FSC is a non-governmental, non-profit organization committed to promoting international social responsibility for forest management. FSC Certification labelling allows consumers and businesses to make informed decisions about the purchase of forest products. This involves the entire market to have a significant positive impact by safeguarding wildlife, reducing the effects of climate change, and improving the lives of people in communities.
Introduction:
As the awareness of sustainable development rises globally, issues with forests are becoming increasingly important, and some buyers in GCC countries refuse to purchase wood products that do not have legally-validated proof of origin. Increasing numbers of businesses acknowledge the benefits of using FSC merchandised or sold—the importance of certified products.
As per FSC Certification in UAE official data provided by the FSC between 2018 and 2021, the growth rate for certified forest areas can reach 31%, and the increase in CoC certificates can reach 143%. This confirms the importance attached to the conservation of forests in sustainable development has become common sense and a global trend.
Several multinational retailers and brands have also demanded that their raw materials and products be made from FSC Certified trees to encourage suppliers to move toward more sustainable and green development.
FSC in Community Livelihood Conditions:
FSC Certification Consulting standards for forest management have applied to serve on improving the quality of life for communities’ conditions.
The results show that the annual average household income from FSC-certified forests is considerably more than households living in forests not certified by FSC. Regarding the rule of law as a measure that good governance is being implemented, implementing the forest bylaws when managing FSC-certified forests is considerably more efficient than those in non-FSC-certified forests.
This offers a glimpse into the role of forest certification in improving conditions for livelihoods, and the inclusion of the FSC standards into policies on forest management can lead to more significant improvement of living conditions. This serves as a reference point for future studies on the impact of forest certification on both the temporal and spatial scales.
Important Findings of FSC-Certified Products:
There is a growing recognition of the importance of forest resources for people who rely on forests to support their livelihoods. They provide various products that can be classified as non-timber and wood. These products are essential to people’s lives by providing the necessities of a typical household and incomes earned from formal work and trade in informal markets.
Forests provide the livelihoods of approximately 80% of the rural. But, over the past quarter-century, a growing amount of research by scientists has revealed that forests around the globe are suffering.
Notably, research into the social and communal conditions has shown increasing doubt about the capacity of communities that depend on their forests to sustain their lives. In addition, that has been identified, it is due to the government’s inability to effectively manage the forest resources due to their inability to manage them within the framework of sustainable development.
Institutions that regulate the management and utilization of forest resources are essential to ensure the long-term sustainability of forests. Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification for forest management is among the organizations recommended meeting this need through standard forest management (principles and standards) that ensure an ethical forest management system for producing forest-based products.
These FSC Certification Services are designed to protect the rights of those who depend on forests. In doing so, certification improves their living conditions while preserving the integrity of the forest ecosystem. According to forest management, certification can lead to the establishment of efficient institutional arrangements through the process of establishing standards.
How Does FSC Drive Sustainability?
The demand for paper and wood products is growing all over the globe. Wood is used extensively in the furniture industry, construction crafts, and the manufacture of paper. UAE is among the fastest-growing market for reports worldwide and is expected to make an enormous leap in line with population and economic growth.
- If there aren’t sustainable standards for procuring and manufacturing these items, the world may be in danger of an irreparable loss of tropical forests and loss of biodiversity, and habitats.
- In setting standards for global use that define an ethical forest management system socially and environmentally, FSC certification helps conserve forests worldwide and ensures the long-term sustainability of biodiversity, humans, and the communities they serve.
- Suppose you get FSC recognition as a producer or buyer and brand or purchase FSC-certified products for your home as a buyer. In that case, you will contribute to more sustainable and environmentally friendly forestry.
Environmental Benefits of FSC-Certified Products:
The FSC Certification Services environmental guidelines recognize that the management of forests must preserve biodiversity and its value, safeguard the integrity and ecological function of the forest, and protect endangered and threatened species and their habitats. An FSC-certified forest is designed to ensure the following:
- The trees that were harvested are replaced or left to replenish themselves naturally.
- A portion that is part of forests is wholly protected to protect rare species of animals and plants.
Social Benefits of FSC-Certified Products:
- FSC works with small-scale local producers, indigenous communities, forest workers, and communities that directly affect FSC certification of forest management. FSC certification protects the rights of workers as well as communities that live around forests by ensuring:
- Protection of the legal or customary right of native communities to have access to the forest to collect fuel wood, food, building materials, medicinal plants, and other natural resources that help support their daily lives. The sacred sites in forests are protected from being cut down.
- Local workers are employed to manage forests and provide safety equipment, education, and decent pay.
Conclusion:
It is believed that forest management certification helps strengthen local institutions that lead to better lifestyles. Scholars have sought to investigate qualitatively the effects of forest certification as compared to other FMR methods. The FSC forest management method of community-based forestry results in greater confidence in the power of the social changes of communities.
In addition, this FSC Certification in UAE of communities-based forests brings community members socioeconomic benefits that include improved working conditions and employment opportunities, land tenure security, and access rights to forest resources.
