|
|
East Africa Forest Certification Initiative (EAFCI)
Forest Certification is a process by which stakeholders agree and commit themselves to maintaining defined forest management standards, as verified by independent certifying bodies duly accredited nationally and internationally. Essentially, the process entails verification by an independent certifying body that a forest is managed according to agreed ecological, economic and social criteria. Forest certification has rapidly eveolved in the last decade as a market-based "soft" policy instrument for promoting sustainable forest management, which relies on assessing and monitoring of set standards, criteria and indicators to demonstrate progress. |
|
ELCI & the East Africa Forest Certification Initiative
Although the region is not richly endowed with forest resources as some other parts of Africa, the existing forests play vital ecological, economic and livelihood roles which the countries have fully recognized and resolved to strengthen. All the countiries in the region have reviewed their national forest programmes with considerable emphasis being given to adoption of sustainable forest management approaches and all the countries have in principle, committed themselves to the transition to the current status of forest mismanagement to sustainable forest management (SFM). Although there is awareness on the need to develop criteria and indicators (C & I) for sustainable forest management, the countires are yet to develop and adopt their (C & I) for management of their forest as would be required for their national certification schemes. |
|
It was against this background that three development agencies supported an intiative in the year 2002 on capacity building for forest certification in Eastern African countires. ELCI was requested to serve as a regional focal point.
Objectives of the Programme
To encourage and sustain networking for exchange of experiences in forest certification within and among Eastern African countries
Soft Policy
As a soft policy that aims at promoting sustainable management of forests or simply good forest managemnet practice, forest certification can,
 Open international market for tropical wood and wood products
Help achieving improved forest management by incorporating environmental, social and economic goals
Serve as a tool for control, management and evaluation
Be used as a communication tool to promote quality forest management-in teaching, training and education resource.
Be used as a tool for human resource development, i.e, for proffessionals related to forestry
Be used to promote biodiversity and ecological management approaches i.e to promote endemic species and heterogeneous forest stands.
Be used to effectively and efficiently implement social and community forestry programmes
Improve the image of forestry
Improve social investments, i.e creating more job opportunities
Improve a countires credibility for future financial support
Contribute to the bridging of gaps between conservation and development
Help in forest campaigns for members of society and industry to participate in forest conservation
Be used as a tool to ensure sustainable supply of raw material for the forestry sector
Help to ensure high productivity in plantations and thus reduce pressure on natural forests
Help in facilitating compliance to international treaties and conventions |
|
Status of Forest Certification in East Africa
The management of both natural and plantation forest is increasingly facing many challenges in East African countries. Poor management and illicit felling of trees, illegal settlements and general encroachment on forest has reduced productivity and area covered by forest in the region. Forest certification could prove to be an important tool in the efforts to reverse the degradation trend and to promote sustainable forest management. Although initiatives in certification are still being explored in the region some noteworthy steps in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
Kenya
A wood carving initiative is looking into possibilities of eco-labelling of good woods to promote the marketing of wood carving products. Pre-assessment for FSC certification has been done
Tanzania
Three private plantations, Kilombero Valley Teak Company (KVTC), Escarpment Forest Company (EFC) and Tanganyika Wattel initiated efforts to certify some of its forest.
KVTC is actively exploring opportunuties for its forests to be certified according to International Standards Organization (ISO). The EFC has benefited significantly from the process of carbon offset certification under the CDM of the Kyoto Protocol |
Uganda
In the forestry sector some people have taken training on forest certification. Moreover the Uganda Wildlife Authority (FACE-UWA Project) has approached the Forest Steward Council (FSC) to certify forest in Kibale and
Mt Elgon
Natinal Parks through SGS Uganda |
|
