Tropical treasury: lesser known species … “All wood is valuable if it exists in abundance”, states Robert Simeone, President of Sylvania Forestry and founding member of FSC. We caught him in the midst of the busy goings-on of the FSC General Assembly to …

Assembling the future … Over 400 people – one of the largest gatherings in FSC’s history – came together in the Ballroom of the Sutera Harbor Hotel in Kota Kinabalu to set the future directions for FSC, by voting on the motions that had made it through …

No show and no go in 2011 … Social issues in the supply chain; adaptation to climate change; and small forest holdings: these are all topics that were either low on members’ radar or outright voted down …

Voting on FSC’s future – Part I … Yesterday was the first voting day at the 2011 FSC General Assembly. We present some of the key decisions made by FSC members, asking for changes that are set to change the directions of FSC or strengthen its core …

Controlled Wood motion in motion: members vote today … Heated discussions on Controlled Wood have resulted in an amalgamation of three Controlled Wood motions into a “Controlled Wood package” to be voted on …

A newcomer’s perspective … A virgin to the extraordinary dynamism of the FSC General Assembly, in this extended online interview Josh Tosteson shares his thoughts from his “first time” in Kota Kinabalu. He takes a thought-provoking angle and challenges …

Jaime Levy: A voice for Indigenous Peoples … Long-time supporter of FSC and a fierce advocate for community forestry operations, he understands the challenges for small and medium sized enterprises to access certification and make this a financially …

To stay or not to stay: FSC members take stock … As FSC responds to changes in the political, environmental and economic landscape, new challenges and opportunities emerge that are transforming the system. These changes can be highly contentious for its …

Motion on motions: transparency wanted … One of this year’s most conspicuous motions is Motion 4, which asks FSC to follow up on motions in a more transparent and reliable way. The Brazilian NGO Imaflora asks FSC to engage in stakeholder dialogue and …

Kingfisher: Traceability top agenda for retailers … Traceability is perhaps the single most important issue within retail today, explains Kingfisher. As forest resources are depleted, timber supply resilience becomes a pressing issue. Knowing where the …

Online traceability system may boost FSC’s integrity … FSC plans to take a huge stride towards enhanced integrity and elimination of fraud with this project. Credibility enhancement measures often involve new restrictions or procedures, which are …

FSC Movers & Shakers: FSC’s Knight in shining armour … "If I was in a rock band, FSC would have been my best selling single". He has been at the forefront of sustainable development for over 20 years. Above all of his contributions to the sustainability …

Editorial: "Isofication" of FSC - are we hitting the ground? … FSC General Assembly 2011: Today’s editorial coins the term "isofication" in describing the direction FSC's accreditation programme Accreditation Services International (ASI) is taking to …

Overhaul of FSC’s control system: field performance … Is the FSC system - including its quality control body ASI - ensuring sufficient focus on field performance? Jakob Ryding from Forests of the World - formerly known as Nepenthes - sets out to discover …

FSC movers and shakers: Grant Rosoman, Greenpeace … In this extended online interview, Grant Rosoman Global Forest Solutions Coordinator for Greenpeace International, shares why he first jumped on board the FSC ship and remains a loyal ally. He urges FSC …

… applying the Small and Low Intensity Managed Forest (SLIMF) standard. …

Beyond timber – will FSC put a price on the wider forest values? … Can we put a price on drinking water, Orang-utans, cultural or historical sites in pursuit of conserving these values? Issues around these questions were raised during yesterday’s meeting …

Underwater forests – FSC's next frontier? … Close to 300 million trees are currently standing underwater, yet this vast resource remains largely untouched and ignored by the global timber market. Canadian-based Triton Logging has pioneered the field of …

Controlled Wood: hot in 2008, red-hot in 2011? … Transparency, consistency, credibility: words that express core values for FSC and are often heard in the debate surrounding FSC Controlled Wood. We asked Greenpeace how they see FSC's progress on this …

FSC Principles & Criteria review: for better or for worse? … The fundamental principles for good forest management, the global Principles & Criteria (P&C) were heavily debated among FSC’s members over the weekend. A key issue of concern was whether they …