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 />
“In addition, forest certification programs have generated significant opportunities for public<br />
participation, exchange <strong>and</strong> learn<strong>in</strong>g among <strong>in</strong>dustrial, environmental <strong>and</strong> social organizations<br />
<strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>digenous peoples. For <strong>in</strong>stance, forest certification has led to a much<br />
greater underst<strong>and</strong><strong>in</strong>g of the role of ancient, old-growth <strong>and</strong> other highconservation-value<br />
forests.”<br />
2.4 Community managed forests<br />
Many researchers have put a focus on the issue of community forest management s<strong>in</strong>ce the<br />
early time of <strong>FSC</strong>. Accord<strong>in</strong>g to the International Tropical Timber Organization ITTO (2007) 222 ,<br />
there has been a doubl<strong>in</strong>g of community-owned <strong>and</strong> adm<strong>in</strong>istered forest l<strong>and</strong>s <strong>in</strong> develop<strong>in</strong>g<br />
countries <strong>in</strong> the past 20 years. Trends <strong>in</strong>dicate that there will be a further doubl<strong>in</strong>g by 2020, to<br />
a total of 700 million hectares of natural forest worldwide, <strong>and</strong> community forestry enterprises<br />
now employ over 110 million people, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>digenous people <strong>and</strong> other forest dwellers,<br />
harvest<strong>in</strong>g both wood <strong>and</strong> NTFPs <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g nuts, res<strong>in</strong>s, honey, fibers, bamboo <strong>and</strong> medic<strong>in</strong>al<br />
herbs. Community management of forests is regarded as an effective policy <strong>in</strong>strument for<br />
more equitable village-level economic development for forest peoples, <strong>and</strong> protect<strong>in</strong>g forest<br />
environmental services. A survey of 25 of the world's 30 most-forested countries by the Rights<br />
<strong>and</strong> Resources Initiative (2008) 223 shows that, between 2002 <strong>and</strong> 2008, the area of forest<br />
owned by governments decl<strong>in</strong>ed from 80% to 73% of the global forest estate, cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g a<br />
longer-term trend. At the same time, the area of forest owned by or designated for the use of<br />
local communities <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>digenous peoples <strong>in</strong>creased.<br />
The International Labor Organization (ILO) observed (e.g. <strong>in</strong> 2001) that work<strong>in</strong>g conditions,<br />
basic salaries <strong>and</strong> worker health <strong>and</strong> safety are often worse <strong>in</strong> small forest enterprises than <strong>in</strong><br />
222 Johnson, S. (2007): Tropical Forest Update 17/2, Editorial. ITTO, 2007<br />
223 Sunderl<strong>in</strong>, William D.; Hatcher, Jeffrey <strong>and</strong> Liddle, Megan (2008): From Exclusion to Ownership? Challenges<br />
<strong>and</strong> opportunities <strong>in</strong> advanc<strong>in</strong>g forest tenure reform. Rights <strong>and</strong> Resources Initiative.<br />
http://www.rights<strong>and</strong>resources.org/~rightsan/publication_details.php?publicationID=790 (as of August 2008)<br />
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