FSC Approves Interim Forest Stewardship Standard for Sierra Leone

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has approved a new Interim Forest Stewardship Standard (IFSS) for Sierra Leone, officially endorsed on 2 October 2025, which will take effect on 15 March 2026. The IFSS will help guide forest managers, businesses, and other stakeholders in managing forests responsibly and ensuring the sustainable sourcing of forest products within the country.

Complementing national and international commitments

This milestone comes at a time when Sierra Leone is intensifying its efforts to protect its vital forest resources. The IFSS is designed to complement the Protect Sierra Leone Programme, a major government initiative under the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. Launched in early 2025, this programme is designed to safeguard biodiversity and natural resources, including  30x30 targets set by the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), which aim to protect 30% of the world’s land and ocean by 2030. The programme also supports climate-resilient livelihoods, habitat restoration, community forests, and the growth of green economies.

The new IFSS will also help Sierra Leone meet its international commitments, including its AFR100 (the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative) commitment to restore 0.7 million hectares of land by 2030. It also supports Sierra Leone’s climate change goals, including its commitment to reduce emissions by 10% by 2030 and 25% by 2050, compared to 2005 levels. With this new standard, Sierra Leone can strengthen its forest protection and help reverse the loss of 2.17 million hectares of tree cover between 2001 and 2024, a 39% decrease from 2000.

Opportunities for livelihoods and conservation

Beyond strengthening forest protection, the standard provides crucial opportunities for forest products to play a larger role in providing better employment for locals.

Currently, Sierra Leone has about 14.7% forest cover, with an additional 61.1% of its land classified as other wooded land. With the IFSS in place, the country is better equipped to increase protection for its diverse ecosystems, including evergreen and semi-deciduous rainforests, swamp forests, mangroves, and extensive regenerating forests. This enhanced protection will also enable the country to benefit from ecosystem services.

Finally, the standard provides independent evidence of responsible forest management. It promotes continuous improvement in addressing key issues, such as preserving the country’s biodiversity and protecting the land rights of local communities.

Patrick Epie, FSC’s coordinator for Congo Basin and West Africa, said:

" Sierra Leone’s Interim Forest Stewardship Standard represents a significant milestone in advancing FSC’s mission in West Africa. It provides a robust framework to promote responsible forest management, support national and international environmental commitments, and strengthen community livelihoods. This achievement reinforces Sierra Leone’s commitment to sustainable forest governance and contributes to the broader regional effort to align forest management with global sustainability goals."

The official (English) version of the IFSS can be consulted in the FSC Document Centre. For more news, visit FSC Africa's website.

For questions about the standard or the approval process, please get in touch with the FSC Country Requirements Team at country_requirements@fsc.org.