Open Knowledge (FSC OK)

Around the world, indigenous peoples have often been the first to bear the brunt of poor forestry practices and the last to see tangible economic benefits. Whether it�s the Russian Taiga, the Amazonian jungle, or New Zealand�s temperate rainforests, the stories follow familiar lines. Companies secure rights from provincial, state or national governments to log new tracts of forests that are the traditional lands of indigenous peoples. The lands get logged - more often than not without regard for the indigenous peoples� rights and interests - and the companies move on. However, balanced against this powerful trend is another - a worldwide trend towards rural communities and indigenous peoples slowly gaining control over their historical forested areas. And in September 2002, the United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa gave further impetus to this trend when it reaffirmed �the vital role� of indigenous peoples in �sustainable development�. Clearly, the indigenous peoples of the world face a daunting task as they try to capitalize on this phenomenon. But their task may be made easier by yet another rapidly accelerating trend. That trend is forest certification. However, forest certification alone will not revolutionize the way the world�s forests are managed, nor will it guarantee a more equitable share of the benefits of our forests for indigenous peoples. But if we are ever to build a forest-based economy that respects ecological limits, values, people and culture, and equitably shares the wealth of our forests, we urgently need new tools. Forest certification, particularly certification under Forest Stewardship Council standards, is just such a tool. We will explore this trend and its potential benefits to indigenous peoples in this paper.