Recently, the Indian Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has initiated the Indian Forest & Wood Certification Scheme (IFWCS). This voluntary, third-party certification scheme aims to support sustainable forest and agroforestry management across the country. In doing so, it offers a local alternative to private foreign certification agencies previously operating in India.
Indian Forest & Wood Certification Scheme: Objective and Scope
The primary objective of the IFWCS is to bring about greater transparency, credibility, and integrity in certifying both sustainable forest management and wood-based products. This scheme covers three main areas for certification:
1. Sustainable forest management
2. Sustainable management of trees outside forests such as plantations
3. Chain of custody which ensures traceability of forest products throughout their supply chain
Nodal Agencies and the Trees Outside Forests Standard
Supervision of the scheme will be undertaken by the Indian Forest and Wood Certification Council acting as an advisory entity. The overall management responsibility lies with the Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal whereas the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies under the Quality Council of India accredits those certification bodies carrying out audits independently and assessing adherence to the standards prescribed in the scheme.
A new Trees Outside Forests Standard is introduced which encompasses trees grown outside recorded and notified forests, including agroforestry models, silvo-pastoralism, and block plantations among others.
Potential Benefits of the Scheme
The IFWCS certification is anticipated to improve trust and transparency related to forest management and wood-based products. It could offer market incentives to entities practicing responsible forest management and agroforestry, including state forest departments, individual farmers, Farmer Producer Organizations, and other wood-based industries.
Global Context of the IFWCS Initiative
The IFWCS aligns with global attempts to tackle deforestation. Its goals echo the commitment made by over 100 countries at the Glasgow climate change conference in 2021, pledging to stop and reverse deforestation by 2030.
Other Recent Developments in Forest Management
Alongside the launch of the IFWCS, the MoEFCC has released the “National Working Plan Code-2023” for scientific forest management and the development of new approaches. The “Indian Forest Management Standard (IFMS)” included in this code, aims to bring uniformity in management while considering India’s diverse forest ecosystem.
Green Credit Program (GCP) and Ecomark Scheme
Under the ‘Lifestyle for Environment’ movement, the MoEFCC has introduced the GCP and the Ecomark Scheme. The innovative GCP is designed to incentivize voluntary environmental actions across several sectors by various stakeholders. The ICFRE is the GCP Administrator, responsible for its implementation, management, monitoring, and operation.
The Ecomark Scheme offers accreditation and labels for household and consumer products that meet specific environmental criteria while maintaining quality standards according to Indian norms. The Central Pollution Control Board administers the Ecomark Scheme in partnership with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
