A presentation given at the Global Bamboo and Rattan Congress (BARC 2018), 25-27 June 2018.

1. Sreekumar, V.B.
Kerala Forest Research Institute,
India.
Certification of Bamboo and
Rattan Resources
Indian context

2. Forest Certification Initiatives in India
• 2001 – Katlamara area in Tripura (NE states), group of
farmers – Bamboo cultivation – traditional system of
sustainable practices – Certified by FSC – 2003.
• 2004 – GoI - 3 Technical committees –
• Developing standards for FM Certification
• Developing standards for CoC Certification
• Procedures for accreditation of certification bodies.
• 2008 – Merged to National Forest Certification committee
• Currently 23 FSC Forest Management Certificates – different
states – 818, 322 ha. FSC standard
• 377 FSC - CoCs certificates- private sector – paper – printing
-handicraft

3. Indian experience in C & I Approach to SFM
• Developed National Draft Set of C & I for SFM -16 Forest
Divisions (FMUs) – in 6 States – more than 10 years
• Internationally Acceptable standard - Provide further
platform for Forest Certification.
National Task Force on Forest Certification under MoEFCC.
Indian Forest Certification System

4. IPCC – Indian Forest Certification Council
IPCC – National
Governing Body (NGP)
Indian Forest
Certification Scheme
Accredited Certification Body
(CB)
Notification
Accreditation
National Board of
Accreditation of CB
(NABCB/APEDA/BIS
Applicants of
FM & CoC
Certifications
Frame work for Indian Forest Certification System

5. Forest Steward Council Standards Development
Group - India
• Established through voluntary participation of various
stakeholders
• Part of FSC process to revise International standard for FM
Certification through participation of National standard
groups.
• Developed guidelines for developing regional certification
standards to guide working group in this process.
Working Plan Code by MoEFCC
• Contains 8 criteria & 37 indicators of the National Draft set of C & I
for SFM developed

7. Forest Certification in India
Network for Certification and Conservation of
Forests (NCCF )
• To ensure collaborative and streamlined efforts for the
development of National Forest Certification Standards and
Scheme
NCCF has since been admitted to the Programme for
Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC)’s National
Governing Council, enabling to represent PEFC in India in
terms of business through forest certifications.

8. Two Approaches: ‘Top-down’ approach wherein
government formulates and implements policies; and
the ‘bottom-up’ approach which is more of a
participatory approach to protect forests.
Ineffectiveness of both have led to a third approach -
forest certification

9. The Forest Certification India - two components:
• Forest Management Certification:
A process leading to the issuance of a certificate by an
independent party, which verifies that an area of
forest/plantation is managed as per the defined standards.
The use of C&I will greatly improve the quality of
information about forests and the impacts of forest
management practices on forest resources.
Thus C&I are tools used to define, assess and monitor
progress towards sustainable forest management.

10. Chain of Custody Certification (CoC)
A process of tracking wood products from the certified forest
to the point of sale to ensure that product originated from a
certified forest.
The standard used for CoC certification is the PEFC ST
2002:2013, Chain of Custody of Forest Based Products –
Requirements.
All applications for chain of custody certification are received
and processed by certification bodies (CBs).

11. NCCF has initiated the process of developing the Standards for Certification
of Forest Management and Tress Outside Forests in India through a multi
stakeholder Standard Development Group (SDG)
Professional foresters, premier forestry research and academic institutions
of the Ministry of Environment (ICFRE, IIFM, Business groups, forest based
industries, NGOs (social and environment related), workers and trade
unions, and certification bodies (FSC, Rainforest Alliance etc.

13. Non-timber Forest Products Certification Standards – India
• India – 10th most forested country in the world (24.16% geographical area
under the forest and tree cover.
• NTFPs - tribal population and forest dwellers - 20-40% towards the family
income.
• Commercial opportunities for NTFPs are emerging in the present era of
globalization
• Ease of trade is opening new markets, decentralisation & democratisation are
enabling communities to have a greater role in the management of the
resources
• No exclusively functional, recognized NTFP certification schemes.

14. NTFPs Certification – initiates in India
• Developing sustainable harvesting & Managements standards for
MAPs from Wild. IIFM – NMPB
• NTFP Certification standards: 4 principles
v Policy, legal and institutional framework for sustainable NTFPs
v Management plan, strategy and operations for sustainable
availability
v NTFP Value chain and market network
v Socio-cultural and spiritual benefits
• 4 principles – 17 criteria and 55 indicators

15. Bamboo & Rattan: Major NTFPs
• Timber (Natural forests; Plantations)
• Edible Products (Bamboos & Rattan shoots)
• Species diversity (pole length, Solid nature, diameter, solitary,
clustering)
üWestern Ghats
üNorth eastern States
üAndaman and Nicobar Islands
Bamboo forest management certification for timber
ü Sustainable management
ü Similar to forest management certification
ü Bamboo & Rattan Community Managed Forests (NE India)
Bamboo – Rattan Certification : Scope

16. Certification of Bamboo
• IIFM – North eastern states – Forest certification -
Natural bamboo patches – Implemented though
Management plans. FSC standards.
•FSC –FM Certification – 378, 170 ha “ well managed
forests’ Allappally, Maharashtra – Native timber – D.
strictus
•Tripura Forest Development and Plantation
Corporation
•Turn over 50 crores, 20% profitability,
•FSC FM and CoC certificates – rubber /bamboo

17. Bamboo & Rattan: Challenges for manufactures
ü Processing industries – small and medium enterprises
ü Raw materials availability - Lack of certified raw
materials

18. • Inadequate awareness on the benefits of forest certification in
domestic markets
• Absence of approved national standards or indicators for forest
certification. In the absence of local standards/indicators,
Certification Bodies will use interim standards developed by them
for certification.
• Lack of policy guidelines from the Ministry of Environment and
Forests, Govt. of India to third party, voluntary and private
certification schemes to forests/plantations managed by the
government.
• Cost of certification, in particular to small and medium-sized
enterprises.
Bamboo & Rattan: Challenges

19. Opportunities
Green Public Procurement
Linking with programmes and projects (both Govt and
Corporate) to support sustainable standards
FSC established Standard Development Group in India in
2012 to develop national standards/local indicators for
India to the FSC International Standards.

20. Suggestions
• Policy guidelines on Forest Certification on Government
Forests/plantations.
• Incentives for forest certification, support to small
holders, farm forestry/social forestry schemes at various
levels
• Promote Green Public Procurement to generate demand
in the domestic market
• Create awareness on the benefits of certification
• Support the development of national standards,
indicators with a view to adapt certification in the
national and local contexts.