Why should you care?

There has been much criticism of chain of custody certification programs, and while they are not perfect tools for ensuring effective and sustainable forest management, they are effective tools, and this study found that the certification programs did in fact lead to more effective forestry management. It was also interesting that the two programs led to some different types of organizational changes, “with FSC firms required to make more environmental/forest management changes and SFI firms required to make more economic/system changes.” Conclude the study’s authors, “Competing certification systems still allow firms and landowners a choice, which they can base on philosophy, but know that either system they choose is likely to achieve their objectives and contribute to improved forest management.” So the emphasis should be on improving and making more rigorous these programs, not cynically dismissing them as greenwash.

For more Two Sides facts see www.twosides.us/mythsandfacts.