Indian Forest & Wood Certification Scheme:
The Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change has introduced the Indian Forest & Wood Certification Scheme to encourage sustainable forest management and agroforestry practices in India
- Sustainable Forest management involves the responsible and balanced use of forest resources to meet present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
- Agroforestry is a land-use system that integrates trees or shrubs with crops or livestock on the same piece of land. It combines agricultural and forestry practices to achieve environmental, economic, and social benefits.
- This national certification scheme comprises three types of certifications:
- Forest management certification
- Tree Outside Forest Management Certification
- Chain of custody certification
- It aims to provide market incentives for entities, including state forest departments, farmers, and wood-based industries, adhering to responsible forest and agroforestry practices.
- The Forest Management certification is based on the Indian Forest Management Standard, and a new Trees Outside Forests Standard has been introduced.
- The scheme will be overseen by the Indian Forest and Wood Certification Council (advisory), involving various stakeholders, and managed by the Indian Institute of Forest Management
