From the forest to the consumer - GVces - Fundação Getulio Vargas

Forest Certification (PEFC), an international NGO dedicated to promoting sustainable
forest management that endorses 32 national certifications systems.
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an independent association of
groups and NGOs associated with forestry that provides social and environmental
certification. It follows less strict rules than Cerflor but it has developed
a strong reputation internationally. “Demand for the FSC label will increase
as we see progress in the concession of public forests to private companies,”
says Leonardo Sobral, an engineer with the Institute for Forest and Agricultural
Management and Certification (Imaflora), an FSC accredited certification body
(see chapter 4). The public concession of forests ensures land tenure, long-term
production and thus, contributes to combat predatory activities. Certified lumber
from sustainable management may substitute lumber from illegal wood in
national and international markets. By getting certified, producers commit to
improvements that may lead to reduced costs and increased productivity, thus
enhancing the economic viability of forest management.
In 1997, Amazonas-based Madeireira Mil was the first sawmill to get FSC
certification for low impact timber production in the Amazon. Nowadays there
are 1.2 million hectares in the region producing timber from native trees with
an FSC label, but the potential for certification is still large. In many cases the
certification goes beyond the forest and ensures social and environmental attributes
throughout the supply chain until the product reaches the consumer.
There is increasing interest in certification by manufacturers and retailers – lacking
an increase in the certification of native forests, there will be a shortage
of products to supply them.
“Economic growth, Brazil’s growing exposure to international markets and
the prospect of large public works for the Olympic Games and the World Cup
are bringing certified lumber products to the attention of civil construction,”
says Sobral. In anticipating changes, the FSC has recently resumed its campaign
in Brazil. “The appreciation of the Brazilian real against the dollar affects the
export business and opens up opportunities in the domestic market, which is a
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