timber forest products.

Governance and Images: Representations of Certified Southern Producers in High-Quality Design Markets

This article analyses the representational politics of global commodity networks, where certified forest products are produced and consumed, approaching them as complex forms of governance in which diverse actors, images, conventions and values interact. The study draws upon a case study of certified Honduran community forestry groups producing furniture and kitchenware for Danish design markets. Special focus is on the forms of negotiation and contestation through which the different actors mediate the representations and imagery circulating in the marketing of certified products and on their differential access to control and power. The research illustrates how leading retailers, in negotiation with environmental organisations, modify definitions of quality and guide consumers’ expectations of certified southern forest products, by building images of southern community forest producers as authentic and exotic ‘others'. The article concludes that certification as a market-based form of governance has had only limited impact on altering the unequal relationships characteristic of global networks of production and consumption.

Equity in Distribution of Proceeds from Forest Products from Certified Community-Based Forest Management in Kilwa District, Tanzania

Equity in distribution of income from forest products among producers, processors and traders is required for sustaining forests resource use. Despite many studies being undertaken on benefits of certified community forest products, distributional aspects of these benefits to the communities have not been fully examined. Employing a value chain analytical framework, this paper investigates the distribution of proceeds of forest products by assessing net revenue of roundwood equivalent and its shares among actors along the chain. A comparative study was conducted using the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified community forests and non-certified (non-FSC) forests in Kilwa District, Tanzania. Actors from certified forest communities were found to earn higher income than those from non-FSC forests, and experience significantly greater income equity. This finding suggests that forest certification is an important forest management approach in enhancing equity in income distribution among the actors. However, sustainability of equity in income for certified community forests in Kilwa is highly conditional upon the technical and managerial capacities of villagers, and their access to finance and markets of certified forest products. This study provides baseline data for future assessment of income distribution among actors for the various forest management regimes in Tanzania and the African region as a whole.

Preferences for certified forest products in Japan: A case study on interior materials

The purpose of this study is to examine the preferences of Japanese consumers for certified forest products and estimate their price premiums using a discrete choice experiment. Although Japanese consumers have almost no opportunity to purchase forest certification products now, except paper and paper-related products, Japan may be a promising market with significant scope for increasing the demands for the forest certification products. Each choice task of our discrete choice experiment contained alternative wall renovation scenarios with interior wood materials showing five attributes. In 2008, 150 respondents living in Sapporo, northern Japan, completed our questionnaire, which contained a series of the choice tasks. To understand heterogeneous preferences and identify consumer segments in a systematic way, a latent class model was applied. The results show that the mean price premium on Forest Stewardship Council certification of interior materials was 40.5% under a ceteris paribus condition. However, two identified consumer segments both placed greater value on other attributes of the interior materials: dimensional stability and/or area of production. The results indicate that, for suppliers of forest products outside of Japan, the merit of forest certification and the demerit of foreign product will cancel each other out in Japan.

Sustainability Assessment of Certified Tropical Forestry using Emergy Analysis

Sustainable forestry production systems, such as certified forestry, re- duced impact logging or sustainable forest management, have become an important part of tropical countries’ strategy to oversee their forest re- sources. Particularly, certification of forest products has become a widely adopted practice as a response to a growing international concern over the ecological and economic sustainability of harvesting natural tropical forests because of the benefits on reducing excessive and unnecessary construction of forest roads, reducing excessive use of heavy machinery, diminishing excessive collateral damage, and improving the inefficient milling processes and wasting of residues. To accomplish the aim of this study, which is to compare conventional and certified forestry we used a systems analysis tool that could integrate various benefits of certified forestry including, stand age, wood harvest, soil losses and economic gain or loss. We found that the affected area under uncertified logging practices is twice the area of certified forestry because conventional prac- tices require more roads, more logging decks and more skid trails. Also, the rate of soil erosion between uncertified logging (154 Mg/ha/yr) and certified logging (66 Mg/ha/yr) is different. Based on these data, we es- timated that the total emergy removed from certified forests was 40% less than the forest under conventional forestry. The fact that certification does a better job of preserving forest while removing wood was also demonstrated through the Environmental Loading Ratio (ELR). We also found that certification leaves forests with a 30% better chance to recover after logging because less wood is removed. But forestry using certifica- tion showed a lower Emergy Yield Ratio (EYR) because the lower yield and the extra cost of certification. Certification is also favored for the higher price for certified wood in international markets. Then, when Bo- livia exports uncertified wood, it obtains a positive benefit, but lower than using uncertified wood domestically (EYR = 20.4). In other words the worst thing the country could do is certify wood for their domestic market and sell uncertified wood abroad.

Perspectives and Attitudes of Forest Products Industry Companies on the Chain of Custody Certification: A Case Study From Turkey

The perspectives and attitudes of the companies of the forest products industry operating in the fields of solid wood products, pulp, paper and paperboard products, engineered wood products and furniture manufacturing in Turkey on the chain of custody certification system and certified forest products were investigated. Within this scope, face-to-face interviews were conducted with the managers or owners of 177 companies. The data were obtained by using the questionnaire technique. The research methods included descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance and the Duncan test. As a result, it was detected that there are differences in the perspectives and attitudes towards the chain of custody certification system of the companies operating in the four main branches of the forest products industry in Turkey. It was revealed by this survey that chain of custody (CoC) certification was known mostly by the companies operating in pulp, paper and paperboard companies. The certification most demanded is the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) CoC certification, with a share of 15%; and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) CoC is demanded by 2% of companies.

Study on Consumer Recognition of, Satisfaction with, and Repurchase Willingness for Forest Products Certified by the CAS Certification System

The logo of Certified Agriculture Standards (CAS) represents the certification for premium Taiwanese domestic agricultural product. Since 2005, the CAS certification system has involved the certification of forest products, which mainly include bamboo charcoal, bamboo vinegar, and related products. This study used a questionnaire to analyze the domestic consumer recognition of, customer satisfaction with, and customer willingness to repurchase CAS-certified forest products. The major purpose of this study was to offer results as references for strategies to promote marketing by the manufacturers of bamboo charcoal and bamboo vinegar, and the CAS Development Association in the future. The main results showed that the consumer recognition of CAS labels reached 82.9%, although only 42.6% of consumers knew that forest products were involved in the CAS certification system, only 28.1% of consumers had purchased CAS-certificated forest products, and only 1/3 of total consumers had purchased bamboo charcoal-related products (including non-certified products). Obviously, past activities to promote these products were insufficient. Hence, to promote the benefits for both producers and consumers through implementation of an excellence certification system, activities to popularize the CAS certification system related to forest products must be strengthened in scope and depth. Additionally, the results of χ^2-test of demographic characteristics showed that there was a significant difference in ages of people who recognized the CAS label. A higher proportion of the elderly group over 60 yr of age was familiar with the CAS label than other age groups. Therefore, the elderly group with a high interest in certified products should not be ignored when activities to popularize the CAS certification system are carried out in the future.

The efficacy of forest certification: Perceptions of Canadian forest products retailers

A nation-wide survey of wood products retailers was conducted to examine their perceptions related to forest certification and its impacts in the market place. Four widely accepted forest certification standards were taken into account: International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) 14001, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Z809 Standard. The survey inquired about the economic impacts of forest certification, namely wood purchasing policies and the potential for price premiums on certified wood products. The responses indicated that most retailers had no particular purchasing policies for certified products. However, they reported up to a 20% price premium on certain certified products, although the number of consumers who request certified wood products was small (less than 10%). The retailers also indicated that the most important reasons for buying or selling certified forest products revolved around improved company image, being an environmental leader in the field, and maintaining or increasing market share. Finally, respondents felt that forest certification had minimal impacts on the social aspects of forest management, while the environmental and economic aspects of forest management were perceived to be subject to more marked changes.

Current Status and Problems in Certification of Sustainable Forest Management in China

Forest certification is a mechanism involving the regulation of trade of forest products in order to protect forest resources and improve forest management. Although China had a late start in adopting this process, the country has made good progress in recent years. As of July 31, 2009, 17 forest management enterprises and more than one million hectares of forests in China have been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Several major factors affect forest certification in China. The first set is institutional in nature. Forest management in China is based on centralized national plans and therefore lacks flexibility. A second factor is public awareness. The importance and value of forest certification are not widely understood and thus consumers do not make informed choices regarding certified forest products. The third major factor is the cost of certification. Together these factors have constrained the development of China's forest certification efforts. However, the process does have great potential. According to preliminary calculations, if 50% of China's commercial forests were certified, the economic cost of forest certification would range from US$0.66-86.63million while the economic benefits for the forestry business sector could exceed US$150million. With continuing progress in forest management practices and the development of international trade in forest products, it becomes important to improve the forest certification process in China. This can be achieved by improving the forest management system, constructing and perfecting market access mechanisms for certificated forest products, and increasing public awareness of environmental protection, forest certification, and their interrelationship.