Govt considering introduction of forest certification

It is a mechanism for monitoring, tracking and labelling timber, wood and pulp products and non-timber forest products

Government is considering introduction of forest certification as it will help in their sustainable management, a senior official said today.

Forest certification is a mechanism for monitoring, tracking and labelling timber, wood and pulp products and non-timber forest products.

"The government has been conscious of the paradigm shift at national and international level. The Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) has been talking about forest certification and how to go about it. As of now nothing has been concretised and the issue is under consideration," Rekha Pai, Inspector General of Forest, (MoEF) said.

She said discussion was needed on whether to develop India's own certification that is on a par with other certifications or use any third party certification.

"Forest certification will, therefore, also help us to assess sustainable forest management," she said during an event here today.

Sejal Worah, programme director WWF India, maintained that the whole issue of certification was becoming important both globally as well as in India.

She said that there were companies who were producing certified papers and there were those who want these certified papers. The idea is to combine the two and match the supply and demand and see how it moves forward.

"We are trying to encourage the government to adopt global standards of certification. There is a need to push the game and get the process nationally and internationally recognised. The government is moving towards it and we are working with them," Worah added.

In forest certification, the quality of management is judged against a series of agreed standards from environmental, social and economic perspectives.

In India, there are several independent certification bodies and these bodies have to have an independent international certification which is credible.

Officials added that forest certification in India is still in nascent stage. Few of the farm based plantations promoted by industry in India have secured certifications.