Forest Certification and Sustainable Governance

Dear Colleagues,

Voluntary forest certification and governance institutions and regulations for sustainable forest management have developed complex interactions involving government actors, the private sector, and civil society. In high-income countries, forest certification has been supported by an existing capacity to comply with sustainability regulations and, due to high rates of adoption, hybrid governance is considered. In low- and lower-middle-income countries, forest certification is seen as a complementary support for law enforcement, illegality reduction, and resource utilization effectiveness, also being seen as a potential non-state governance tool. However, despite this potential, it is still not yet clear to which extent forest certification, having in mind its voluntary nature, is a viable alternative for traditional governance. Additionally, forest certification low rate of adoption in tropical forests is still an unsolved issue, especially in terms of seeking solutions for improved management practices. Some other perspectives, including the capacity to address environmentally sensitive markets, mobilize stakeholders, increase inclusion, and reduce poverty, are worth investigating when it comes to better understanding the complementarity between forest certification and sustainable governance. For this Special Issue, we encourage studies promoting knowledge regarding forest certification and its complicated relationship with forest sector governance instruments and institutions.

Prof. Dr. Bogdan Popa
Guest Editor

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