The good and the bad in Cameroon
PALLISCO - a subsidiary of PASQUET Group - achieved FSC certification for its concession in Cameroon. This is the fourth FSC certificate issued in Cameroon for forest management. However, as of February 23, ICILA is no longer allowed to sign new contracts or issue new FSC certificates during a suspension period. Current FSC certificates issued by ICILA prior to the suspension period will remain valid. However, the Italian based body may not pursue any new certification audit, nor issue or re-issue new FSC certificates. Located in the Congo Basin in Africa, the forests of Cameroon are home to indigenous peoples and endangered species; they also provide essential ecosystem services to local and global communities. “The process of working towards certification has required a change in mentality by everyone in the company,” said Vincent Pelé, Certification, Environment and Communication Manager at PALLISCO-CIFM told the UK Department for International Development (DFID). “We’ve all had to buy into a new vision and a new way of operating.”
After four years of hard work, the company achieved FSC certification that encompasses six forest management units and spans an area of 341,708 ha which, at the date of issue, is also the largest certificate in the country.
“We are proud to manage the largest FSC certified forest in Cameroon and to actively participate in conserving the Congo Basin forest massif,” said Pelé.
After assessing the social and environmental impacts of their logging operations, PALLISCO implements a series of activities to mitigate its potential impacts. Amongst others, these include enhancing Reduced Impact Logging practices; conducting ecological surveys; and consulting with local NGOs and local stakeholders on the multiple uses of the highly valuable species such as the Moabi tree.
“Our commitment to responsible forest management embraces involvement of the local population, particularly the Pygmies, in our decision-making process,” explains Pelé. As a result, indigenous peoples’ rights to use forest resources are being respected and Pygmies are able to collect non-timber forest products (NTFPs) from the concession areas for their personal use. The company is also working with local NGOs to build capacity for communities around their concession areas.
“We made a firm commitment to work transparently and to take into account the constructive advice of forest sector stakeholders such as Greenpeace and Les Amis de la Terre (Friends of the Earth),” says Pelé.
Forest management according to FSC’s internationally recognised standards ensure that the natural forest complexity is maintained and social issues considered, while securing long-term supplies of forest products. FSC certified forests deliver environmental services to local and global communities including clean air and water, and contribute to mitigating the impacts of climate change.
Following chain of custody certification of PASQUET’s CIFM subsidiary in Cameroon and SCBT in France, the company is offering 26 different product species as pure FSC certified, including Sapelli, Avous, and Moabi. “The FSC label gives us international recognition and our customers the opportunity to act responsibly with regard to their own supply sources,” says Pelé.
Turning to ICILA, in August 2008, Accreditation Services International (ASI) - the body responsible for managing the FSC accreditation program - carried out a forest management surveillance audit in Cameroon. ASI reported a number of Corrective Action Requests (CAR) with set timelines. ICILA did not adequately address one major CAR within the given timeframe.
The suspension is limited to forest management certification in Cameroon. Therefore, it can continue to carry out FSC certification services for forest management in the rest of the world, and worldwide for chain of custody.