FSC reflected in scientific and professional literature
FSC reflected in scientific and professional literature
FSC reflected in scientific and professional literature
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2. Impact <strong>in</strong> <strong>and</strong> beyond the forest: 2.3 Social effects<br />
aspects of the certification process. This f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g, based on operations <strong>in</strong> the Amazon, differs<br />
from Overdevest <strong>and</strong> Rickenbach’s study (2006) 212 of <strong>FSC</strong> certificate holders <strong>in</strong> the<br />
U.S., which found that operations, particularly smaller ones, had not expected nor experienced<br />
much learn<strong>in</strong>g related to the certification process. Perhaps these different perspectives<br />
between U.S. <strong>and</strong> Brazilian certificate holders are due to their dissimilar access to <strong>in</strong>formation<br />
about forest management <strong>and</strong> certification, <strong>and</strong> experiences with the certification<br />
process <strong>in</strong> particular. Indeed, other Lat<strong>in</strong> America-based studies have identified learn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
as a certification benefit for CFEs <strong>in</strong> Mexico, Guatemala, <strong>and</strong> Bolivia.”<br />
Humphries & Ka<strong>in</strong>er 213 state that<br />
“The identified need to adapt the CFE process coupled with the significant appreciation for<br />
the learn<strong>in</strong>g that occurs when certifiers <strong>and</strong> community members get together has <strong>in</strong>spired<br />
us to call for a social learn<strong>in</strong>g approach to CFE certification. Social learn<strong>in</strong>g is def<strong>in</strong>ed<br />
by Schusler et al as “learn<strong>in</strong>g that occurs when people engage one another, shar<strong>in</strong>g<br />
diverse perspectives <strong>and</strong> experiences to develop a common framework of<br />
underst<strong>and</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> basis for jo<strong>in</strong>t action.” Buck et al. clarify that it is the <strong>in</strong>tersection of<br />
learn<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> collaboration that makes social learn<strong>in</strong>g dist<strong>in</strong>ct from learn<strong>in</strong>g that occurs on<br />
an <strong>in</strong>dividual basis or collaboration that does not <strong>in</strong>volve conscious learn<strong>in</strong>g. They<br />
conclude, based on several case studies of social learn<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> collaborative management of<br />
community forests, that social learn<strong>in</strong>g “offers a compell<strong>in</strong>g framework for shar<strong>in</strong>g<br />
experiences <strong>and</strong> ideas for how to improve collaboration <strong>in</strong> natural resources management<br />
to foster <strong>in</strong>stitutional adaptiveness <strong>and</strong> ecological susta<strong>in</strong>ability.” A social learn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
approach may foster mutual learn<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> collaboration between the <strong>FSC</strong>, certifiers, <strong>and</strong><br />
community members, <strong>and</strong> to help achieve their mutual goal of <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g the number of<br />
certified well-managed CFEs. (…)”.<br />
Besides a range of positive <strong>and</strong> negative experiences of the certified communities, Humphries<br />
<strong>and</strong> Ka<strong>in</strong>er are emphasiz<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> conclud<strong>in</strong>g:<br />
“Social learn<strong>in</strong>g provides a framework for multiple stakeholders to collaborate to address<br />
resource management problems through communication, mutual learn<strong>in</strong>g, evaluation, <strong>and</strong><br />
adaption. Critical to this approach is good facilitation <strong>and</strong> the use of platforms that provide<br />
opportunities for more equal participation <strong>and</strong> power-shar<strong>in</strong>g among stakeholders. (…) In<br />
our study site, dialogue <strong>and</strong> learn<strong>in</strong>g is tak<strong>in</strong>g place, but due to differences <strong>in</strong> power <strong>and</strong><br />
212 Overdevest, C. & Rickenbach, M.G. (2006): Forest certification <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>stitutional governance: an empirical study<br />
of forest stewardship council certificate holders <strong>in</strong> the United States. Forest Policy <strong>and</strong> Economics 9(1):93-102.<br />
213 Humphries, Shoana S. & Ka<strong>in</strong>er, Karen A. (2008): ibid<br />
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