ANNOUNCEMENTS
Forest Certification is beneficial to the communities residing in or dependent on forests for their sustenance. It is also beneficial for the laborers working for certified companies because it protects workers rights. It will lead to the environment improvement as it will stop illegal logging. It is expected to benefit SMEs in the short run in terms of increasing market access. However, its long run impact on SMEs will be based on a number of factors like expansion of Forest Certification and cannot be determined beforehand. Forest Certification provides large companies an environment friendly way to fulfill their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). It is therefore an important practice looking at welfare implications.
However, forest certification, especially FMU certification is still at an initial stage in India and needs to be encouraged. If India is to increase its exports of wooden products in future, it is imperative that the supply of certified goods is increased. To implement this, certified wood needs to be readily made available in India. Government has a major role to play in this regard, wherein, its role might be the deciding factor for expansion of certification in India.
