FSC reflected in scientific and professional literature

2. Impact in and beyond the forest: 2.3 Social effects
“In addition, forest certification programs have generated significant opportunities for public
participation, exchange and learning among industrial, environmental and social organizations
and indigenous peoples. For instance, forest certification has led to a much
greater understanding of the role of ancient, old-growth and other highconservation-value
forests.”
2.4 Community managed forests
Many researchers have put a focus on the issue of community forest management since the
early time of FSC. According to the International Tropical Timber Organization ITTO (2007) 222 ,
there has been a doubling of community-owned and administered forest lands in developing
countries in the past 20 years. Trends indicate that there will be a further doubling by 2020, to
a total of 700 million hectares of natural forest worldwide, and community forestry enterprises
now employ over 110 million people, including indigenous people and other forest dwellers,
harvesting both wood and NTFPs including nuts, resins, honey, fibers, bamboo and medicinal
herbs. Community management of forests is regarded as an effective policy instrument for
more equitable village-level economic development for forest peoples, and protecting forest
environmental services. A survey of 25 of the world's 30 most-forested countries by the Rights
and Resources Initiative (2008) 223 shows that, between 2002 and 2008, the area of forest
owned by governments declined from 80% to 73% of the global forest estate, continuing a
longer-term trend. At the same time, the area of forest owned by or designated for the use of
local communities and indigenous peoples increased.
The International Labor Organization (ILO) observed (e.g. in 2001) that working conditions,
basic salaries and worker health and safety are often worse in small forest enterprises than in
222 Johnson, S. (2007): Tropical Forest Update 17/2, Editorial. ITTO, 2007
223 Sunderlin, William D.; Hatcher, Jeffrey and Liddle, Megan (2008): From Exclusion to Ownership? Challenges
and opportunities in advancing forest tenure reform. Rights and Resources Initiative.
http://www.rightsandresources.org/~rightsan/publication_details.php?publicationID=790 (as of August 2008)
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