Help define sustainable forest management in India

2 November 2016 News

India’s draft standard for sustainable forest management is open for public consultation. This means it is now your chance to ensure that this standard reflects your needs and expectations.

Forest certification in India

Since joining PEFC last year, the Network for Certification and Conservation of Forests (NCCF), has been working on the development of a national forest certification system for India. For a country the size of India, where up to 400 million people depend on forests for their livelihoods, this is no small task.

With its rich heritage of forest, breathtaking ecological diversity, and the socio-economic significance of the range of forest goods and services, there are numerous aspects that need to be taken into consideration as the national standard for sustainable forest management is developed. 

Through extensive stakeholder engagement, including direct consultations with stakeholders in the field, the first version of the sustainable forest management standard was prepared. Now comes the next stage, the public consultation – the chance for everyone around the country to give their comments and feedback on the developing standard.

The next steps

Following the completion of the public consultation in early December, all the comments and feedback will be considered by the multi-stakeholder group responsible for developing the standard, and changes made as required.

The revised standard will be pilot tested to monitor the feasibility of the standard in the field, and once finalized the standard will be placed for approval by NCCF.

Get involved!

If you want to get involved in this process, there are many options open to you. Contribute to the standard setting process through the public consultations; provide financial support to help the continued financing of the process; or even become a national stakeholder member of NCCF.

For more information, including on ways you can get involved, contact our Projects and Development Unit at development@pefc.org or NCCF at info@nccf.in.