Certification standards applicable to Non-Wood Forest Products

Non-Wood Forest Products (NWFPs), such as greeneries, mushrooms, berries, nuts, resins, essential oils, litter, medicinal plants and other products sourced from the forest play an important role in many rural economies as a source of food and income. This role is reinforced by the fact that, all over the world, NWFP harvesting and consumption is associated with local traditions and indigenous knowledge (Shackleton et al., 2011). Commercialization is one of the oldest economic activities associated with the use of forest resources. Nowadays, commercialization is considered an activity that should be promoted as a strategic economic tool for conserving forest ecosystems and contributing to the livelihoods of people that depend on forests. However, the high demand for certain species, associated with the conditions of poverty of the people often involved in NWFP harvesting, can lead to a depletion of many species and their habitats, especially in the case of medicinal and aromatic plants (Lange, 1998). Harvesting limits, legal constrains and other command-and-control systems are usually implemented by governments in different countries to preserve species from overharvesting. In recent years, scholars, civil society and some industries have been developing NWFP certification as a tool for supporting sustainable value chains and for influencing customer behaviour toward the consumption of NWFPs and sustainable harvesting. This chapter illustrates the rationale for certification of NWFPs (paragraph 10.1), introduces essential terms and definitions (paragraph 10.2) and illustrates the standards and certification schemes most relevant for NWFPs (paragraph 10.3). Finally, some conclusions are provided (paragraph 10.4).