Open Knowledge (FSC OK)

Governments' failure to adequately regulate natural resource use to protect environmental values and human rights has led to the development of 'voluntary' certification systems for several commodities. Two systems that have paid most attention to indigenous peoples' rights are the Forest Stewardship Council and the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. This article briefly reviews the effectiveness of these two schemes to uphold indigenous peoples' rights with respect to: the certification standards adopted, especially on land and consent; indigenous peoples' participation in scheme governance and standard-setting; the accountability of scheme members to affected indigenous peoples; mechanisms to provide redress for violations of rights; and the barriers or incentives for indigenous producers to market certified products.