FSC National Forest Stewardship Standard of Uruguay Published

The standard becomes effective on 01 October 2021.

The National Forest Stewardship Standard (NFSS) of Uruguay was developed and adapted to the national context considering the diverse environmental, social, and geographical conditions of the country. The standard can be used by all types of organizations working with forest plantations, including small and low intensity management forest (SLIMF) or large industrial forestry organizations (See section 2.2: Scope of the standard, for more details).

The revision process of the NFSS of Uruguay started in 2015 and mainly focused on:

• the adaptation to the FSC Principles and Criteria version 5-2; and
• the inclusion of indicators related to the identification of rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities;
• the inclusion of indicators that uphold principles and rights at work and promote gender equality in employment practices; and
• indicators to protect environmental values, Conservation Area Networks and High Conservation Values.

A chamber-balanced standard development group conducted the revision following a multi-stakeholder engagement process. The revised NFSS was passed through field testing and stakeholder involvement to ensure its applicability.

The FSC Forest Management standard will contribute to promote responsible forest management in both industrial and small-scale plantations while protecting workers' rights, contributing to livelihoods, income generation and local employment. It will also contribute to the conservation of natural ecosystems and wildlife habitats including threatened and endangered species and protect water sources in managed areas.

For any queries on the revised standard, please contact the FSC regional office in Latin America: latinoamerica@fsc.org .

The National Forest Stewardship Standard for Uruguay (Spanish version) can be consulted in the FSC Document Centre.