Beyond timber: certification and management of non-timber forest products
Forest certification is a market-based instrument that aims to encourage sustainable forest management for the multiple values of the forest beyond timber, to include non-timber forest products (NTFPs) and services, social and cultural values and future options. To date, there are over fifty commercial NTFPs for which certification standards have been approved and on-going evaluations of original products in new countries and forest types. Thus far, the share of certified timber in the marketplace makes up less than 1 percent of the total forest area and less than 3 percent of the total timber trade value, although it is growing significantly. The share of the commercial value of certified NTFPs is even smaller, as NTFP certification is still in its infancy.