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FSC in Russia: 'sustainable forest management' or simply money and politics?

FSC-Watch has been sent the following article by Svetlana Alekseeva, Chief Editor of "Forest Certification". It raises a number of serious questions about the motivation of various 'stakeholders' involved in FSC certifications in Russia.

Students of the history of global forest management and policy will recognise some of the underlying themes and concerns of this article.(http://lestest.net/eng/publications/hcvf-eng )

Over the last 100 years or so, wherever large 'forest frontier' areas come under extensive exploitation, the addition of new (often legal) requirements for 'sustainable forest management' are skillfully used by the larger interests to squeeze out their competitors, enabling them to consolidate their land-holdings and reduce their competitors' market share. For example, the 1975 Pearse Royal Commission on forestry in British Columbia showed how the monopolistic winners in this scramble for land and resources had, through 'sustained yield' policies, consolidated their power to such an extent that they had become largely ungovernable - leading to poor economic returns, poor environmental management, and perversion of public policy making.

Some observers of the FSC have realized the potential for FSC certification to be used in precisely the same way: larger companies can gain a market advantage over their smaller (often local) competitors, by being more able to afford expensive certification; by having the support of international interests; and by being more adept at manipulating (and funding) 'partnerships' with NGOs (who thus bring public credibility). The following article suggests that what we are now witnessing in Russia is the use of the FSC as a mechanism for this kind of consolidation of landholdings and 'market capture' - and it might have little to do with better forest management.

The article also, once again, raises questions about the role of WWF. In a February 2007 statement, WWF claimed that there is a "revolution in Russian forestry", pointing to the exponential rise in the number of FSC certificates issued there. However, one respected Russian forestry expert - who wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals - has told FSC-Watch that "there is no revolution in Russian forestry". Moreover, we are told, "there are contradictions between the FSC's requirements and Russian law".

In February, WWF pointed specifically to the far-eastern Russian company Terneyles, as an exemplar of this new 'revolution', exclaiming "In 2002, Terneyles, the leading timber exporter in the Russian Far East, came under attack by international environmental organizations for logging a virgin forest that is home to endangered tigers. Sensitive to the NGO attacks and pressure from its Japanese trading partner, Sumitomo, which wanted environmentally sourced wood, Terneyles turned to WWF for help. As part of its commitment to FSC certification, the company altered its logging practices to minimize impact in tiger areas...Today, Terneyles is a member of the Russia [Forest and Trade Network], with millions of hectares of its concessions now FSC certified". However, as is rightly pointed out in the article below, Terneyles's certifier, SGS, has failed to produce any reports from its surveillance visits in September 2005 and 2006, in contravention of FSC's requirements. Russian stakeholders, wondering whether WWF's claims for Terneyles are justified, have sought to obtain these reports, but to no avail. The report of a 2006 FSC Secretariat accreditation inspection of SGS's certification of Terneyles has similarly failed to materialise. WWF has not stated publicly how much money it has received from Terneyles for its 'membership' of the WWF Russia Forest and Trade Network.

Far from WWF's misplaced hype about a 'revolution' in forestry, what appears to be taking place is more akin to the shady backroom deals that many Russians now suffer as 'public life' in their country.

2007