Timothy Synnott: "The controversies have calmed down" … He was a constructive voice in the sustainable forestry debate, while the concept of FSC was still bubbling in its primordial soup. Twenty years later, he remains strongly engaged in sustainable …

Controlled Wood: sealing gaps and crevices … The much debated issue of Controlled Wood moved a step forward, when members voted for essential repairs and spare parts for the ailing Controlled Wood system; will these 'quick fixes' be enough to satisfy …

Regional Outlook: change of tack in Africa … Africa, home to the world’s second largest tropical forest – the Congo Basin – is a largely untouched potential for FSC. Participatory approaches and alignment with the EU FLEGT scheme may be part of the recipe …

Transparency: thumbs up, thumbs down … Transparency and stakeholder dialogue were in focus this year: on Friday, the members passed one motion and rejected another that aimed for enhanced transparency and stakeholder …

Plantations revisited … FSC's approach to plantations was on Friday's agenda at the FSC General Assembly. Members agreed that FSC needs more clarity on this point. Meanwhile, stakeholders outside of FSC voiced their opinions on this highly emotional topic …

Forestry issues: interim standards and large operations … Members decided to move ahead with efforts to solve a long-standing issue on the consistent interpretation of the global Principles & Criteria at country level, when national standards are absent. …

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 …

… A voice for Indigenous Peoples … Long-time supporter of FSC and a fierce advocate for community forestry operations, … Ecuadorian-based NGO Fundación Altropico and member of the FSC Board of Directors in this extended online interview. …

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 …