Dear Matthew Markopoulos, Thanks for your kind response. > Yes, a couple. You seem to be under the impression that FSC will be > certifying forest operations/chain of custody itself. As far as I > understand, FSC is an accreditation organisation and, as such, will be > assessing the competence of other organisations to undertake actual forest > certification. So far, four organisations have been FSC-certified (SGS, SCS, > Soil Association, Rainforest Alliance). Correct. I am aware to these. However, the picture painted by WWF does not allow forest owners much options apart from FSC certifiers. This is as good as being dictated by FSC. If corporations can choose their auditors, would not forest owners likewise in a forestry management audit ? > As far as questions of technical competence, independence, fees etc. go, I > would advise you to read FSC's manual for the accreditation of certification > organisations. It seems balanced, thorough, and professional. Amongst other > things, the manual states that certifying organisations must provide ways of > supporting the costs of certification for forest managers with limited > resources. This provision might help the poorer countries, although it > remains to be seen how much assistance will actually be provided. Having a manual with provisions is one thing, but implementation is another. As long as poor countries are hard-pressed to pay for certification. They will always be at a disadvantage. Remember, SGS is a also a commercial entity. It is not a charity organisation as such. Another point, the ISO 14001 guidelines are as professional as FSC's. I am not saying that FSC is inferior to ISO. From the feedback on Rio, commitments from developed countries are still wanting. Who will bear the cost of certification in Third World countries ? It's a fallacy to believe that consumers are willing to pay a premium on certified forestry products. In a monopoly, yes, but in a free enterprise, no. > I hope this helps. Yes it does. And thanks for opening this channel of communication. BTW, your name sounds Greek. Are you ? > Yours, > > Matthew Markopoulos > > --- > Matthew Markopoulos > Thailand Environment Institute (TEI), Bangkok > Email: matthewm@tei.or.th Regards. Nelson Wong MTC
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