Training workshop on “Forest certification in the context of India” for Indian Forest Service officers

Report: Kuldeep Rawat

Dehradun: A training workshop for officials of the state’s forest departments was organized on 16 to 17 January 2020 on the topic “Forest Certification in Indian Context” by the Forest Promotion and Management Division of Forest Research Institute, Dehradun organized by FRI, Dehradun. is.

Forest certification is a market mechanism for forest monitoring, wood and pulp products and tracing and labeling of non-wood products, which is the process of issuing certificates by an independent entity. This suggests that the forest area concerned is managed in the context of a defined standard. Forest certification refers to two different processes such as Forest Management Unit Certification (FMU) and Chain of Custody Certification (COC).

Forest management certification is a process that verifies that an area of ​​forest/plantation from which wood, fiber, and other non-timber forest products are extracted and managed to a defined standard. COC certification is simply the process of tracking forest products from certified forest to the point of sale, to ensure that products are brought from a certified forest area.

The topic of forest certification is related to the rapid development under sustainable forest management, and most forest officials do not have enough knowledge and experience about it, and thus are not able to apply it in their field.

Lectures from invited experts from Indian Institute of Management, Bhopal, Export Promotion Council of India New Delhi on Handicrafts, Green Initiative Certification and Inspection Agency (GICIA), Noida and State Forest Departments of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh to make participants aware of these topics And interactive discussions were arranged.

A half-day tour program was also organized for the participants at the Timber Depot of the State Forest Depot in Saharanpur. The workshop was inaugurated on 16 January 2020 in the board room of the Forest Research Institute, Dehradun. Inauguration of training Dr. S.C. Garola did. He said that the principles of sustainable forest management have been followed in India for a long time. He highlighted the importance of forest certification and emphasized that proper understanding and use of this mechanism by forest officials will improve the quality of the forest and increase the quantity of forest produce and ensure sustainable forest management. MD Omprakash explained the process of forest certification based on criteria and indicators.

He also said that timber importing countries like India should ensure that they import raw materials continuously from managed forests, only then the finished products from them will be salable in the international market. He also pointed out that certification of non-timber forest products (NWFP) needs attention as India is a major exporter of non-timber forest products. Dr. S.D. Sharma, Deputy Director General (Research), IIT Bombay Highlighted the need to act on forest certification in India’s new forest policy, which is in the draft phase.

He expressed that many developed countries and some developing countries have a good system of forest certification and export legally exploited timber which is economically, environmentally and socially valued. We need to get education from those countries, so that this international requirement of exporting wood and non-timber forest products to other countries can be fulfilled.
Dr. Dinesh Kumar, Head of the Forest Promotion and Management Division of the Institute, Scientist- G. Was co-ordinating the training program initiated by his welcome address.