The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a world Non-Governmental and Non-Profit forest governance board founded in 1993 that aims to develop and manage sustainable forests. Available in more than 50 countries with more than 850 members including non-governmental organizations, scientific research centers, international certification bodies, community development centers and businesses...
FSC is a prestigious organization that has a great influence in protecting forests in particular and the environment in general on a global scale. FSC also works closely with various Non-Governmental Organizations such as WWF, Greenpeace, Oxfam, etc. in environmental protection and development, forest management in particular. Many countries and projects have received support from FSC for sustainable forest development such as the high economic value acacia plantation project - which helps to protect the barren hills in Vietnam and to protect special-used forests in Indonesia, Mexico...
In the effort to prevent indiscriminate exploitation of forests, encourage the exploitation of sustainable development, the FSC Forest Management Board has developed a FSC forest protection certificate with 10 principles and 56 objectives. This certification is used for forest managers or producers of forest products that meet the criteria for sustainable development, balancing the environmental value of the forest with the social benefits of stakeholders (producers, society and local people).
To obtain this certification, producers of forest products must provide and demonstrate by a large number of detailed documentation on:
- Proofs of origin of the product is not on the blacklist
- Implemented programs and a detailed plan for the exploitation and reforestation of forests to ensure the prevention of illegal harvesting, biodiversity conservation, and land cover, etc...
- Action programs to ensure social benefits and benefits for indigenous people - where forests are harvested.
FSC certification is valid for 5 years and is accepted on a global scale by its credibility and authenticity. However, each year, FSC will conduct re-verification to check that if producers continue to implement the program of exploitation and protection of forest resources as committed.
On the other hand, FSC is also affiliated with ASI, the world's most respected international independent accreditation organization, to cross-evaluate FSC-certified manufacturers for effective forest protection and exploitation. Based on FSC rules and standards, the ASI will undertake at least one FSC (FSC-independent) assessment of the performance of FSC-certified manufacturers each year. These two assessments will be the basis of annual, FSC will remind or recall if the manufacturer shows signs of infringement and does not take corrective action.
FSC has also developed a COC (Chain of Custody) system that includes a list and documentation demonstrating that forest management units and producers of forest-derived products received FSC certification. This is extremely useful as it helps to clarify the information to the consumer as well as restrict some FSC certification holders (mainly in China) from attaching themselves to the FSC without the FSC's permission.
FSC-certified products will be the basis for consumers to choose the products that are committed to the responsibility between development and forest protection. This will also encourage and promote producers to choose sustainable development solutions instead of deforestation. This certification is also a measure for governments to come up with a policy of developing forests that are in balance with economic development - one of the most urgent global requirements.
According to vi.wikipedia.org