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Certification and Labelling as a New Tool for Sustainable Forest Management
Abstract
Sustainable management of the world's forests has emerged as a major forestry issue on the international agenda. Certification and labelling have caught the attention of the international community as a tool to bring forest management toward sustainability. Certification is the third party assessment of a product or service to show that it is in compliance with a specific standard. In-depth interviews were used in this study of Victorian timber industry stakeholders to determine their current views on certification and labelling. It was found that knowledge levels of certification and labelling varied enormously among respondents. Those with the greatest knowledge see the introduction of certification and labelling as being inevitable if overseas markets are to be maintained. Those with a lesser knowledge displayed tentative support for the concept. All stakeholders envisage that when used appropriately, this tool will lead to improved forest management practices by increasing the pressure on producers to use acceptable and environmentally sound procedures within the forest management unit. Results of this study indicate that many stakeholders believe in the potential of certification and labelling, but at this stage express a variety of viewpoints as how to best go about it. In order for certification and labelling to be appropriate workable tools for sustainable forest management in Victoria, mechanisms for its implementation need to be pursued. Furthermore, the use of certification and labelling as marketing tools will depend on such issues as the effectiveness of product labelling and consumers' willingness to pay.
... Certification and labelling of forest products offer some important parallels for agriculture, including how "the proliferation of labelling schemes threatened to confuse both producers and consumers" and the way in which international standards or principles are interpreted and refined at the national or regional scale. The concerns of stakeholder involved in the forest industry in Victoria have been documented (Wallis, et al 1997) but despite these concerns certification is happening! ...
Australian agricultural industries must generate credible systems for managing their
environmental effects, and for measuring and communicating their environmental
performance. Failing this, they risk the imposition of harsher regulation, missing market
opportunities, and conveying a negative image to the public.
The use of independent certification systems and/or systematic approaches to managing
the environment could assist rural industries respond to environmental challenges and is
likely to improve market opportunities.
Individual producers or entire industries should no longer expect government, peak
industry bodies, processors or marketing boards to do their PR on environmental issues.
Markets are seeking assurance and verification of quality claims, including claims
regarding environmental impacts of production in very specific ways.
Claims need to be authenticated. Verification systems require "chain of custody" or audit
trails from paddock to plate to be credible, as well as rigorous and detailed systems
setting targets and for measuring environmental effects.
Internationally recognised certification systems use independent inspection and auditing
procedures to provide assurances on the environmental credentials of a diverse range of
products, marketed around the world. In the primary industries, there are systems for
certifying forestry, fisheries and organic agricultural products.
There are now also generic standards - ISO 14000 - for implementing environmental
management systems. These are applicable to a wide range of industries.
Environmental management systems (EMS) are methodical approaches to organising
the planning, implementation and review of an organisation's or business's attempts to
manage its impacts on the environment. They aim to achieve "continuous improvement"
using a "plan, act, monitor and review" cycle - adaptive environmental management
within the commercial sphere.
Australian agricultural industries have the opportunity of learning from efforts to develop
certification systems in fisheries, forestry and organic farming. They can also learn from
the adoption of EMS to ISO 14000 standards across a range of other industries.
Governments have an international obligation to support and develop capacity in
environmental management and reporting. Australian governments can harness the
power of the market to generate improved environmental outcomes, but concerted efforts
that are relevant to, and have the support of, the private sector are necessary.
... Given that other research has shown that forest products consumers are sensitive to price (Anderson and Hansen 2004b), it is somewhat surprising that price was the least important attribute for both New Zealand and Australian consumers. In New Zealand some research has suggested that consumers are willing to pay a price premium for environmentally certified wood products (Ozanne et al. 1999); however, in Australia the limited research that has been conducted would indicate low demand for certified timber and no willingness to pay a premium (Forest and Wood Product Research and Development Corporation 1997, Wallis et al. 1997). In the three studies conducted in New Zealand and Australia, however, consumers were asked to evaluate their willingness to pay more for environmentally certified wood products in isolation from other product information. ...
The relative importance to New Zealand consumers of five different wood outdoor furniture attributes was studied using conjoint and cluster analyses through a mail survey that was implemented in July 2000. The results indicate that the most important attribute for New Zealand consumers is the source of the wood (New Zealand preferred to imported). The next most important attributes are the type of forest from which the wood is sourced (plantation preferred to natural forest), whether the wood was environmentally certified or not, and the length of the warranty (longer warranty preferred). Price was the least important attribute, with a lower price being preferred. When this general result was broken down using cluster analysis, four market segments for outdoor furniture in New Zealand were identified. Two of the market segments have environmental considerations as key attributes, either in the form of preferences for explicit environmental certification or for implicit certification in the form of a preference for plantation-sourced wood. One segment was found to be price sensitive with a lower price as the key attribute. The final segment showed a New Zealand source as the key attribute and was also somewhat price sensitive. In terms of profiling these segments, results indicate that typical demographic variables do not provide an adequate basis of description.
... The increasing importance of SFM C&I as tools for policy and management at national and regional scales is underscored by the fact that national inventory systems are now being adapted to directly support C&I assessment (Barker et al., 1996;Reams et al., 1999). Similarly, extension of SFM C&I to the level of forest management units (e.g., the operations level) for certification of management practices, forests, and forest products also has received considerable attention in the past few years from the Forest Stewardship Council and similar organizations (Burger, 2000a(Burger, , 2000bSips, 1997;Wallis et al., 1997). ...
Decision support systems have played a prominent role in the implementation of forest management since the early 1980s. However, whereas early systems were typically designed to address relatively simple management questions, more modern systems are increasingly being called upon to address the challenges posed by issues surrounding forest ecosystem management, sustainable forest management, and adaptive management. This paper considers some of the key requirements as they apply to forestry in the United States, and reviews recent decision support system designs in the United States, considering the extent to which they are satisfying the requirements, and opportunities for their continued evolution. The three systems discussed, NED, LMS, and EMDS, are typical of recent approaches to system design insofar as each has taken an evolutionary approach to system implementation in order to develop effective, integrated decision support for forest management in this new, complex problem domain. On considering the current state of system development for the three systems, it is concluded that significant progress has, in fact, been made in the last few years in providing support for evaluation and planning, although it is equally true that substantial opportunities remain for continued development to support plan implementation and forest ecosystem monitoring. Published by Elsevier B.V.
... The pursuant imbroglio saw criticism of: the methodology used by the CfD, the sustainability of the State governments' hardwood harvesting policies and practices, scrutinizing of the relative merits of two different timber certifi cation schemes, and accusations regarding restrictive trade practices. 12 This issue was resolved by the recognition of certifi ed timbers (Wallis et al. 1997) in the EcoSelector, although it is interesting to note that while FSC timbers are specifi ed, AFS timbers are "allowed" but not yet specifi ed. 13 In a return to the original brief for the Aurora Materials Selector, the idea of life-cycle assessment is now fi rmly back on the table, 14 with a working group examining the issue from an industry-wide perspective, not just that of one project. ...
This paper argues that within the context of the building sector, inter-organizational relationships are determinants of innovation. To explain the workings of these relationships and their dialectical nature, an evolutionary social learning model is proposed that draws on Vygotsky's (1978) developmental psychology, Bourdieu's (1977) concept of habitus, and Wittgenstein's (1958) insights. A case study of the development of a tool designed to make builders select more sustainable building materials is analyzed to illustrate how the social learning model developed here allows an understanding of innovation. The EcoSelector was the tool developed to guide the builders in their selection of materials. The model provides managerial and behavioral insights into groups or individuals seeking to implement innovations in general, and sustainability innovations in particular.
... The pursuant imbroglio saw criticism of; the methodology used by the CfD, the sustainability of the State governments' hardwood harvesting policies and practices, a scrutinising of the relative merits of two different timber certification schemes, and accusations regarding restrictive trade practices 11 . This issue is now resolved through the recognition of certified timbers (Wallis & et al. 1997) by the EcoSelector, although it is interesting to note that while FSC timbers are specified, AFS timbers are 'allowed'. but not, yet 12 , specified. ...
VicUrban, the Victorian state government urban land development agency, is showcasing its sustainability credentials in their new 8000 home Aurora Estate. Aurora will have environmental features which, amongst other initiatives, require the use of materials that are more environmentally sustainable. The EcoSelector was designed to guide the builders in their selection of materials. More or less points are allocated depending on the materials used for the floor structure, framing, wall cladding, roof cladding, fittings and finishes, and landscaping. The builders are required to meet a minimum overall score for a proposed house before it can be approved by VicUrban. The relationship between VicUrban and the builders is critical for VicUrban to succeed in delivering environmental sustainable design (ESD). Cost pressures play a significant role and the people on the ground, often sub-contractors, have little incentive to do any research or development into issues like sustainability. Against this background, the development of the EcoSelector can be seen as an innovation grappling with the market driven limitations of the industry whilst promoting ESD. VicUrban hopes to transform the building industry via demonstration. This paper examines how the relationships between the participants affected the development of the EcoSelector and how this has affected the building industry. As a part of work in progress, a new model is suggested for understanding the relationship between innovation, agency, and structure that ranges across 'silos', drawing on Vygotsky's (1978) developmental psychology, Wittgenstein's (1958) philosophical insights, Bourdieu's (1977) concept of habitus, and evolutionary theory. 1 is a building and landscaping materials selection tool that was developed specifically by the Victorian State Government's land development agency, VicUrban, for their Aurora Estate. Aurora is a staged development, due for completion in 2023, which on completion will comprise 8000 houses. Aurora is VicUrban's sustainability 'showcase'. They define sustainability broadly, having adopted and developed a triple bottom line policy framework. This framework is articulated through VicUrban's Sustainability Charter (VicUrban 2006) which is used to evaluate proposals, design projects, and measure the performance of their developments. The EcoSelector dovetails with the Sustainability Charter addressing the specific issue of the impact of building materials on the environment. The EcoSelector was designed specifically for the Aurora project to provide the builders with information about; the environmental benefits of more sustainable building materials, where to source them, and whether there was a cost difference. The EcoSelector can be seen to address two related phenomena; the way builders think about sustainability and, how they do it, that is the acts and practices of building. Indeed, it is evident in the story of the development of the EcoSelector, described in this paper, that the resolution of these two purposes of the tool, as a means of consciousness raising and/or as a means of changing practice, helped shape how the tool was intended to be used and the manner in which the builders have had to comply to it. The issue concerning the purpose of the EcoSelector, as were other issues discussed by its developers, took place within a particular context that afforded particular constraints and opportunities. These resistances and encouragements define both the 'problems' that the EcoSelector designers sought to address as well as the scope or level of innovation that could be achieved. The constraints included dealing with an industry that is driven by neo-liberal assumptions regarding the operation of markets and consumer choice, as well as being defined by economic pressures that are resolved through Fordist manufacturing and assembling processes. Furthermore, sub-contractual relations
... The pursuant imbroglio saw criticism of the methodology used by the CfD, the sustainability of the State governments' hardwood harvesting policies and practices, a scrutinizing of the relative merits of two different timber certification schemes, and accusations regarding restrictive trade practices. 12 This issue is now resolved through the recognition of certified timbers (Wallis et al. 1997) by the EcoSelector, although it is interesting to note that while FSC timbers are specified, Australian Forestry Standard (AFS) timbers are 'allowed' but not yet specified. 13 In an interesting return to the original brief for the Aurora Materials Selector, the idea of life-cycle assessment is now firmly back on the table with a working group looking at the issue from an industry-wide perspective, not just that of one project. ...
VicUrban, the Victorian state government urban land development agency, is showcasing its sustainability credentials in their new 8000-home Aurora Estate. Aurora will have environmental features which, amongst other initiatives, require the use of materials that are more environmentally sustainable. The EcoSelector was designed to guide the builders in their selection of materials. More or less points are awarded, depending on the materials used for the floor structure, framing, wall cladding, roof cladding, fittings and finishes, and landscaping. The builders are required to meet a minimum overall score for a proposed house before it can be approved by VicUrban. The EcoSelector can be seen as an innovation for sustainability within the volume house building sector. The experiences of the people directly and indirectly involved with the development of the EcoSelector are examined to provide a phenomenological basis for theorizing innovation. Schumpeter's (1934) concept of innovation, while identifying habit as a cause of resistance to innovation, fails to explore the phenomenon socially, relying on explanations based on individual differences. An evolutionary social learning model that draws on Vygotsky's (1978) developmental psychology, Bourdieu's (1977) concept of habitus, and Wittgensteinian (1958) thought is proposed to define innovation, and identify its dialectical form.
... While studies of indicator species proceed, forests continue to be logged, certification of management practices for ecological sustainability will be required under international trade agreements (Wallis et al. 1997), and other types of biodiversity indicators will be needed. A potentially powerful and complementary approach is to focus on management practices per se using what we call structure-based indicators that include (1) stand complexity and plant species composition in logged stands, (2) connectivity, and (3) heterogeneity. ...
The conservation of biological diversity has become one of the important goals of managing forests in an ecologically sustainable way. Ecologists and forest resource managers need measures to judge the success or failure of management regimes designed to sustain biological diversity. The relationships between potential indicator species and total biodiversity are not well established. Carefully designed studies are required to test relationships between the presence and abundance of potential indicator species and other taxa and the maintenance of critical ecosystem processes in forests. Other indicators of biological diversity in forests, in addition or as alternatives to indicator species, include what we call structure-based indicators. These are stand-level and landscape-level (spatial) features of forests such as stand structural complexity and plant species composition, connectivity, and heterogeneity. Although the adoption of practices to sustain (or recreate) key characteristics of forest ecosystems appear intuitively sensible and broadly consistent with current knowledge, information is lacking to determine whether such stand- and landscape-level features of forests will serve as successful indices of (and help conserve) biodiversity. Given our limited knowledge of both indicator species and structure-based indicators, we advocate the following four approaches to enhance biodiversity conservation in forests: (1) establish biodiversity priority areas (e.g., reserves) managed primarily for the conservation of biological diversity; (2) within production forests, apply structure-based indicators including structural complexity, connectivity, and heterogeneity; (3) using multiple conservation strategies at multiple spatial scales, spread out risk in wood production forests; and (4) adopt an adaptive management approach to test the validity of structure-based indices of biological diversity by treating management practices as experiments. These approaches would aim to provide new knowledge to managers and improve the effectiveness of current management strategies.
Resumen: La conservación de la diversidad biológica se ha convertido en una de las metas importantes del manejo de bosques de manera ecológicamente sostenible. Los ecólogos y manejadores de recursos forestales necesitan medidas para juzgar el éxito o el fracaso de los regímenes designados para mantener la diversidad biológica. La relación entre las especies indicadoras potenciales y la biodiversidad total no ha sido bien establecida. Se requiere de estudios diseñados cuidadosamente para determinar las relaciones entre la presencia y abundancia de especies indicadoras potenciales y otros taxones y el mantenimiento de procesos críticos del ecosistema en los bosques. Otros indicadores de diversidad biológica en bosques, además de las especies indicadoras o como alternativas de las mismas, incluyen lo que llamamos “indicadores basados en la estructura”. Estas son características a nivel de rodal y a nivel de paisaje (espacial) del bosque tales como la complejidad estructural del rodal y la composición de especies de plantas, la conectividad y la heterogeneidad. A pesar de que la adopción de prácticas para mantener (o reproducir) las características clave de ecosistemas forestales aparentan ser intuitivamente sensibles y ampliamente consistentes con el conocimiento actual, se carece de información para determinar si dichas características del bosque, a nivel de rodal o de paisaje, servirán como indicadores de la biodiversidad ( y ayudarán a conservarla). Dado el limitado conocimiento sobre las especies indicadoras y los indicadores basados en estructura, proponemos las siguientes cuatro estrategias para incrementar la conservación de la biodiversidad de los bosques: (1) establecer áreas de prioridad para la biodiversidad ( por ejemplo, reservas) manejadas principalmente para la conservación de la diversidad biológica; (2) dentro de bosques productivos, aplicar indicadores basados en estructura incluyendo la complejidad, la conectividad y la heterogeneidad; (3) dispersar el riesgo en bosques de producción maderera, utilizando estrategias múltiples de conservación a escalas espaciales múltiples; y (4) adoptar una estrategia de manejo adaptable para probar la validez de los índices de diversidad biológica basados en la estructura al tratar a las prácticas de manejo como experimentos. Estas estrategias intentan proveer información nueva a los manejadores y mejorar la efectividad de las actuales estrategias de manejo.
... The increasing importance of SFM C&I as tools for policy and management at national and regional scales is underscored by the fact that national inventory systems are now being adapted to directly support C&I assessment (Barker et al., 1996; Reams et al., 1999). Similarly, extension of SFM C&I to the level of forest management units (e.g., the operations level) for certification of management practices, forests, and forest products also has received considerable attention in the past few years from the Forest Stewardship Council and similar organizations (Burger, 2000aBurger, , 2000b Sips, 1997; Wallis et al., 1997). For purposes of later discussion, it will be helpful to distinguish between DSSs that provide strong versus weak tests for evaluation of SFM. ...
Decision support systems have played a prominent role in the implementation of forest management since the early 1980s. However, whereas early systems were typically designed to address relatively simple management questions, more modern systems are increasingly being called upon to address the challenges posed by issues surrounding forest ecosystem management, sustainable forest management, and adaptive management. This paper considers some of the key requirements as they apply to forestry in the United States, and reviews recent decision support system designs in the United States, considering the extent to which they are satisfying the requirements, and opportunities for their continued evolution. The three systems discussed, NED, LMS, and EMDS, are typical of recent approaches to system design insofar as each has taken an evolutionary approach to system implementation in order to develop effective, integrated decision support for forest management in this new, complex problem domain. On considering the current state of system development for the three systems, it is concluded that significant progress has, in fact, been made in the last few years in providing support for evaluation and planning, although it is equally true that substantial opportunities remain for continued development to support plan implementation and forest ecosystem monitoring.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of environmental management initiatives in the furniture retail area. The specific aim is to present reflections of participants implementing environmental initiatives in an Australian furniture retailer, Living Edge, in alignment with a secondary snapshot of environmental initiatives from other furniture retailers.
Design/methodology/approach
Primary reflections from the retailer’s manager and external consultant, both involved in the implementation of environmental initiatives, are enriched with secondary review of environmental management system trends and examples from regions active in the designer furniture sector, including Europe, Southeast Asia and North America.
Findings
An integrated view has been distilled around environmental impact in the furniture supply chain and consumer pressure to minimise the impact. Stakeholders require furniture retailers to improve efficiency and profitability amid the countervailing market demand for environmental sustainability. Retailers may seek competitive advantage through effectively applied and communicated environmental management. The voluntary adoption of systems, international standards and innovative practices that conserve natural resources are amongst the key to success. A live case example of Australian experience is added to the knowledge base for the global retail furniture industry.
Research limitations/implications
One Australian retailer is exemplified to highlight the lived experiences of implementing environmental initiatives. The secondary global review presents a cross-section rather than an in-depth analysis of furniture sector retailers.
Originality/value
There are limited Australian perspectives of designer furniture and its intersection with environmental issues, thus, the paper addresses this gap in the literature and adds to informed practice in a global industry.
The article provides an overview of the regional assessment and agreement process which is being conducted by the Commonwealth (i.e. federal) and State governments in the major forest regions of Australia. The context of the dominant position of the State in Australian forest management and its consequences are introduced. The acrimonious environmental conflicts over the use of the forests and the difficulties of resolving them led to a national forest policy in 1992 and joint Commonwealth-State regional planning. The processes of regional assessment are described and the difficulties of their hurried execution noted. The inter-governmental agreements which resulted reflect a remarkable transfer of Commonwealth environmental interests to the States and the apparent disabling of its environmental legislation for the forest sector in the regions concerned. They also reflect an apparent intention to maintain and improve the standard of environmental management.
Consumers are becoming interested in the environmental impacts caused by the production, packaging and disposal of the products they purchase and consume. As a result, environmental certification of forest products and forestry practices, part of the more encompassing green movement, is proliferating globally. In response to these environmental concerns, some environmental organizations, retailers and wood products companies have developed a set of standards for wood products that are intended to encourage consumers to purchase wood originating from certified sustainable forests. These efforts are a response to the perception by the general public that most forest practices involving the harvesting of wood do irreversible damage to the environment.
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