Concept Note
Code of Best practices for Planted1 Forests
Background and Rationale
In 2000, plantation forests accounted for 187 million hectares (< 5% of global forest cover and a little over 1% of land-use) but provide 35% percent of global, industrial roundwood supply (increase anticipated to 44% by 2020). In addition, large forest areas consist of stands of native species that are planted for commercial purposes. There is wide recognition that forests play a critical and positive role in sustainable forest management and in wood and fibre supply; planted forests provide economic, social, cultural and environmental services and benefits. The fundamental enabling factors that are necessary to support planted forest development with consistent and clear policies, legal, regulatory and institutional frameworks based upon sound principles, standards and ethics. The planning, implementation and monitoring of planted forest development needs support by the application of appropriate knowledge and technology from propagation to maturity, including harvesting. Critical issues that commonly require special attention include land and crop tenurial rights; engagement of key stakeholders with ethnic minority groups and local populations; the role of incentives in planted forest development; competition between forestry and agricultural lands; and competition for land between natural and planted forests.
Recognizing these issues, Governments and stakeholders have requested FAO, with collaborating partners to prepare a Code of Best Practices to detail the recommendations and ethics for planted forests to ensure that cultural, social, environmental and economic dimensions are considered and incorporated in a balanced manner in any planted forest development. The application of the proposed Code of Best Practices will be on a voluntary and non-binding or non-mandatory basis that could be adopted by Governments and investors (public and private sector), policy makers, planners and other stakeholders without a formal acceptance procedure.
Objective
Introduce a Code of Best Practices for Planted Forests to provide the framework to balance the economic, cultural, social and environmental dimensions of planted forests in supply of wood, fibre, non-wood products and services, whilst contributing positively to sustainable forest management, integrated land-use and livelihoods.
Scope
The Code of Best Practices for Planted Forests will build upon the foundation work established in the UNFF Inter-sessional Experts Meetings on Maximising the Role of Planted Forests in Sustainable Forest Management, Chile (1999) and New Zealand (2003) where stakeholders expressed a need for a a reference Framework – a “Code of Conduct” or “Code of Best Practices”. The Code of Best Practices for Planted Forests as proposed will complement and supplement, without detracting from the different forest certification schemes in existence. The Code of Best Practices for Planted Forests will also complement/contribute to The Forest Dialogue process which aims to improve the dialogue, consensus and cooperation between major stakeholders in “intensive forest management”, including planted forests. The Code of Best Practices for Planted Forests will provide the overarching framework of principles, standards and ethics for planted forest development to service:
• Certification schemes, with a neutral, balanced reference foundation for all planted forest development globally, regardless of purpose or ownership.
• Governments, to strengthen governance for an improved enabling environment for planted forest development, particularly in developing countries and those with economies in transition. Note: Certification of planted forests has occurred generally in industrialized (developed) countries however, 80% of planted forests globally are in developing countries or those with economies in transition, which often have difficulty to achieve standards or do not have the resources to obtain certification.
• Public and private sector (corporate and smallholder) investors in planted forests. Note: The certification focus has been primarily on the corporate private sector, however 80% of planted forests are owned by the public sector (55%) or smallholders (25%), which often have difficulty to achieve standards or do not have the resources to obtain certification..
• Planted forests of all purposes - production (wood and fibre for industrial uses) and protection and conservation (non-industrial uses). Note: The certification focus has been primarily on large scale industrial planted forests, whilst more than half of planted forests are managed for non-industrial purposes for landscape restoration, rehabilitation of degraded lands, combating desertification and protection of soil and water.
A global inventory of Operational Guidelines will also be undertaken to gather and analyse any significant gaps and evaluate the necessity to update these in accordance with new scientific knowledge and identify future actions. Where significant gaps exist, Operational Guidelines might be developed, that will reflect the unique conditions pertaining to specific ecological zones, purposes, ownership, species groups and silvicultural management. Any new Operational Guidelines will be linked to the Code of Best Practices for Planted Forests.
Elements of the Code of Best Practices for Planted Forests may include the framework, guiding principles and standards to:
• take into account all relevant biological, technological, ethical, economic, social, cultural and environmental dimensions of planted forests, in accordance with the relevant rules and agreed proposals for action of international laws, conventions and processes;
• elaborate and support formulation of national policies for planted forest management and development;
• improve the legal, regulatory and institutional framework required for planted forest management and development;
• be included in the formulation and implementation of international agreements, legal instruments, both binding and voluntary;
• consider sound technical and financial inputs to planted forest management and development;
• link planted forest management and development to food security, poverty alleviation and sustainable livelihoods and other social and cultural aspects;
• link planted forest management and development to major environmental and integrated land-use issues, including but not limited to, rehabilitation of degraded lands, landscape restoration, combating desertification, sequestering carbon, protecting soil and water values;
• be included in research, education and training in planted forest management and development; and
• be included in Code of conduct and ethics for all persons involved in planted forest management and development.
Major Outputs
• A Code of Best Practices – the framework for planning and management of reproductive material, production, establishment, silviculture, protection and harvesting (if appropriate) of planted forests; and
• Assessment of existing Operational Guidelines for activities in planted forest development – the specific, individual planning and technical practices pertaining to different ecological zones, purposes, ownerships, species groups and silvicultural management.
Main Activities and Process
• Engage a task group of collaborating partners/planted forest specialists in a roundtable exercise to evaluate the needs, detail the objectives, identify the target beneficiaries and elaborate on the scope, contents and process in preparation of the Code of Best Practices for Planted Forests (held 20 January, 2005);
• Review concept note based on scoping meeting and co-opt additional partners
• Prepare a draft outline of the Code of Best Practices for Planted Forests taking into account existing processes and documentation;
• Conduct a second collaborating partner meeting, including co-opted members, to review the advanced outline (estimated June 2005);
• Recruit a specialist to prepare a draft Code of Best Practices for Planted Forests taking into account existing processes and documentation;
• Share the first draft Code of Best Practices for Planted Forests with collaborating partners for feedback
• FAO and specialist, prepare second draft of Code of Best Practices for Planted Forests
• Conduct an International Stakeholder Workshop to introduce and review the Code of Best Practices for Planted Forests;
• Engage collaborating partners and specialist in review and edit of the final draft of the Code of Best Practices for Planted Forests;
• Agreement by collaborating partners to the Code of Best Practices for Planted Forests
• Conduct regional training workshops with policy makers and decision makers;
• Publish and disseminate through hard copy, CD and worldwide web; and
• Undertake a complementary process to review and collate existing Operational Guidelines to identify gaps and commonalities and to ascertain future actions, if needed.
The process of formal approval through Regional Forestry Commissions (2006) and the Committee on Forestry (COFO, 2007)) requires further consideration.
References
The Code of Best Practices for Planted Forests for planted forests will build upon the existing reference documentation including, but not limited to:
• Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (FAO)
• Code of Harvesting Practice – Global and Regional (FAO)
• Ethics Series (FAO)
• Linking Criteria & Indicators of SFM to a Code of Practice for Industrial Tropical Tree Plantations (CIFOR);
• Fastwood Forestry: Myths and Realities (CIFOR);
• Typology of planted forests (CIFOR)
• Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Standard, (SFI)
• Code for the Establishment and Sustainable Management of Planted Tropical Forests (ITTO);
• National Forest Certification Schemes; and
• International Forest Certification Schemes (FSC, PEFC etc)
FAO and its collaborating partners, the International Council of Forest and Paper Associations (ICFPA), CIFOR, ITTO, WWF, IUCN are committed to the process. Further co-opted partners from multi-lateral banks, developing countries, smallholders, international labour unions, climate change conventions and investment funds are to be confirmed.
Beneficiaries
The primary beneficiaries will be policy/legal/regulatory and planning decision makers in Governments and investors in planted forest development (public and private sectors). There will be benefits which flow on to managers and other stakeholders as secondary beneficiaries
Mutual Benefits
The Code of Best Practices for Planted Forests will set out the framework, guiding principles and international standards and ethics to balance the cultural, social, environmental and economic dimensions in planning and management of planted forests.
Duration
One year, coordination by FAO, HQ Rome, with collaborating partners.
Planned Inputs:
• Two roundtable meetings of 10-15 partners in design, preparation and review processes;
• Recruitment of international consultants under FAO supervision to prepare drafts of the Code of Best Practices for Planted Forests and assessment of Operational Guidelines for planted forests;
• Hosting of International Stakeholder Workshop and Regional Training Workshops
• Publication (English, Spanish and French) in hard copy, CD and worldwide web
Collaborating partners will provide their inputs on an “in kind” basis, with FAO undertaking the overall coordination and recruitment of specialists. Extra-budgetary funds will be necessary to conduct the International Stakeholder Workshop and Regional Training Meetings.
1 Third Expert
Meeting on Harmonizing Forest Related Definitions, 17-19 January, 2005 defined:
Planted Forest – “forest stands in which trees have predominantly
been established by planting, deliberate seeding or coppicing, where the coppicing
is of previously planted trees. This includes all stands established by planting,
or seeding of both native and introduced species”
Plantation Forest (a subset of planted forests) – “forest
stands in which trees have been established by planting or/and deliberate seeding
or coppicing (where the coppicing is of previously planted trees) with either
native species or non-native species that meet all the following criteria: i)
1-2, or few species; ii) even-aged; iii) regular spacing”.
