PROVIDING EUROPE’S SMALLHOLDERS WITH ACCESS TO FSC CERTIFICATION More than half of Europe’s forestland is divided across some 16 million small, privately owned properties. Knowledge of forestry certification is limited. Finances are tight, especially given today’s economic climate. And according to the European Environment Agency, the biodiversity found in Europe’s forests is declining. Yet despite these challenges, a demand for “green” forestry technicians is starting to take root across Spain, Portugal and Denmark. These technicians – who mark trees for harvesting and manage logging operations – are often contracted by small forest owners. Because of their preference for FSC/Rainforest Alliance certification, the technicians are generating a growing interest in sustainable forestry on the part of smallholders. “FSC certification allows smallholders to demonstrate they are properly managing their lands,” explains Leticia Calvo Vialettes, certification coordinator for the Rainforest Alliance’s partner group NEPCon. “By giving smallholders greater access to FSC certification, we hope that they’ll find new markets for their wood and other forest products.” The Rainforest Alliance is the leading FSC certifier. To date, we have certified 159,000,000 acres (64,169,976 hectares); 27 percent of that land is in Europe.
European Countries with FSC/Rainforest Alliance Certified forestlands