Forest Certification in Bolivia

Forest certification has been widely adopted by Bolivian stakeholders as a result of a strong combination of policy, training, technical assistance, and economic incentives for responsible forest management. The new Forestry Law of 1996 and associated regulations, the national dependency on foreign exports, and national and international support of forest management and certification together facilitated the development of forest certification in Bolivia. Several benefits result from certification: improved forest management practices in the field; reduction of social conflicts among timber companies and local communities; maintenance of existing markets or access to new ones; reduced enforcement costs for state agencies; and support of the new Forestry Law and its norms. Almost 1.5 million hectares have been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, of which 96 percent belong to large timber firms. Only one of the 13 certificates is associated with a community-based operation. The promotion of community participation in forest management and certification processes is still needed, as well as the identification of High Conservation Value Forests and additional research on forest ecology and silviculture. forest certification in bolivia yale school of forestry & environmental studies 305