From an ecological perspective, what is the possible impact of FSC certification?
Two examples: in Cameroon, auditors required Pallisco to study the phenology of several species, including the Sipo, a commercial species which has an extremely low density in the forest and produces fruit in a rather irregular way. The consequence: the aforementioned company mobilised four people, working almost full-time, to monitor these species over an enormous territory. Its various measures included marking hundreds of trees over a territory stretching over 200 kilometres. The objective is to see if the diameter when the tree is logged is compatible with when the tree bears fruit. This type of demand requires considerable human and material resources. In Gabon, the exploitation of two species - the Douka and the Moabi - is prohibited. This did not prevent FSC auditors from imposing measures to monitor these trees just in case the legislation should one day change and allow them to be exploitedhere to it had to come out of the pocket of the operator – CEB Precious Woods. With the help of our laboratory, the company set up a programme to enrich and maintain the genetic diversity of these trees over a territory of 600 square kilometres with the help of students from the Université de Franceville. Not long after, auditors came back and carried out a detailed check of the data in our records. In the event of a problem, the company is threatened with the suspension of its certification which would have been a catastrophe from a commercial point of view. These examples show that, despite some room for interpretation left to the auditors, the standards of the whole system of certification are continuously raised. Any ailure would be immediately stigmatised by the NGOs.

According to Cetri (4), African timber imports to China tripled between 1993 and 2010, and now account for 13% of exported African timber. Yet it is common knowledge that the certified timber that you are applauding is practically absent from the Asian markets. Moreover, even the official sources, who cannot be accused of ecological alarmism, claim that 30 to 50% of the timber exported from Africa is of illegal origin. Doesn't this type of observation put all these scientific and industrial efforts for sustainability into perspective?
Sooner or later the demand for certified wood is probably going to emerge in Asia as it has in Europe. An increasing number of Asian companies (both Chinese and Indian) are buying out European groups which are more or less experienced in certification, without subsequently calling it into question. We saw it recently with the takeover of CIB, the operator of the biggest continuous certified tropical forest in the world (over one million hectares!) by an Indian group. I recognise that, due to the strictness of FSC criteria - they are difficult, even impossible for small operators, and particularly the operators of community forests (Ed: those that spread over 1.4 million hectares in Cameroon) to comply with. But the recent European process Flegt, which is based on bilateral partnerships between the European Union and African countries, will gradually lead to all timber production and exports from Central Africa, whether certified or not, complying with national legal criteria in the future. It is in itself a revolution. It will mean an end to concessions being awarded without the required transparency or logging beginning without a forest management plan worthy of its name. It is worth recalling that all the countries of the Congo Basin have introduced reforms of their forest codes, compliance with which will be tied to European Union financial aid. Under Flegt there is even talk of a timber traceability system using bar codes....Even Asian countries - Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam - have recently committed to these voluntary partnerships with Europe.

Reason enough to be optimist about the future of African tropical forests?
All these positive developments deserve to be highlighted. Almost five million hectares are currently FSC-certified in the Congo Bassin and a sustainable management plan is being drawn up for another 30 million hectares. Auditors' reports are increasingly demanding and are even helping to inspire new practices and regulations. Instead of breaking this dynamic with disingenuous slogans or excessive media coverage of what is not working, let's support it. Instead of calling for a freeze on certification or the boycott of tropical timber like certain NGOs, let us raise the standards of groups and individuals that are likely to improve their practices and ask them to incorporate certification. Let’s not forget that if the forest is in decline today, it is mainly because it is being converted into agricultural land by populations in the midst of demographic growth and by large agro-industrial groups, not to mention the manor industrial projects to exploit the incredibly rich subsoil...Ultimately, the timber trade is probably one of the most effective tools for the conservation of forest ecosystems.

Interview carried out by Philippe Lamotte

(4) 'La Chine en Afrique: Menace ou Opportunité pour le Développement?' ('China in Africa: a threat or an opportunity for development?') Centre Tricontinental. Vol.2/2011