Home page

Mrs. Elena Yakovleva,

Federal Forestry Department (Veliky Novgorod)

What Russian FSC certification means?

Thousands of people of Russian forestry and hundreds of forest companies have involved to a campaign which calls FSC certification. What is that, an universal panacea for improvement of Russian forestry or another action of foreign NGOs with pluses and minuses?
First, who have started FSC certification in Russia, it is Greenpeace with WWF. Sure, according FSC rules, should be set up organizations such as: National Group, National Initiative, Regional Group, National office, Auditors. But all the organizations in Russia are placed oneself at the head of representatives of foreign NGOs. They are not scientists or representatives of forest industrial enterprises and independent NGOs. A mostly leader of Russian FSC is people who even have not minimum forest education and some practice in Russian forestry. Turn over, that for development of this "forest certification" it is necessary fulfill orders of "fourth part" (foreign NGOs) Some deviation from the rule, will entail serious consequences...
In order to understand, what happened for last ten years, our foresters should think over the main absurd. This absurd is "Improve to competitive Russian forest industry is advantageously for foreign forest industrial companies. There for, they support foreign NGOs in Russia. How develop FSC certification in Russia in reality? What conceal "transparent" certifications?

Practice of precedent

Firstly (since 1998) NGOs told to Russian foresters that there is FSC market and supply/demand of FSC certified production is 10:1. Therefore, the prices of FSC production to 10% more. In reality, turn out, everybody who certified did not receive some new clients abroad. Also, anybody did not receive the promised profit. But success of the well-publicized campaign turns FSC-developer's head. Here is one example of the euphoria: " The present day can tall, that Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) almost monopolized Russian forest certification market, so far as at the present moment, only develop FSC certification. Other certification systems have not any place" ( Russian Forest Newsletter #31-32(161-162) from 13.07.2006). Concerning the replication, it is very useful remind of Federal legislation about Protection of competition.

Double standards

If me perusal FSC standards which use for certification of our forest, me can feel that its is an universal panacea for development of sustainable forest management for every forest industrial enterprise. But a question is being appeared, can be fulfilled in Russia? For example, a diversification of forestry in one certified company, when they have only rent agreement for extraction of timber? Or protect biodiversity in cutting sites which were gave other organization (i.e. another non certified organization). Or do some changes for forest management plan, using a result of monitoring? Or settle live of forest workers according ILO? And there are many such questions. There is the different forest management system in Russia, and Russian legislation not allows changing it by some NGO. Actually, when FSC certification is carried out in a company, all auditors have to invent arguments in order to explain the "compliance". Sometimes me read in FSC certified report this: "It is impossible to request a fulfillment of the Indicator (FSC standard) from certified company, if the company can not fulfill that" ( Annual Inspection of Control Union, 2006). And if " best minds" of NGOs in Russia, who have sufficient money, during 8 years can not "invent" National adaptation FSC standard for certification, this is means that there is big question in relation to Russian certification. And how necessary to invent? May be better to understand Russian forestry and would see that Russian forestry is not worth Mexican forest or German forestry. As me see, Russian authority reform of forestry ( Rosprirodnadzor, Lesnichestva, Inspection). It is necessary remind that Russian forest management system develops and improves more than 200 years, and FSC standards develop only more than 10 years. Which one forest management system will be better for Russia?
There are acts of hand the state forest management system to foreign auditor company in international practice (Ecuador, Guyana), but this is carried out in case, when authority of the country has not a develop and effective forest management system. More over, when the government admits, that can not develop the national forest system with out assistance. In this case, this country develops a devolution in forestry and spends money for that. As a rule, this is a contract with an auditor company. Very doubtful, that Russian forestry has such a petty status.
In many ways, FSC certified companies fulfill all requirements of Russian forest legislations and plus international requirements(FSC standard). In reality, majority FSC auditors do not require the fulfillment Russian legislations from certified company. The fulfillment of Russian legislations in FSC certified company has a recommended status. Here you are one example such 'fulfillment' in Priluzskoe lesnichestvo (Priluzskoe lesnichestvo is ‘star' of FSC certification in Russia). "In Priluzskoe lesnichestvo for 1 year were carried out 424 inspections by state inspectors and detected 402 violations" («Forest management without responsibility", 30.08.2004 Newsletter "Ziryanskaya jizn")

Cancelled racket

For last 20 years of ‘Perestroyka', Russian people have received good training in order to understand what is cancelled racket. Firstly, as usually, NGOs organized a hard attack for large forest industrial company in some region of Russia. This attack is continued during a few years, so far the company has an agreement with NGOs. As usually, this is agreement about FSC certification or HCVF(High Conservation Value Forest) After that, the company becomes ecological and social responsibility. This policy was used in Republic Komi, Primorsky kry, Arkhangelskaya oblast, Republic Karelia. The true sense of the policy was explained in article " Fashion terms, what are means?" ( Russian forest letter газета # 23 (49) June 2004) here you are: «Main purpose is acquisition of grants from donors, organization of pressing to forest industrial companies via farfetched ratings, hardening of certification standards, intrusion of model projects and i.e. , and in conclusion to fulfill the order of special groups, which is not interested to improve Russian forestry». So, better explanation will be do difficult.

Live by the rules of the underworld

A formal procedures of FSC certification can found in many websites. But if you have arrived to decision to receive FSC certificate, we will be consulted, whom we must to pay, in order to avoid problems. You will be suggested some consultants for a preparation of certification. Of course, they will be partners of NGOs, who also receive the grants. You rent forests will be investigated concerning an organization of foreign forest project, such as "model forest'. Further, the consultants detect 10-15% area of rent forest as representative area (this forest does not cut), Further, detect ‘virgin' forests, sometimes call as HCVF(although FSC standard includes different approach). After that, everything will be as promised -we will pay the promised money and receive FSC certificates. Nobody do not the fact, that in your certified company be not fulfilled the requirements of FSC standard. But in the same time, we can not refuse from your promises (such as ‘model forest', supporting of FSC website and i.e.), because we will have annual inspections and the inspectors and consultants is one team. There are rules, which acts and not fixed into FSC procedures. Everything corresponds to the rules of the underworld.

How much does an untouchment of ‘ the untouchables' cost?

If we look up a list of Russian FSC certified companies, we will see there large foreign holdings or Russian companies with foreign management, or them contractors. Mostly, the cover of ‘the club payment' for participation in FSC campaign is carried out by there large forest holdings. But this is only a part of payments. There is a sustainable tendency of the forest companies to send ‘present' to NGOs. Here you are a few example: ‘Present' of 1 million dollars from the large holding for a investigation of HCVF in Russia (Russian forest newsletter #23 (49) June 2004), ‘present' 1 million dollars from another holding (South Africa), and after that several successful FSC certifications in Russia(Republic Komi). ‘Present' of 1 million dollars for "model forest" in Pskov region (Russia), after that the promotion of FSC certification in many enterprises of the holding of North West (Russia). There is no necessity to note the names of the holding. All the holdings are well know in Russia. Apparently, after the payment of one million dollars, the number of FSC certificates for a holding has not a restriction.

Nobody against to sustainable forest management and forest certification by an independent auditor in order to improve a reputation of some company. Everything will useful for Russian trade of a forest production. But there is one question, what to develop another ‘mafiya' into Russian forestry for? Why the ‘corruption' will settle a survival of forest companies. Today the survival in Russia cost one million dollars, how much the cost tomorrow? It is very important to understand, why the millions in order to settle the sustainable forest management in the Russian FSC certification companies for?.

2008