Open Knowledge (FSC OK)

Certification of forest management in concessions has risen, with promises of better returns for producers who implement practices preferred by consumers. Evidence about the impact of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certifications also has risen - at least for the tropics. We provide the first rigorous test of FSC impact in boreal forests by examining reductions in both forest and Intact Forest Landscapes (IFL) in Russia's Far East region in 2013-2016 (IFL is computed from forest yet given its spatial definition we see it as a distinct outcome). Forest and IFL shifts are concentrated in 10% of kvartals, i.e., smaller management units. The drop in IFL over this period is a bit smaller in FSC kvartals, though some controls for other factors make that difference insignificant. In contrast, the drop in forest is a bit larger in FSC kvartals, until 2016. Our estimates of FSC impacts could be shifted by controls for more differences between FSC and Non FSC kvartals − e.g., concerning the sites and firms. Our analyses document limited impacts for this initial FSC period, while simultaneously highlighting limits on the available data for sites, firms, dates, outcomes, and other regions.

Resource available under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/). Abstract obtained with permission, to access full article click here: https://docs.merid.org/SITECORE_DOCS/Evaluating Impacts of FSC on Tree-Cover Outcomes within Russia’s Far East Region.pdf