FSC Response to the Mashco Piro case in Peru

The Forest Stewardship Council’s (FSC) mission is grounded in responsible forest management and unwavering respect for Indigenous Peoples and workers’ rights. The recent online campaign highlighting developments in the Madre de Dios region in Peru has brought to light a critical issue that FSC is aware of and has been actively addressing since it first emerged a few years ago.

In response to the initial concerns on Maderera Canales Tahuamanu (MCT) operating in areas linked to the Mashco Piro territory, FSC took immediate action by raising this issue with the certification body and Assurance Services International (ASI) in 2022 and 2023. The conclusions of the assessments they carried out confirmed that MCT has a valid logging concession granted by government authorities, which is in a forest of permanent production. MCT’s forest management unit is adjacent to the territorial reserve Madre de Dios where the Mashco Piro reside. The company has protocols in place to avoid encounters with members of the Mashco Piro, designed in coordination with the Ministry of Culture in Peru which is responsible for protecting Indigenous Peoples living in voluntary isolation.

We recognize the complexities arising from the Ministry of Culture’s ongoing proposal to reclassify part of the permanent production forest area, where MCT's concession is located, as an indigenous territory.

To address these complexities and concerns, FSC will conduct a comprehensive review of MCT’s compliance with duties to respect and protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples living in self-isolation in the proposed indigenous territory in Madre de Dios. This review will inform FSC’s stance regarding the certification of MCT and will guide other aspects of our work. We take this investigation very seriously, and due to its thorough scope, it will require a careful and considered approach to complete.

We remain committed to upholding the highest standards of forest stewardship and to working collaboratively with all stakeholders to ensure responsible and ethical forest management practices. Our priority is to ensure that the rights of the Mashco Piro and all indigenous peoples are fully respected and protected by organisations certified by FSC.

More updates on this case will be shared publicly on our website.