Forest Certification in Developing and Transitioning ... - UTas ePrints

forest certification in guatemala
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be attributed not only to certification, but also to the high quality of the product, confidence
in the producer due to a record of compliance, and the fact that the suppliers
did not require advance payments.
effects of forest certification
The forest certification process has brought about numerous effects, the most significant
of which have been experienced at the level of the management unit, in particular
in the Petén region of Guatemala. It needs to be stressed, however, that advances
towards sustainable forest management in Petén were well underway when certification
emerged in Guatemala. Related processes were supported by various governmental
and non-governmental organizations that realized that forest certification
might help strengthen forest management on the ground. While government agencies
were primarily concerned with forest conservation, many NGOs put emphasis on
technical rather than social aspects of forest management.
Power
Improving the Image of the Forest Sector
The forest sector has traditionally been considered the enemy of forest conservation.
With more than half a million hectares certified, the image of the forest sector has
considerably improved, bringing together representatives from conservation groups
and forest management operations. Given that almost all the areas certified are located
in protected areas, a shift in attitudes has been witnessed in the government agency
administering these areas (CONAP) as well as in environmental NGOs, such as
Conservation International. Their initial opposition towards any intervention in the
forest gave way to a supportive attitude reflected in technical and financial assistance
provided for the certification of community operations.
Greater Security in the Concession Granting Process
Certification has significantly increased acceptance of the concession process in the MBR.
Recent efforts to create a national park in the concession areas would probably gain
momentum if these areas had been degraded by forestry activities. But forest certification
has lent credibility to the sustainable forestry movement, rendering it very difficult for the
government to revoke the forest concessions and establish a national park. In fact, the
very existence of forest concessions is the main argument for rejecting this proposal.
Greater Participation by Community and Private Users in Decision-making
Both individual forest users and the organizations they represent are very active in
certification decision-making fora, thereby gaining momentum in a process to which
until recently they had limited access.
yale school of forestry & environmental studies