New FSC Forest Stewardship Standard for Plantations in Brazil

The new standard will contribute to the promotion of responsible forest management and becomes effective on 15 March 2025.

After a long period of participative construction with members, public consultations and field tests, the new national standard for forest plantations will replace the current Brazilian standards that include plantations in the scope (the Harmonized Certification Bodies’ standard and standard for SLIMF).

The new FSC Forest Stewardship Standard for plantations in Brazil applies to all categories of management units (plantations) as described in section 2.2: Scope of the standard.  Mainly, the Standard applies to all types of ownership, including public, private and community and it includes provisions for small or low intensity managed forests (SLIMF). It also includes some non-timber-forests products.

The development process of this new FSS for plantations in Brazil began in 2015 and was focused on:

• the adaptation to the FSC Principles and Criteria version 5-2 (later to 5-3);
• the inclusion of specific indicators for Smallholders providing the opportunity for them to access FSC certification;
• the inclusion of indicators related to Indigenous Peoples’, Traditional Peoples’ and Local Communities’ rights; and
• reaffirmation of the commitment and efforts to end deforestation and promote conservation and restoration in the country.

A chamber-balanced standard development group conducted the revision following a multi-stakeholder engagement process with companies, NGOs and social stakeholders including representatives of Indigenous Peoples, Traditional Peoples, local communities, and smallholders. The new Standard was subjected to field testing and stakeholder involvement to ensure its applicability in the country and to address concerns; giving equal opportunities for feedback and to foster consensus from economic, environmental, and social perspectives to safeguard sustainability in future.

The main objectives of this standard are to provide independent evidence of the quality of forest management and to continue improving practices on key issues such as the conservation of intact forest landscapes, preserving the country’s biodiversity and protecting the rights of local communities, Indigenous and Traditional People. Companies in the Brazil timber industry will be able to use the standard to respond to local and international markets that require certification.

In that regard, the conformance with requirements of the new standard for plantations will ensure the generation of environmental benefits and protection of biodiversity, native ecosystems, and areas with high conservation value, by implementing sustainable and responsible management practices. Those actions will also contribute to reducing pressure on natural forests and to combating deforestation.

For any queries on the standard, please contact Elson Fernandes de Lima, FSC Brazil Executive Director: elson@fsc.org.br or info@fsc.org.br. Visit FSC Brazil´s homepage for more related news.

The FSS for Brazil (English version) can be consulted in the FSC Document Centre.

A translated (into Portuguese) version will be available on FSC Brazil website in due course.