Asia-Pacific Regional Forest Stewardship Standard for Smallholders Now an Approved Standard

The FSC Board of Directors has approved the transition of the Asia-Pacific Regional Forest Stewardship Standard for smallholders (AP RFSS) from a pilot test to a Forest Stewardship Standard (FSS), marking the end of the five-year pilot test phase initiated after the Board approval in June 2021.

This decision marks a significant milestone for smallholder certification in the Asia-Pacific region, ensuring a robust framework for sustainable forest management for very small-size forest producers. The AP RFSS currently targets management units of plantations below 20 hectares in India, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, encompassing timber, Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) and ecosystem services.

Background Challenge and AP RFSS as a Solution

In South-East Asia, relatively large quantities of forest products are produced by very small forest owners, with the average size of a management unit being around 3-5 hectares.

The Asia-Pacific Regional Forest Stewardship Standard for smallholders was developed to address the challenges and to provide easier access to FSC certification through:

• A simplified standard for very small forest producers.
• Greater flexibility in demonstrating conformity.
• Ways to reduce certification costs.

The AP RFSS was developed as a regional standard through extensive stakeholder consultations and field testing at the country level between 2018 and 2020. By 30 June, 68 AP RFSS audits had been conducted or are currently underway across the four pilot test countries, involving six certification bodies.

Positive Mid-Term Results

In 2024, FSC conducted a mid-term progress evaluation. The progress report highlighted several positive results:

• Alignment with FSC Principles and Criteria, with effective criteria and indicators and low forest management risks.
• Strong smallholder uptake, with the number of AP RFSS audits more than doubling each year. By mid-2024, nearly 57,000 hectares of plantations were certified in Vietnam and Indonesia.
• Potential application to natural forests below 20 hectares, including NTFPs and ecosystem services.

Based on even more extraordinary results observed in the first months of 2025, the proposal to anticipate the transition of the pilot test to a normal FSS was made to the Board in its 102^nd meeting, granting certificate holders access to the long-term benefits of FSC certification beyond the pilot test timeframe.

Transition Process and Next Steps

With this approval, the standard will be applied like any other Forest Stewardship Standard from 1 July 2025 onwards. FSC has committed to finalizing all current pilot test activities with certification bodies involved in the pilot test. Additionally, FSC will collaborate with Assurance Services International (ASI) to ensure that the AP RFSS for smallholders continues to adhere to the FSC Principles and Criteria.

In further positive news, the scope of the AP RFSS will soon be expanded to include NTFPs and ecosystem services in natural forests, broadening the impact and benefits of the standard for smallholders in South-East Asia. FSC will closely monitor the first audits in Indonesia to ensure effective implementation of the extended standard.

Watch these inspiring videos to learn more about the AP RFSS implementation on the ground:

• Tapping Change: Empowering Smallholders through FSC-Certified Natural Rubber in Kerala
• FSC standard for small scale producers in Viet Nam

More information about the AP RFSS pilot test and nationally adapted AP RFSS standard documents can be accessed here.

For any questions, please contact the FSC Policy Innovation Department at policyinnovation@fsc.org.