Forest Matters March 2017
Director’s Overview Contents Dear Reader, 3
News in Brief Welcome to the March edition of Forest Matters.
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UKWAS 4, Take Two
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Pine Martens in Wales
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Get to Know FSC Down Under
12 FSC® and Printed Materials 14
A Visit to Bangor University
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FSC and the Beautiful Game
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FSC Certified Balloons
20 2020: Striving for Gender Equality 22
Have Your Say on the FSC Label
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Schweighofer Disassociation
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Holzforschung Austria Reinstated
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Just for Fun and FSC in Numbers
This month, we’re delighted to welcome not one, but three, guest contributors: Jenny MacPherson from Vincent Wildlife Trust, Martin Kunz, Executive Secretary of the Fair Rubber Association and Rulita Wijayaningdyah, Chair of the FSC International Board of Directors. If you go down to the woods today…you’re more likely than ever to bump into a pine marten! At least, that is, if you’re in Wales – Jenny MacPherson talks us through the Vincent Wildlife Trust’s pine marten revival plan on page 8. From one Marten to another, Martin Kunz tells his story as a pioneer of FSC certified natural rubber on page 16. And in celebration of March’s International Women’s Day, we are very pleased to include an article on Gender Equality from the Chair of the FSC International Board of Directors (page 20). Catch up with the latest from our Forest Standards Manager as he reports on the recent re-submission of the UK Woodland Assurance Standard (UKWAS) on page 4, and his talk to undergraduate and postgraduate forestry students at Bangor University on page 14. Readers of the Advanced edition of Forest Matters can also find more detailed information in Technical Updates on the changes to the revised FSC Chain of Custody standard, which comes into effect next month. All interested stakeholders are invited to have their say on the FSC labels as part of the current consultation on the FSC Trademark Standard for Certificate Holders (page 22).
Rosie Teasdale Executive Director, FSC UK
News in Brief Webinars Scheduled: FSC Trademark Standard Revision FSC is holding online webinars for interested stakeholders to encourage participation and facilitate the review process of FSC-STD-50-001. The webinar dates are as follows: • 23 March 2017 (2 - 3 PM) • 29 March 2017 (8 - 9 AM) • 5 April 2017 (11 AM - 12 PM)
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UKWAS 4, Take Two Forest Standards Manger, Dr Owen Davies, explains the changes that have been made to the draft standard and outlines the next steps.
To register for the webinars visit: http://bit.ly/2mCa16v
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8 FSC General Assembly 2017 in Vancouver, Canada th
The General Assembly of FSC members, held every three years, is the highest FSC platform for decisionmaking. To learn more visit: https:// ga2017.fsc.org
On the Road to Recovery – Pine Martens in Wales The pine marten, Martes martes, is a cat-sized, mainly nocturnal member of the mustelid family that is native to Britain and Ireland. Jenny MacPherson from Vincent Wildlife Trust tells us about the revival of these once common, but now rare creatures.
Two Consultations Open for Stakeholder Input • FSC Trademark Standard for Certificate Holders (FSCSTD-50-001) - see p22 • Controlled Wood Risk Assessments (including Ireland). Visit: http://www.fsc-uk.org/en-uk/ newsroom/id/423
Live Q&A: Controlled Wood Standard Revision FSC will host a question and answer session on 30 March 2017 at 9 AM and again at 4 PM To register visit: http://bit.ly/2mJBSmp
Image credits: © FSC IC, © FSC UK. © VWT
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Forestry
UKWAS 4, Take Two We reported back in the November 2016 issue of Forest Matters, that the draft national forest stewardship standard for the UK, familiar to forest managers as the UK Woodland Assurance Standard (UKWAS), had not been approved by FSC International. Since then, FSC UK has worked closely with FSC International and the UKWAS Steering Group to agree further changes to the standard, and a revised draft was submitted for approval on 13 February.
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his article provides some background on the standard development process, explains the changes that have been made to the draft standard, and outlines the next steps.
What is UKWAS? The UK Woodland Assurance Standard (UKWAS) is the national forest stewardship standard used in FSC forest management certification in the UK. It’s unusual in the global FSC system for being an independent standard, owned by a not-for-profit company, which takes into account the requirements of more than one certification scheme. In FSC terms, the UKWAS Steering Group fulfils the role of a national standard development group. The UKWAS standard has its own structure and
language which are quite different from other FSC national standards, which follow the order and language of FSC’s international Principles and Criteria. For its formal approval as an FSC standard, FSC UK staff reorganise the text of the UKWAS standard to fit the Principles and Criteria order, without changing the actual requirements of the standard; in other words, while the two versions of the standard look very different, they are functionally the same. The current approved version of the standard is UKWAS 3.1; the version in development is UKWAS 4.
Why is the standard being revised? National standards are revised regularly, usually every five years, to take account of changing circumstances and new technical knowledge. For FSC, a crucial element of the current revision is the need to move from version 4 to version 5-2 of the Principles and Criteria.
How does the revision process work? The draft of UKWAS 4 was developed by the UKWAS Steering Group, with FSC UK providing technical advice on how they might meet the changed requirements of the Principles and Criteria. The drafting process included an evidence gathering phase and two public consultations, so that stakeholder views could be taken into account.
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The Steering Group agreed a final draft in April 2016. FSC UK reformatted the draft standard, prepared supporting documentation, and formally submitted the standard for approval to FSC International in June. The standard was considered first by FSC International staff in the Policy and Standards Unit (PSU), then passed to the independent Policy and Standards Committee (PSC), made up of FSC members, for a decision.
So why wasn’t the standard approved? In our November article we talked about the challenge of balancing the local adaptation of national forest stewardship standards like UKWAS with the need to fulfil the international FSC Principles and Criteria and achieve some level of global consistency. PSU noted that the current version of the Principles and Criteria is more specific in its requirements than the previous version, and that they felt that there were a number of areas where the draft UK standard did not fully address those requirements.
Moving forward All parties – UKWAS, FSC UK and FSC International – have worked actively and constructively to find a way forward. FSC UK staff and the UKWAS Board spoke directly with senior staff at FSC International, and the decision on the UK standard was discussed by the FSC International Board of Directors. In close collaboration, PSU provided UKWAS with further feedback on outstanding issues, and FSC UK provided concrete proposals for how these issues might be addressed in the draft standard. At an UKWAS Steering Group meeting in Edinburgh in December, the Group agreed to a number of changes to address FSC’s concerns.
So what has changed? Changes made in the revised draft standard include: • Additional requirements clarifying the legal status, tenure and rights of the forest owner/manager (FSC Criteria 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3, UKWAS section 1);
Image credits: © FSC UK
• New explicit references to legislation and associated guidance in relation to transportation and trade of forest products (FSC Criterion 1.5, UKWAS section 1.1.7), corruption (FSC Criterion 1.7, UKWAS section 1.1.6), workers’ rights (FSC Criterion 2.1, UKWAS section 5.6.1), and payment of living wages (FSC Criterion 2.4, UKWAS section 5.6.1); • New explicit reference to mechanisms for resolving workers’ grievances which meet the requirements of statutory codes of practice (FSC Criterion 2.6, UKWAS section 5.6.1); • Restored and revised requirement addressing investment to secure longterm economic viability (FSC Criterion 5.5, UKWAS section 2.1.3); • Separation of requirements for the protection of priority species and habitats (FSC Criterion 6.4, UKWAS section 4.1.2) and the maintenance and enhancement of high conservation values, specifically designated sites (FSC Principle 9, UKWAS section 4.1.1); • Clarification of minimum areas of seminatural habitat (FSC Criterion 6.5, UKWAS section 4.4.3); and, • New reference to co-operation with statutory bodies in the control of invasive plants and wild animals (FSC Criterion 10.3, UKWAS section 2.3.2). 5
Scale, intensity and risk One thing that hasn’t changed in the revised draft is UKWAS’s approach to the FSC concept of scale, intensity and risk (SIR). FSC recommends that different standard requirements be set where there are different potential impacts of operations, for example one variation for where operations are small scale, low intensity or present a small risk to environmental or social values, and another for where operations are extensive, high intensity or present major risks to environmental or social values. The UKWAS Steering Group has instead opted to make the standard ‘size-neutral’, allowing flexibility in the means of conforming to the standard, and of demonstrating that conformance, for each individual owner’s or manager’s circumstances. In their feedback, PSU asked the standard development group to give greater consideration to SIR guidelines, or provide further justification for the approach adopted. The Steering Group opted to provide further justification, and a written explanation of their reasoning was submitted along with the revised draft standard.
What happens next? As with the initial submission, the standard will first be considered by PSU staff who will check for procedural and technical correctness; during this period there will be informal contact between FSC UK and PSU and there may be minor editorial changes to the draft standard or refinement of supporting documentation. UKWAS 4 will be reconsidered by the Policy and Standards Committee at their meeting in April, and a decision should be announced shortly thereafter. Naturally we hope for a positive outcome, particularly in light of the intensive scrutiny the draft standard has faced over the past few months, but there is still the possibility of conditions being applied to any approval. In the meantime, UKWAS 3.1 remains valid.
Further information If you have any questions about the UK national forest stewardship standard or the standard development and approval process, please contact FSC UK Forest Standards Manager, Dr Owen Davies, at: owen@fsc-uk.org.
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Image credits: © FSC UK
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Guest Feature
On the Road to Recovery – Pine Martens in Wales Although once common throughout Britain, the pine marten is now one of the rarest mammals in the UK, after undergoing huge declines in the 19th century. By 1915, pine martens were almost extinct in Britain, with the exception of the North-West of Scotland and the uplands of Northern England and Wales where the species survived. Since the mid-20th century, the Scottish pine marten population has been recovering well, but unfortunately that has not been the case in England and Wales.
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he pine marten, Martes martes, is a cat-sized, mainly nocturnal member of the mustelid family that is native to Britain and Ireland. Pine martens are agile climbers and spend most of their time in wooded areas. They prefer structurally diverse woodland habitat, be it deciduous or coniferous, with a well-developed ground and shrub layer and some old trees.
Revival plan Thirty years of research and surveys by The Vincent Wildlife Trust (VWT) led to the conclusion that action was urgently needed to prevent complete extinction of the pine marten and restore viable populations to their historical range in England and Wales. So, in autumn 2015, after two years of work to pave the way, twenty pine martens were translocated from thriving populations in Scotland, to a large expanse of woodland in central Wales. A further nineteen were released into the same area the following year. All of the animals have been radio tracked and monitored for a long period after release.
Breeding and habitat Martens are slow breeders: they do not usually mate until their second or third year and then only have one litter per year of two to three kits. In spring, following the first translocations, at least half of the radio tracked females in Wales had kits. 8
This shows that they have found enough resources to support them in their newly established territories. Naturally structured and biodiverse woodland, with retained deadwood, old trees, and ground flora, support small mammals, birds, invertebrates, fruit growth and a range of other food sources. Suitable den sites are vital for rearing kits, whereby a range of woodland structures are utilised, including squirrel dreys, windthrow (broken or up uprooted trees), rock faces and old buildings. Above-ground tree cavities are especially effective at keeping kits safe from predators such as foxes.
Pine martens and grey squirrels Recent research has shown that pine martens will predate grey squirrels when they are present. In parts of Ireland, where martens are spreading, there has been a decline in grey squirrels and the native red squirrel has begun to recover. There have also been reports of a similar effect observed in Scotland.
The role of responsible forestry Pine martens are a native component of our woodland ecosystems and can be considered a flagship woodland species. Extensive and diverse woodland that is suitable for pine martens, is likely to benefit a wide range of other species and be more resilient to changing environmental conditions. Fortunately many forest management plans, including those that meet the requirements of FSC, now aim to increase structural and species Below: The natural habitat of a pine marten
diversity to promote the sustainability of forest ecosystems. Developments in forestry (including more use of native broadleaved species and lower impact silvicultural systems such as continuous cover forest management) should be beneficial for pine martens in terms of habitat, increased food availability and breeding locations. For more information on forest management and pine martens visit the Vincent Wildlife Trust website www.vwt.org.uk.
About the author: Dr Jenny MacPherson, Pine Marten Project Manager at Vincent Wildlife Trust Jenny manages The Vincent Wildlife Trust’s Pine Marten Recovery Project for England and Wales. She has worked on a number of mammal reintroduction projects in the UK and Africa over the past twenty years, and carried out research on the ecology and behaviour of a range of species including pine marten, dormouse, red squirrel, water vole and mink.
Image credits: Š Vincent Wildlife Trust
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Get to Know...
‘G’day’ & ‘Kia Ora’ from FSC Down Under FSC Australia and New Zealand have had a presence in the Asia-Pacific / Oceania region since 2001. The current mission of their subregional office is to make FSC valued and respected by stakeholders.
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lthough “Aussies” and “Kiwis” don’t always get along on the sports field, they work very successfully together because they share a similar market and culture within FSC. They have a unique subregional arrangement with a national office in Australia and national representative in New Zealand. FSC Australia and FSC New Zealand share services such as trademark and communications, which is great for their members, certificate holders and retail supporters - especially when they want to launch campaigns at the Australasian level. The main difference between the two markets is that New Zealand’s commercial forests are all plantations, 70% of which are certified. The preference for plantation over natural forestry production in New Zealand is the result of deliberate social policy that allows most natural forests to be preserved for biodiversity and
recreational purposes. In Australia, only 12% of commercial forests (natural and plantation, the former in the vast majority) are certified to FSC’s high standards.
Working closely with businesses These offices work together on business development opportunities that span the Tasman District (a local government district in the North of the South Island of New Zealand), and are in a unique position to collaborate with companies in both countries. Two key accounts are stationery supplier, Officeworks, and hardware store, Bunnings. Last year, Bunnings introduced FSC certified Merbau to its instore range, opening the door for responsibly sourced hardwoods for consumers. The retailer also recently announced that a third of their timber products are FSC certified. Officeworks Below: Members voting at the Annual General Meeting
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Close working partnership You can find FSC Australia and New Zealand Offices in the capital cities, Melbourne and Auckland respectively. Thankfully, the distance is shortened with their regular catch-up’s using Skype. In a similar tone, their reach has expanded by using online meeting services to communicate with stakeholders. Most of their systems are digital, and as cloud-based offices, provide a lot of flexibility. As a result they have very little equipment and so operate in co-working spaces, where they have the opportunity to work alongside many industries.
Consumer awareness has committed to the responsible sourcing of paper, with a new target of increasing sales of office supplies products that are 100% recycled or FSC certified. During 2016 Officeworks partnered with Australian Paper to produce two paper products: the only Australian-manufactured FSC certified papers sourced from local FSC certified forests.
National standard In the policy department, both Australia and New Zealand are currently in the process of developing a National Standard for forest management. FSC Australia’s National Board approved submission of the FSC Australia Forest Stewardship Standard to FSC International in January this year, and the National Office has proceeded with submission accordingly. Submission of the Standard to FSC International represents a significant milestone in the history of FSC Australia and responsible forest management in Australia. After three years of discussions and development, the Standards Development Group were able to achieve consensus on all but three areas relating to workers’ rights, riparian (wetlands adjacent to rivers, streams and lakes) definitions and representative sample areas.
With both countries’ National Standards processes well under way, FSC is truly well established in the region. Consumer awareness is on the rise for Australia and New Zealand, with most recent findings at 24% and 20% respectively. Their office and membership base look forward to more business development progress as they strive for FSC to be the trusted brand for ‘Healthy forests supporting healthy communities’ in Australia and New Zealand.
Below: Former CEO, Adam Beaumont (left) and Company Secretary, Daniel Goldsworthy (right) meet for the 2016 Annual General Meeting
In New Zealand, consultation has just closed on the Draft Revised National Standard. The FSC Standards Development Group (SDG) have chosen to include an indigenous chamber to represent the Maori People, whose culture is very present in the territory. The SDG has been very active in the country representing FSC long before a national representative was established.
Image credits: © FSC AU
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Printed Materials
FSC and Printed Materials Information for companies and individuals who want to use FSC certified paper or board for their printed materials or packaging.
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lobal paper consumption has increased by almost half since 19801 and the UK is the fifth largest producer of printed products in the 2 world . Ensuring that you use responsibly sourced paper and board is therefore of vital importance to the world’s forests.
Using FSC Certified Papers and Boards FSC certified papers and boards are widely available and most carry either an FSC Mix or an FSC Recycled claim. FSC Mix products can contain a mix of virgin and recycled fibre and may also include limited amounts of controlled wood, which has been risk assessed to avoid undesirable sources. FSC Recycled products are made using verified reclaimed materials.
Using an FSC Certified Printer Printed materials and packaging can only carry an FSC label if they are produced and labelled under a valid FSC Chain of Custody (CoC) certificate. To check FSC certificates you can use the FSC international database: http://info.fsc.org/. To ensure your printed materials carry an FSC label you should: • Use an FSC certified printer. • Specify FSC certified materials from the outset and request that the printer apply the appropriate FSC label. • Ensure any supplementary text about FSC is approved by the printer’s certification body.
Why is it important to apply the FSC label and specify FSC from suppliers? Specifying FSC materials and asking your printer to apply an FSC label to them, gives your customers an assurance that your business has chosen to source responsibly. It can also enhance Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy and increase credibility with stakeholders, governments, NGOs and the general public.
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The FSC Labels
The FSC Brandmark
The FSC label is generally printed directly onto the packaging or printed materials and is not usually a sticky label. FSC labels can be shown in positive and negative green, or black and white, and can be either landscape or portrait orientation.
Help us to share the true value of forests in all our lives by adding the FSC Forests For All Forever brandmark to your printed materials, in addition to the FSC label. Contact your printer to request it.
Full Label It is possible to produce both the full and mini FSC label in alternative colours, but this will require a special approval from your printer’s certification body. The use of the FSC trademarks must be approved by the certification body of the company applying the label. Mini Label The use of the smaller ‘mini label’ may be specially approved when applied to paper items that are A5 or smaller, packaging that is 500ml in volume or less, or where clear, unprinted space is limited. Left is an example of a full FSC product label. Portrait versions of the full label must be produced at a minimum width of 17mm, and the landscape versions at a minimum height of 12mm. Right is an example of an FSC mini label. Portrait versions of the mini label must be produced at a minimum width of 11mm, and the landscape versions at a minimum height of 8mm.
Correct Use: In order to have an FSC label applied to your printed materials, your printer must be FSC certified. Text-only claims such as ‘Printed on FSC certified paper’ are not permitted under the FSC Trademark Standard. An FSC label must be used and only an FSC certified printer can apply this.
Now open for second consultation: Revised draft of the FSC trademark standard FSC-STD-50-001 - p22
FAQs Q: Do I have to hold FSC certification to have the FSC logo on my packaging or printed materials? A: No, but your printer must be FSC certified and will normally need to source the FSC certified paper/board on your behalf. Q: I don’t hold FSC certification but have purchased finished and labelled FSC printed materials. Can I use the FSC trademarks to promote them? A: Yes, however you would need to apply for an FSC Trademark Licence. This licence would enable you to use the FSC trademarks to promote them, off-product, directly to endconsumers. If however, your customers are specifying FSC and need you to make an FSC claim through your invoices, you would need to be FSC certified. Q: My printer is FSC certified, does this mean that all of their paper is FSC certified? A: Not necessarily, you should always specify in your order that you wish to buy an FSC product and state that you would like the label added. Q: Our organisation’s procurement policy states that we must source FSC printed materials and be able to verify this. How is this achieved? An FSC certified printer can issue an invoice to you which will include the FSC claim for each item and their FSC certificate code. Image credits: © Iggesund Forest and Paper Mill; Sources: 1. The Economist 2012; 2. BPIF 2015
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Forestry
A Visit to Bangor University For the third consecutive year, FSC UK Forest Standards Manager Dr Owen Davies, was invited to speak with students at Bangor University about FSC forest management certification. Owen, himself a Bangor forestry alumnus (BSc Forestry 2001, PhD Forestry 2007), ran two sessions for undergraduate and postgraduate forestry students.
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fter a general introduction to forest management certification, he spoke about some issues specific to the FSC system, such as FSC pesticides policy and controlled wood, with plenty of time for questions and answers. “It was terrific to see how engaged the students were,” says Owen. “Both the undergraduate and postgraduate groups asked some really insightful questions. “It was also great to see how many recognise the FSC logo! It’s always a pleasure to return to Bangor and to give something back to the university.”
Below: Dr Owen Davies sharing his knowledge with MSc group students
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Dr James Walmsley, Senior Lecturer in Forestry at Bangor, says,
“We are once again very grateful to
Dr Owen Davies for two very engaging guest lectures. The opportunity for our forestry students to meet with professionals such as Owen are immensely valuable and enriching. Likewise, they are a great opportunity for FSC to raise awareness amongst a very talented and engaged groups of students – the forestry practitioners and decision-makers of the future.” Other forestry educational establishments interested in sessions on FSC forest management certification should contact Owen at: owen@fsc-uk.org.
© J. Walmsley
© FC England
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Guest Feature
By Martin Kunz, Executive Secretary of the Fair Rubber Association and member of FSC.
FSC and the Beautiful Game Two thirds of the weight of a regulation size football is made up of the rubber bladder, lamination, and valve (total weight around 280 grams). This, coupled with the fact that over 40 million footballs are sold each year1, means that the case for them being Fairly Traded and responsibly sourced couldn’t be stronger.
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t was in 1998 when I brought the first Fairly Traded footballs to market. At the time, child labour in the stitching of footballs was a hot topic and many of the big sports goods companies reacted to the criticism by locking out under-aged workers. That ended child labour in the industry, but left workers and their families poorer, sometimes even starving. Rather than simply locking out children I set up a scheme where adult ‘stitchers’ got 50% higher wages, health insurance and other benefits.
is made of natural rubber, I was drawn to FSC, and for a number of reasons:
In 2006 I started to look for ways in which footballs could become more environmentally friendly. As the bladder
• FSC already had an audit system in place, therefore no need for yet another (costly) control system.
• There were already a few FSC certified plantations – though none of them had included the sap from the rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis) in their certification; • As the raw material comes from a tree, FSC certification makes a lot of sense; • The FSC criteria include a minimum for social standards;
Having convinced two plantations, one in India, one in Sri Lanka to have their rubber FSC certified, with the buyer paying for the extra audit costs, the first FSC certifications for natural rubber were up and running! The next challenge was to create more demand for these new supply chains, i.e. find other rubber products that could use FSC certified rubber, and other companies to bring such products to market. The first ones were Fairly Traded condoms, followed by mattresses, household gloves and hot water bottles.
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Image credits: © Fair Rubber Association
Fast forward to 2012: The number of companies involved in Fairly Traded rubber had grown to about half a dozen, and it became necessary to structure their efforts: the Fair Rubber Association (FRA) was born. The main purpose of the association is to help disadvantaged workers on rubber plantations, and small rubber farmers, to improve their working and living conditions. Doing so in an environmentally responsible manner is of almost equal importance, not least because consumers who support Fair Trade usually also care about the environment. What’s more, keeping dangerous chemicals out of growing rubber benefits the primary producers, who don’t have to handle them and can access cleaner drinking water, and enjoy a safer working environment. To avoid duplicating audits, the FRA only cooperates with FSC certified suppliers, or, in rare circumstances, those certified under another system. The FRA also offers financial help if a supplier is not yet certified. But the FRA’s main ‘tool’ of support is the Fair Trade Premium, which our members pay on top of the market price for natural rubber. Rubber prices fluctuate, mostly in line with the ups and downs of the car industry (as 70 % of rubber goes into tyres). Oil prices matter too. At lower quality levels, synthetic rubber made from fossil fuel can be substituted for natural rubber. For years prices have largely remained low, below the cost of production even.2
needed most. Since the foundation of the FRA, producers have used the premiums to ensure safer drinking water, to set up the first supplementary pension fund for rubber workers in India, to fund payments for higher education, and playgrounds for day-care centres on the plantations. For more information visit: https://www. fairrubber.org/successful-engagement. Sources and footnotes: 1. BTC Trade for Development ‘EU Market for Fair and Sustainable Sports Balls’: http://befair.be/sites/default/ files/all-files/brochure/EU%20market%20for%20fair%20 and%20sustainable%20sports%20balls_1.pdf 2. Rubber achieved an all-time high in 1913 with a price of USD 6.74/kg whereas in 1921 the price had fallen to USD 0.26/kg. In July 2012 the price was, depending on quality, ca. USD 3.13/kg. Recently the price has risen to above USD 2, after having languished around USD 1.50 for years. The fair trade premium for Fairly Traded rubber is 0.50 EUR per kg of Dry Rubber Content (DRC)
The secondary purpose of the association is to ensure that those producing Fairly Traded rubber get to decide what they want to spend the Fair Trade premium on. No donor agency dictates how producers should spend this extra income – they know best what is 17
Product Focus
Fairly Traded FSC Certified Balloons Fair Trade Center FSC Licence Code: FSC®C106603 Product: FSC Certified Balloons Martin Kunz, Executive Secretary of the Fair Rubber Association and member of FSC says,
“The biggest on-going challenge of the
Fair Rubber Association (FRA) is to find new products made from rubber, that are eligible to be included in the fair trade scheme and carry the logo: while rubber is almost ‘everywhere’ in our daily lives, most of its uses are ‘hidden’. For example, there are up to 200 rubber parts in a car - try naming just 10! There is however one easy way to show your support for Fairly Traded rubber and demonstrate your commitment to FSC at the same time: fairly traded FSC certified balloons by Fair Trade Center.”
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Fairly Traded, FSC certified balloons with your brand, can be a fun marketing tool that can be used in displays at fairs, as promotional give-aways, or for any celebration in your company. The minimum order is 10,000 pieces and there are eight great colours to choose from! You can have single or double-sided printing, with 90 days lead time, delivered straight to your address. Cost: Less than 10 pence per balloon which includes the Fair Trade premium. Interested? Visit: www.fairtradecenter.info
© Fair Rubber Association
WOULD YOU LIKE TO FEATURE IN FOREST
MATTERS? Are you an FSC certificate or licence holder in the UK? If so, you can feature your case study, article or product focus in Forest Matters - and it’s FREE! Take advantage of this valuable opportunity to let our readers know about your business, and how holding a certificate or licence benefits both you and the world’s forests!
Basic Guidelines: • Case study or relevant feature: 600 - 800 words and 3 photos • Product Focus: 300 words plus 2 photos
For more information and detailed guidelines, contact us on 01686 413 916 or email info@fsc-uk.org
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Gender Equality
Seeing 2020: Why the Forestry Industry Must Strive for Gender Equality International Women’s Day was celebrated on 8 March, and in this guest special, Chairperson of the FSC International Board of Directors, Rulita Wijayaningdyah describes her first-hand experience of gender equality, and inequality, in the forestry industry.
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t might surprise you to learn that officially the global forestry sector employs some 13.7 million formal workers. This statistic doesn’t surprise me, it actually worries me; because I believe it doesn’t include the large numbers of men and women working ‘informally’ in the industry. Women in particular tend to be offered informal work that is not regulated or secured. Why? Because gender inequality is still widespread in the forestry industry and existing roles for women are poorly supported by current forestry policy. Having first come in contact with the Indonesian forestry industry in 1997, I have seen cross-cutting themes of gender, and
health and safety crop-up time and time again. In my opinion, not enough has been done around the world to move from sporadic dialogue about change to full gender equality strategies that can change the lives of female, and male, forestry workers alike. It is my hope that the few positive examples that do exist will help to move the industry in the right direction.
What is the current issue? Around the world, there are widespread misconceptions that forestry work is too physical or that the environment is too dangerous for women to work in. That, to me, is just an archaic point of view. But despite these perceptions being out-dated, unfortunately there remains a significant gap between what organisations in developed countries are offering in terms of genderbalanced and women-friendly policies, and the state of play in developing countries.
How to bring gender equality to forestry Being Indonesian, and working in the region, means I have first-hand experience of forestry from a developing country’s perspective. Developing countries can learn a lot from developed countries where governments have taken affirmative action in offering education, training, and childcare to working women. 20
Sweden and Norway, for instance, were some of the first countries to discuss gender equality issues in forestry, which led to recognised local policies. In fact, Sweden established several different networks in the 1990s to strengthen female influence in the industry and open channels of communication between female forestry workers. The aim of these networks is also, of course, to raise awareness of responsible forest management. It is clear to me that the road forward should focus on widespread access to education, skills training, and available jobs including management and leadership positions. A lack of access or awareness, combined with the under-representation of women in management positions, means training and job opportunities are either not visible or simply not accessible. In rural areas of developing countries in particular, the dominant assumption is that female forestry workers may not be able to perform the same tasks (and to the same standard) as their male counterparts. And while producing guidance documents and strategies to address employment and gender equality issues won’t solve the problem overnight, they will help dispel myths and stereotypes, while formalising, and bettering, the industry. After all, improving working conditions for forest workers across the board – especially the most vulnerable, such as contractors, migrants, women, and youth – will benefit the productivity and sustainability of the sector.
What are the benefits of having more women working in the industry? Gender equality also makes business sense. Just like men, women have many personality traits and assets to bring to the table – for example, it’s proven that women are more likely to be diplomatic and empathetic in their communications style. This can drive efficiencies, and what’s more, the recently reported decline in the number of people working in the industry could be reversed if women could train for, and apply for, nonadministrative jobs.
is a strong step in the right direction. Not because it’s the first criteria to address the issue, but because it is the most specific. It’s a step towards encouraging and enforcing gender equality in forestry, by offering specific strategies for standard development groups, trade unions, and organisations to adopt and adapt. By addressing gender issues in forestry at a global level in 2016 – almost twenty years since I began work in Indonesia – my hope is that by 2020, the image of the forestry industry could drastically improve. By that time, I’d too like to be surprised: but not at the volume of workers in forestry, but in how far we’ve come to implement full gender equality strategies.
About the author Rulita Wijayaningdyah: A forester by training, Rulita has been working with forestry workers unions since 1998. In this role, she has witnessed how illegal logging and unsustainable forestry have led to the rapid decline of Indonesian wood industries and to massive layoffs. With that experience in mind, she aims to ensure that forest certification and sustainable management are included in her trade union agenda. You can find more information about Rulita and her role as the Chairperson of the International Board of Directors of FSC here: https://ic.fsc.org/en/news/id/1460
This article was originally published in ‘Root of the Matter’ - Thoughts from FSC’s Director General, Kim Carstensen:
To me, the newly released FSC Guidance Document on Promoting Gender Equality in National Forest Stewardship Standards Image credits: © FSC GD / Vlad Sokhin; FSC GD / Christain Irrang; FSC GD
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Trademark Use
Have Your Say on the FSC Label The FSC Trademark Standard for Certificate Holders (FSCSTD-50-001) is being revised and consultation on the second draft opened on 1 March 2017.
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his standard addresses the use of the FSC trademarks in both onproduct and promotional (off-product) applications. As such, the revision is relevant to certificate holders throughout the supply chain and may also be of interest to uncertified brand-owners, retailers and wider stakeholders. • Do you have a view on the minimum size of the label and on which elements should be mandatory? • Are you happy submitting intended trademark use to your certification body for approval or would you prefer an alternative system that allowed you manage your own trademark use? • Would you like to promote your FSC certified status on business cards? • Should uncertified brands and retailers be allowed to use their licence codes on labels applied by their certified suppliers?
• Do the proposed changes streamline the trademark requirements to enhance and ease the labelling and promotion of FSC certified products? In order for FSC to make informed decisions about this standard, it is vital to have input from the full range of stakeholders and we encourage you to visit the consultation platform and have your say. The consultation is open until 30 April 2017.
Registration for webinars FSC is holding online webinars for interested stakeholders to encourage participation and facilitate the review process. The webinar dates are as follows:
• 23 March 2017 (2 - 3 PM) • 29 March 2017 (8 - 9 AM) • 5 April 2017 (11 AM - 12 PM) To register for the webinars visit: http://bit. ly/2mCa16v.
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© FSC IC
© FSC UK
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Key Update
FSC Revokes Probation and Disassociates from the Schweighofer Group Effective as of 17 February 2017, FSC has decided to revoke the Schweighofer Group’s (FSC®C132602) probation status and disassociate from the group. This decision was taken by FSC’s International Board of Directors after additional information about possible violation of timber measurement standards, which will require further Policy for Association investigation to determine scope and impact, was brought to the board’s attention. FSC considers that initiating an additional investigation is not compatible with maintaining the probation status of the company. The board also considered that these allegations, if confirmed, could carry an increased risk that products not complying with FSC standards and policies might be traded through supply chains under a prolonged probation status, a situation that is considered unacceptable for the organisation. The Schweighofer Group has informed FSC that it accepts the decision and recognises it as an effective signal to meet stakeholder expectations and encourage their engagement and has consequently decided to terminate its certificates with immediate effect as a way of demonstrating its acceptance and commitment to the FSC Policy for Association. FSC recognises Schweighofer’s efforts during the past three months to develop a preliminary plan of corrective action and encourages it to use this work to continue discussions and to develop a roadmap to end the disassociation. Depending on the outcome of Schweighofer’s
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progress, the Board of Directors could consider a gradual approach to re-association for the group’s mills outside of Romania. “FSC will begin to build a permanent presence in Romania to effectively engage with its members and stakeholders to secure the right mechanisms, such as the establishment of a dedicated solutions forum, to identify long term solutions to the challenges of responsible forest management in the country. To this effect it will engage in a constructive dialogue with the Schweighofer Group and all relevant stakeholders in the country,” says Kim Carstensen, FSC Director General. More information: https://ic.fsc.org/en/ stakeholders/dispute-resolution/current-cases/ holzindustrie-schweighofer-hs.
Key Update
Holzforschung Austria Reinstated for FSC CoC Certification Worldwide Effective 17 February 2017, Accreditation Services International (ASI) has lifted the suspension of FSC-accredited certification body Holzforschung Austria (HFA). With reinstatement, the company is again qualified to conduct FSC Chain of Custody (CoC) certification worldwide. Currently, HFA has issued approximately 135 CoC certificates. HFA had been suspended on October, 21 2016 following the company’s inability to resolve major non-conformities with FSC accreditation standards. After close evaluation, ASI concluded that these issues have been resolved satisfactorily by the certification body and has proceeded to lift the suspension. With the reinstatement, FSC expects HFA to scrupulously maintain the high standards demanded of certification bodies.
For any questions or comments please contact ASI at info@accreditation-services.com.
Stay updated with latest news releases by visiting our website: www.fsc-uk.org
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Just for Fun
Guess the product! Can you work out what FSC certified product is shown in the photo? Tweet your suggestions to @FSCUK using the hashtag #GuessFSC.
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Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) UK is a charity dedicated to promoting responsible forestry. For more information about FSC UK: www.fsc-uk.org info@fsc-uk.org The Billiard Room, Town Hall, Great Oak Street Llanidloes Powys, SY18 6BN 01686 413916
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Guess the product image: © FSC UK / M.Crossick; Cover image: © Vincent Wildlife Trust
FSC in numbers 2,359 Chain of Custody certificates in the UK 1,622,856 hectares of FSC certified forest in the UK 31,901 Chain of Custody certificates worldwide 194.395 million hectares of FSC certified forest worldwide Latest figures from FSC IC. Correct as of 13 Mar 2017. The full list of figures can be viewed at https://ic.fsc.org/en/facts-figures
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