FSC-Watch

FSC Friday #2: Suspension of FSC certificate of Endesa-Botrosa in EcuadorTags: Ecuador, FSC Friday, GFA

The following article has been submitted by Klaus Schenck of Salva la Selva.

When Ecuadorian Timber Group Durini obtained the longtime announced FSC certificate for 8,380 hectares of its industrial timber plantations in April 2006, this was loudly celebrated by the timber lobby as a milestone for Ecuadorian wood industry and "forest" management. In contrast the suspension of the certificate two and a half years later, happened quietly and without any notice by the public.

On 27th of November 2008 German certifier GFA suspended the FSC seal of Rio Pitzará Forest Management Unit (GFA-FM/COC-1267), the industrial timber plantations of the infamous Timber Group Durini in Ecuador...[Continue]

More than 3,600 people tell FSC to stop certifying industrial tree plantationsTags: South Africa, Ecuador, Brazil, Swaziland, Plantations

More than 3,600 organisations and individuals have signed on to World Rainforest Movement's letter to FSC members demanding that FSC should stop certifying industrial tree plantations. FSC-Watch looks forward to seeing FSC's response to the letter - preferably a decision to stop certifying environmentally and socially destructive monocultures. Today, WRM released the following press release:

WRM Press release, 3 November 2008

Forest Stewardship Council meeting in South Africa NGOs call on FSC to stop certifying tree plantations

The General Assembly of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is meeting in Cape Town, South Africa, from 3-7 November...[Continue]

'Abstention Protest' within FSC: Some Members refuse to vote for Board candidatesTags: Southern, Ecuador, FSC membership

A growing number of FSC members feel increasingly uncomfortable with the organisation's poor performance, indicated by numerous unacceptable certifications and lack of timely and effective action in solving problems. Some FSC members already sense that they are party to a 'deception of consumers' and have lost trust in the organisation that they have long supported as members.

What can you do as member of an organisation that you believe has gone out of control? Leaving would be one choice. Some still believe in the original aims of the FSC, and they don't want to leave the organisation...[Continue]

Ecuadorian groups challenge certificates and quit national FSC initiativeTags: Ecuador, national initiatives

Some of the founding members of the national Ecuadorian FSC group, CEFOVE, have announced their withdrawal from the initiative. The withdrawal of Fundación Altropico (and in particular Jaime Levy, who played an important role in the setting up of CEFOVE), as well as the Federation Awá and two individual members indicates the severity of the problems they have subsequently encountered. Their withdrawal is due to both the recent FSC certification of Endesa-Botrosa, and because of the general policy of CEFOVE.

CEFOVE is dominated by the economic chamber, where 5 companies (Setrafor S.A., Endesa, Botrosa, Acosa, Fundación Forestal Juan Manuel) from the Durini Holding Group have the majority of vote...[Continue]