FAO and IKEA of Sweden recently agreed to begin working together on a forestry certification initiative aimed at promoting the sustainable management of forest plantations and empowering forest-reliant communities in Viet Nam.
Following the signing today of a cooperation agreement by Anders Hildeman, Global Forestry Manager for IKEA of Sweden, and FAO's Assistant-Director General for Forestry, Eduardo Rojas-Briales, the two organizations will undertake an initial analysis to evaluate options for advancing forest certification schemes and sustainable forest management in Northern Vietnam.
Certification provides a mechanism for monitoring the sustainability of forest management and for tracing timber and other forest products through supply chains to ensure they were produced and handled responsibly and in compliance with the law.
Good forest certification schemes also seek to monitor the social and economic well-being of forest workers and communities, promoting their equitable access to international markets.
To gain certification, products are evaluated according to an independent, third-party standard. Those that meet the standard earn a "stamp of approval" or "ecolabel" so that purchasers and consumers know they were produced in a legal, sustainable and socially responsible way.
