(Eds: Dropping words from intro)New Delhi, Jan 13 (PTI) The Forest ManagementCertification Standard (FMCS) was launched today with an aimto bring a shift towards responsible utilisation of naturalresources and trade of forest products.
The Network for Certification and Conservation of Forests(NCCF) in association with the ministries of environment,agriculture, commerce and industry, textiles and leadingindustry bodies and companies launched the standard.
An NCCF statement, while elaborating on the need for thestandard, said that forest resource has been under strainprimarily because of two reasons--commercial use of wood anddeforestation due to changes in land use.
Till now, two approaches were adopted--the 'top-down'approach wherein government formulated and implementedpolicies and the 'bottom-up' approach which was more of aparticipatory approach to protect forests.
However, ineffectiveness of both had led to a thirdapproach--forest certification.
"It introduces policy changes through commercial power,rather than central or local power, and uses market acceptancerather than regulatory compliance as an enforcementmechanism," the statement said.
It added that, besides this, regulations from developedcountries like Lacey Amendment Act, 2008 (USA), European UnionTimber Regulation (EUTR), Forest Law Enforcement in Governanceand Trade (FLEGT), Logging Prohibition Act, 2011 (Australia)and others had put a ban on commerce of illegally sourcedplants and their products, including timber and paper.
Majorly, it had fuelled the need for legalising ofsourcing through forest certification in the recent past, thestatement said.
"The domestic certification scheme took three years ofrigorous process, several rounds of discussions, regionalconsultation workshops and pilot testing to give its finalshape.
"The standard provides flexibility in addressingvariability in forests and biodiversity, provides traceabilityand legality mechanism thus control in illegal felling,ensures responsible trade both from buyer side and supplierside, among others," NCCF chairman Vijai Sharma said.
The National Certification Scheme for Sustainable ForestManagement was also launched today. PTI TDS SLBAAR.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.