Forest Stewardship Council: Transforming the Global Forestry Sector

Abstract

This chapter aims to discuss the role, means and success of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) system in transforming the global forestry sector. Section 26.2 explains where FSC stands today and what its labels stand for. It points out how scholars describe FSC's legitimacy and how this is interlinked with other key elements of the FSC assurance system, so that the current success could be achieved. Section 26.3 gives concrete examples of how FSC has influenced the forest industry sector in Portugal through its stakeholder engagement processes for consultation and dispute resolution. The case studies presented are country-and context-specific, but represent patterns observed in various countries-how FSC certification requirements trigger, through constructive dialogues, solutions for better forest management, from which the wider sector learns. Section 26.4 ends the chapter with an overview of recent developments affecting the forestry sector, including an outlook on how FSC can respond to these developments.