Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 10.2
Indicators for plantations for each of the criteria of the International FSC Standard,
according to the National Dutch FSC Standard (FSC/NL 2004; see also www.fscnl.org)
International criterion
Dutch indicators (summarized)
1
The objectives of the plantation shall be explicitly stated in the manage-
ment plan and demonstrated in its implementation
2
Plantations not established on land with high natural values
No negative effect on adjacent forests
Areas with high natural values are identified and recorded on maps
Mosaics of stands must be identified in the management plan
3
Plantations smaller than 25 hectares consist at least of two tree species;
larger plantations are drivers in species composition and age
Individual forest stands should not exceed two hectares
4
No species planted on a large scale, unless proven well-adapted, non-
invasive and without negative ecological impacts
For exotic species proof of monitoring must be available
5
At least 10 percent of plantation is planted with native species
At least five percent of the plantation will not be harvested
6
Management plan shall describe measures taken for soil and water con-
servation
7
Proof of monitoring available of pests, diseases, fire and invasive plants;
evidence of measures taken against these
Aim to control pests without chemical pesticides and fertilizers
Chemical pesticides and fertilizers only permitted if no biological alter-
natives available or effective; manager must prove the need
8
Monitoring of negative effects on plantation and its surroundings
Management plan shall include impacts of plantation on local welfare
and social wellbeing
9
Only recent forests (planted after 1975) can qualify as plantation, older
plantations are regarded as multifunctional forests
Note: This does not replace the requirement that plantations should not
be converted from natural forest after 1994
10.8
Barriers Towards Forestry Certification in Developing
Countries
As already indicated in Section 10.5, the development of forest certification in
developing countries lags behind the industrialized countries. The FSC systems and
the connected MTCC system are the only ones to have third party verification to
deal with certification in developing countries.
In developing countries barriers do exist for forestry certification and a lack of
demand for certified timber products is a major constraint. An overview, based
mainly on Molnar (2003) is given below of the main barriers, focusing on the role of
smallholder tree growers in particular. First, there are policy and regulatory barriers
to the extraction and processing of forest products. In this context it is important to
point to the first principle of FSC, which requires compliance with existing laws. In
particular, problems can lie in the prohibition of all logging in protected areas. Of
course, a well functioning prohibition of these areas should be the ultimate aim, but
many protected forests suffer from serious problems with illegal logging. In such
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