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unique expertise delivers sustainable natural resource management,
from policy, investment and procurement, to production on the ground.

Sustainability initiatives support programme

  • FSC guide for biodiversity management in small and low intensity forests

    D Robinson, P G George, T Rayden, C Stewart | 2009 | Forest Stewardship Council

    This new guide, produced by ProForest and FSC, is intended to help managers and owners of small-scale and low intensity forest operations maintain or implement the management of biodiversity and High Conservation Values (HCVs) within their forests. The guide is designed to help them meet FSC certifi... Read more

  • Accelerating Transfers of Interim Finance for REDD+: Options for Early Market Involvement

    P Moura Costa, R Nussbaum | 2009 | Proforest for DIFD

    This report looks at the options and opportunities for early market involvement in the process of funding and implementing REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation) activities even before a full international UNFCC (UN Framework Convention on Climate Change) agreement is i... Read more

  • Accelerating Transfers of Interim Finance for REDD+: Building Absorptive Capacity

    J Saunders, R Nussbaum, A Hoare, C McDermott, J Saunders, P Moura Costa | 2009 | Proforest for DIFD

    There is a global commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from tropical forests through the introduction of a financing mechanism to provide incentives to rainforest nations for maintaining forest carbon. A crucial issue if these countries are to acquire and use significant resources for REDD+... Read more

  • REDD+ co-benefits and the HCV concept

    C Stewart, A Lindhe, A Cura | 2010 | Proforest

    This document summarises an investigation into the use of a widely used conservation priority-setting and management framework, known as the High Conservation Value (HCV) concept, to support responsible REDD+ programmes. The report has two main aims: Firstly, to understand how some of the major glob... Read more

  • Meeting the RSPO certification requirements for the management and monitoring of biodiversity and High Conservation Values

    C Stewart, P G George, T Rayden | 2009 | ProForest for GIZ

    Guidance document designed to help smallholder groups and schemes meet the HCV and biodiversity requirements of RSPO certification. This publication was commissioned and supported by GTZ. Read more

  • Forest Certification: Verifying Sustainable Management (2000)

    R Nussbaum | 2000 | Proforest

    Paper presented at the workshop on Streamlining Local-Level Information for Sustainable Forest Management, 28-30 August 2000, University of British Colombia, Canada. Read more

  • The Forest Certification Handbook - 2nd Edition

    R Nussbaum, M Simula | 2005 | Earthscan

    This book gives practical advice on developing, selecting and operating a certification programme which provides both market security and raises standards of forestry management. Read more

  • Getting Small Forest Enterprises into Certification: How standards constrain the certification of small forest enterprises (2002)

    R Nussbaum | 2002 | Forestry Research Programme, Proforest

    With input from Fernando Aguilar, Aurea Nardelli and Hannah Scrase This report examines the constraints facing small forest enterprises which derive specifically from forestry certification standards, discusses the causes of these constraints, and offers a number of options for reducing the barrie... Read more

  • Assessing Forest Certification Schemes: A Practical Guide

    M Garforth | 2002 | Proforest

    With input from Patrick Armstrong, Pierre Hauselmann, Sophie Higman, Markku Simula and Nancy Vallejo. This practical guide identifies and discusses the features which make a forest certifications scheme reliable and effective providing users with a sound basis for making their own assessment of a... Read more

  • A Sourcebook for Landscape Analysis of High Conservation Value Forests

    J Jarvie | 2003 | Proforest

    With input from Nigel Dudley and Ketut Deddy. The concept of High Conservation Value Forests (HCVFs) originated as a means to ensure that the most important forest values were correctly managed in the context of Forest Stewardship Council certification, and hence in individual forest management uni... Read more

  • Group Certification for Forests: the Model Documents

    2002 | Proforest

    Templates for procedures and other documents needed to develop a group certification scheme available here as Word documents. Read more

  • The BASEL Criteria for Responsible Soy Production: Local interpretation for use in Brazil

    2004 | Proforest

    Prepared by ProForest for Coop Switzerland in cooperation with WWF Switzerland. Read more

  • An Analysis of Current FSC Accreditation, Certification and Standard-Setting Procedures Identifying Elements Which Cause Constraints For Small Forest Owners

    H Scrase | 2000 | Forestry Research Programme, Proforest

    The FSC's requirements for accreditation, certification and national standards and the constraints these cause to small forest enterprises seeking certification. An analysis of the issues and recommendations for action. Read more

  • Modular Implementation and Verification (MIV): a toolkit for the phased application of forest management standards and certification

    I Gray | 2003 | Proforest

    Modular Implementation and Verification (MIV) provides a practical tool for achieving phased or stepwise application of forest management standards and certification. Read more

  • Contractors and Certification: How does Forest Certification Impact the Use of Contractors

    R Nussbaum | 2001 | Proforest

    One of the requirements of most certification standards for forestry is that the welfare and rights of the forest workforce are considered and protected. Within this overall requirement the issue of contractors needs to be considered. Read more

  • An analysis of the barriers faced by small-scale farmers and communities producing timber outside a conventional forest matrix, and recommendations for progress: Final Report

    H Scrase | 2001 | Proforest

    An analysis of the problems faced by small landowners providing timber outside a forest environment. Read more

  • Palm Oil, Forests & Sustainability

    2003 | Proforest

    Perceptions of serious, unresolved problems in the oil palm sector have led to increasing concern from a variety of institutions, including local and international NGOs, the regulatory agencies of national governments, donors and other financial institutions. This discussion paper, the first of two ... Read more

  • Group Certification for Forests: A Practical Guide

    R Nussbaum | 2002 | Forestry Research Programme, Proforest

    With input from the Soil Association Woodmark Programme, the Rainforest Alliance SmartWood Network and SGS Qualifor. Read more

  • Defining sustainability in oil palm production: An analysis of existing sustainable agriculture & oil palm initiatives

    2003 | Proforest

    In this, the second technical discussion paper for the Round Table on Sustainable Oil Palm, information is provided about existing initiatives which seek to define or implement 'sustainability' in some form for oil palm plantations. The paper examines the degree to which these existing initiatives (... Read more

  • The Basel Criteria for Responsible Soy Production

    2004 | Proforest

    The Basel Criteria for Responsible Soy Production have been developed by drawing on widely accepted existing criteria and standards such as Eurepgap standards and ILO conventions. This should ensure that they are compatible with the requirements of other users and schemes. Read more

  • Involving Harvesting Contractors in Forest Certification

    R Nussbaum, S Higman, S Jennings, I Gray | 2002 | Forestry Research Programme, Proforest

    Guidance for loggers, harvesting contractors and others involved in forest operations with an interest in certification. Read more

  • HCVF for conservation practitioners

    S Jennings | 2004 | Proforest

    This document is aimed at conservation practitioners. It introduces the idea of HCVF, how HCVF fits in with other conservation initiatives and approaches, a decision tool for deciding whether to implement HCVF projects and links to practical tools for implementing HCVF and examples of where it has ... Read more

  • Developing a mechanism for palm oil traceability from plantation to end user: Discussion paper for RT3

    2005 | Proforest

    Discussion paper for RT3. This report contains a summary of options for chain of custody and traceability for palm oil. Read more

  • Forest Governance and Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD)

    J Saunders, R Nussbaum | 2007 | Chatham House Energy, Environment and Development Programme

    Presented at the UNFCCC in Bali, December 2007. This paper sets out a number of lessons from ongoing efforts to improve forest governance, which should be considered at both the design and implementation stage of a potential REDD mechanism, and suggests that those countries that improve their forest... Read more

  • Estimating the cost of building capacity in rainforest nations to allow them to participate in a global REDD mechanism

    A Hoare, J Saunders, R Nussbaum, T Legge | 2008 | Chatham House, Proforest

    This report was produced as a background paper for the Eliash Review by ProForest and Chatham House with input from the Overseas Development Institute and EcoSecurities. It provides an estimation of the funds that will be needed to build capacity in 25 rainforest nations to enable them to participat... Read more

  • Reduced Emissions and Forest Degradation: Lessons from a Forest Governance

    J Saunders, Johannes Ebeling, R Nussbaum | 2008 | Proforest, Chatham House

    REDD (Reduced Emission of Greenhouse Gasses from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) puts value on the carbon in standing trees that are at risk of destruction. The economic incentive this offers to forest conservation is, however, only part of the picture. This paper focusses on forest governance... Read more

  • High Conservation Value Forest toolkit

    N Judd, R Nussbaum, S Jennings, T Evans | 2003 | Proforest

    The High Conservation Value Forest (HCVF) toolkit was the first comprehensive guidance on the High Conservation Values concept. The toolkit comes in 3 parts. Part 1 gives a general introduction to the concept of HCVF and how different users can apply it. Part 2 provides a practical methodology to be... Read more

  • Beyond Timber: Certification and Management of Non-Timber Forest Products

    A Pierce, D Robinson, P Shanley, S Laird | 2008 | Center for International Forestry Research

    This book, co-written by a ProForest team member, is a valuable contribution and a practical guide for communities, researchers, policy makers, and donors interested in assessing the value of investing time and effort in the still elaborate and costly process of gaining independent international rec... Read more

  • FSC briefing notes and case studies for smallholders and community forestry operations

    2008 | Forest Stewardship Council, Worldwide Fund for Nature, Proforest

    Proforest has collaborated with the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF)and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to develop a package of FSC endorsed user-friendly information on topic of importance to smallholders and communities. The material is designed to be used by small forest owner associations, ... Read more

  • Terrestrial carbon: emissions, sequestration and storage in tropical Africa

    2010 | Proforest for FPAN

    This report, commissioned by the Forest Philanthropy Action Network (FPAN), reviews scientific data available in September 2009 on carbon stocks, emissions and sequestration in tropical Africa and evaluates 52 existing land use related interventions. The report was written by Tim Rayden, Pavithra Ra... Read more