Publication:
Private or Self-Regulation? A Comparative Study of Forest Certification Choices in Canada, the United States and Germany

dc.contributor.authorCashore, B.
dc.contributor.authorVertinsky, I.
dc.contributor.authorAuld, G.
dc.contributor.authorAffolderbach, J.
dc.date.accessioned2022-01-23T18:55:46Z
dc.date.available2022-01-23T18:55:46Z
dc.identifier.urihttps://open.fsc.org/handle/resource/651
dc.languageen
dc.rightsPaywalled content
dc.titlePrivate or Self-Regulation? A Comparative Study of Forest Certification Choices in Canada, the United States and Germanyen
dcterms.abstractForest certification is perhaps the best example of a voluntary governance structure for addressing environmental spillovers. Competing forest certification schemes have evolved. At the global level, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001 certification and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification focus on environmental processes and sustainable management of forestland, respectively. Regional/domestic schemes have been started by industry and/or landowners to compete with the FSC system. The main difference between FSC certification and the others is that the FSC relies on regulation by a non-state private regulator, while the others employ a form of self-regulation. In this study, survey data from firms in Canada, the United States and Germany are used to investigate factors that cause firms to prefer and/or choose a particular certification scheme. The findings indicate that market access is an important reason why forest firms certify, but it is an insufficient reason for them to pick the FSC system despite opinion polls that reveal a preference for FSC-style certification. Rather, firms prefer (participate in) FSC certification because they perceive it to confer environmental benefits, while those choosing another certification scheme do so on economic grounds. Finally, as companies become increasingly aware of their certification options, they are less likely to pursue FSC certification.en
dcterms.issued2005
dcterms.typeJournal Article
dspace.entity.typePublication
fsc.evidenceCategoryFSC effect-related studies
fsc.focus.forestType(not yet curated)
fsc.focus.forestZone(not yet curated)
fsc.focus.sustainDimension1. Economic
fsc.focus.sustainDimension3. Social
fsc.focus.tenureManagement(not yet curated)
fsc.focus.tenureOwnership(not yet curated)
fsc.issue.environmental(not yet curated)
fsc.topic.environmental(not yet curated)
fscdoc.hashidden.adminyes
fscdoc.hashidden.useryes
is.coverage.countryCanada
is.coverage.countryUnited States of America
is.coverage.countryGermany
is.coverage.regionNorth America
is.coverage.regionEurope
is.evaluation.collectionExperiments
is.evidenceSubType(not yet curated)
is.evidenceType(not yet curated)
is.extent.pages53-69
is.extent.volume7
is.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1016/s1389-9341(03)00011-x
is.identifier.fscdoihttp://dx.doi.org/10.34800/fsc-international345
is.journalNameForest Policy and Economics
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