European Tropical Forest Research Networketfrn home
(Contents)

BACKGROUND REPORT

CERTIFICATION OF FOREST PRODUCTS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES:
IMPROVING ACCESS - ISSUES AND OPTIONS

Final Report

Project Purpose:
  1. To identify the problems faced by small businesses (both forest managers and wood users) wishing to participate in independent certification of forests and forest products.
  2. To propose outline methodologies which could be developed to overcome the barriers to certification which exist and/ or are perceived to exist for small businesses.

The report can be downloaded in either Rich Text format (527 kb) or in PDF-Format PDF-Format (194kb) (to be read with acrobat reader). If Acrobat Reader is not installed on your PC you can download Acrobat Reader 4.05 here.

United KingdomDepartment for International Development (DFID)
Renewable Natural Resources Knowledge Strategy (RNRKS)
Forestry Research Programme (FRP) pre-project ZF0083

RNRKS Programme Purpose and Topic: (b) Artisans, traders and small-scale entrepreneurs, Topic 1.3 Certification

Principal Investigator: Hannah Scrase, Forest Stewardship Council UK Co-ordinator
Address and Telecom: FSC-UK, Unit D, Station Building, Llanidloes, Powys, SY18 6EB, Great Britain, Tel/fax: +44 (0) 1686 412176, email: FSC@fsc-uk.demon.co.uk
Collaborators / Research Team: Matthew Wenban Smith (Soil Association Woodmark), Neil Judd (SGS Forestry, QUALIFOR), Sophie Higman (SGS Forestry, QUALIFOR), Rod Nelson (Soil Association Woodmark) and Jon Jickling (Rainforest Alliance SmartWood)
Date of final revision: 8th September 1999

Top of page
Contents
1. Summary        
2. Introduction        
 2.1 Independent certification of forest management        
2.2 Specific concerns of small businesses        
2.3 Scope of this study        
2.4 Other Related Work        
3. Study Methods        
 3.1 Data collection        
3.1.1 Questionnaire survey        
3.1.2 Certification body reviews        
3.1.3 Review of press cuttings and correspondence
3.1.4 Telephone Interviews
3.2 Analysis
3.3 Limitations of the data        
4. Findings - Issues raised        
 4.1 Overview        
4.1.1 Survey Response
4.1.2 Main Findings
4.2 Detailed findings
4.2.1 Cost
4.2.2 Difficulties with the standards required
4.2.3 Documentation and administration
4.2.4 Supply and demand
4.2.5 Group Certification
4.2.6 Information / Knowledge gap
4.3 Weighing up the benefits
4.3.1 Premia        
4.3.2 Other benefits        
4.4 Miscellaneous and beyond the scope of this study        
5. Summary of recommendations        
 5.1 Small wood certification programme        
5.2 Markets for certified products        
5.3 Group certification – Models that work        
5.4 External support        
6. Specific project recommendations        
 6.1 Developing and testing a certification programme for small forests        
6.2 Models for cost effective chain of custody certification        
6.3 Small business guide to market opportunities for certified products        
6.4 Models for simplified group certification        
6.5 Development of practical field materials        
6.6 Assisting small businesses to benefit from certification        
7. References        
 8. Appendices        
 8.1 Appendix No. 1: Survey questionnaire        
8.2 Appendix No.2: Certification body review matrices        
8.3 Appendix No.3: Reported Barriers to certification: