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| A national forest certification system for all of Brazil?s forests, the Brazilian certification standard CERFLOR has been developed with the aim to give consumers an assurance that the tropical timber they are buying comes from sustainable sources. Administered by INMETRO, the Brazilian National Institute of Metrology, Standardization and Industrial Quality, the certification system has now applied for assessment and international recognition through the global Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes, the PEFC Council.
The Brazilian forest management standard was designed both for native and plantation forests and, in line with the principles of the United Nations Rio conference in 1992, seeks to provide proof that the forests are managed in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable way. The standard includes a wide range of requirements for logging and wood processing companies, amongst them safeguards that environmental laws for the protection of threatened species, soils and water systems are observed. Certified companies must ensure that the rights of workers as well as indigenous people are respected and that the longevity of the forest is guaranteed.
To achieve PEFC endorsement, the Brazilian certification system will need to successfully pass the stringent PEFC assessment process, which includes an independent review of the system by an external consultant and a public consultation period. "The public consultation period starts today, and everyone interested in forests and forest certification can comment on the CERFLOR documentation which is available at the PEFC website" said Ben Gunneberg, Secretary General of PEFC Council, "I invite everyone to send comments directly to the appointed independent consultant, International Trade Strategies Pty Ltd - ITS Global, by 1 June 2005."
If endorsed, the Brazilian CERFLOR system will be entitled to use the PEFC logo for the labeling of its timber products. Customers in stores will then have the visible proof that the tropical timber product they are buying comes from eco-friendly forest management that helps to preserve the tropical forests of the Amazon in Brazil.
The Brazilian forest certification system can be reviewed under www.pefc.org.
Consultants
International Trade Strategies Pty Ltd - ITS Global
Mr Mr Alan Oxley
Level 2
60 Collins Street
Melbourne, Victoria 3000
Australia
Tel. +61 3 9654 8309
Fax. +61 3 9654 4922
Email: aroxley@attglobal.net
Applicant
National Institute of Metrology, Standardization and Industrial Quality
Mr Jo?o Alziro Herz da Jornada
Rua Santa Alexandrina, 416, 10 andar
Rio Comprido
CEP: 20261-232
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Tel +55 21 2563-2802
Fax +55 21 2293 0954
presi@inmetro.gov.br
http://www.inmetro.org.br
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Editor Notes
Forest Certification
Forest certification is a process which provides an assurance mechanism to purchasers of wood and paper products that the wood used in the products comes from sustainably managed forest. Sustainably managed forest are those whose management implements performance standards based on internationally agreed environmental, social and economical requirements.
CERFLOR and INMETRO
INMETRO, the National Institute of Metrology, Standardization and Industrial Quality, is a federal agency bound to the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade. It manages the Brazilian Program of Forest Certification CERFLOR that was developed in August 2002 based on technical standards of the Brazilian Association of Technical Standards ABNT. CERFLOR has currently certified an area of 216,000 hectares of forests in Brazil.
PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes)
PEFC is a framework for the mutual recognition of credible national or regional forest certification schemes that have been developed based on internationally recognised requirements for sustainable forest management. Since its launch in 1999, PEFC has become the largest forest certification umbrella organisation covering national schemes from all over the world, delivering hundreds of millions of tonnes of wood to the processing industry and then onto the market place from over 100 million hectares of certified forests. PEFC has strong grass roots support from many stakeholders including the forestry sector, governments, trade associations, trade unions and non-governmental organisations.
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