FSC training in the III UFIL promotion

In the future, we may witness how the certification of ecosystem services represents a shift in the economic value of forests due to the integration of their numerous positive externalities into the economy.

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international organization that promotes sustainable forest management worldwide, carried out in an economically viable, socially beneficial, and environmentally responsible manner, according to international standards. Within the UFIL program, where we originated as a business initiative, FSC has been a fundamental element for the development of a consistent business model capable of generating a highly positive impact on the forests of the province of Cuenca and Spain. FSC is the primary catalyst and driving force for improving forest management and transforming the market, shifting the global forestry trend towards sustainable use, conservation, restoration, and respect for all.

This May, for 35 hours, we’ve had the pleasure of training the new cohort of the UFIL program in the various FSC certification standards. At Dendron, we believe in the importance of consumers being well informed about the scope of the FSC seal, so the first module of our training has helped enhance participants’ ability to implement responsible consumption in their daily lives.

The second phase of the training focused on the most important aspect of the FSC seal: sustainable, rational, and responsible forest management. From planning to the execution of forest harvests, the FSC standard implements high-quality criteria regarding the maintenance of forest natural values and compliance with the rights of local communities and other involved groups. In line with FSC’s market transformation efforts, this entity has initiated certification of ecosystem services to encourage payments to forest owners for their contribution to human well-being. In conjunction with this complement to forest management certification, we conducted an interesting field trip where participants could grasp the complexity that quantifying the value of biodiversity can entail. We discovered ‘El Rincón del Alero,’ a mature stand of Pinus sylvestris where we found various dendro-microhabitats such as cavities, wounds, saproxylic fungi, or different types of deadwood that enhance the colonization of various species of insects, birds, small mammals, and fungus species.

In line with the scope of FSC certification, on October 26th and 27th, the first International Forum of the Alliance for Ecosystem Services of Castilla-La Mancha will be held in Guadalajara. This is a pioneering initiative and an essential event for entities that understand the importance of considering the value of natural capital in corporate decision-making and as an essential element for the quality of life of society as a whole.

This forum by the Alliance aims to promote cooperation between the regional government and companies, foundations, and NGOs committed to the Sustainable Development Goals and the European Green Deal. At Dendron, we encourage all stakeholders to attend this great opportunity provided.

1st International Forum of the Alliance for Ecosystem Services of Castilla-La Mancha

The final training module of this FSC course addressed the chain of custody of forest products, from when they leave the forest until they reach the end consumer. The chain of custody ensures accurate product traceability, ensuring that the certification standard has been met. There is rigorous control of inputs entering and leaving each certified factory to ensure that the use of the FSC seal is appropriate and that minimum requirements are met. An important aspect of the chain of custody is that factory managers must conduct training tasks among their workers involved in the standard to ensure a comprehensive understanding of what certification and the FSC seal entail.

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FSC certified hectares in Spain

To gain a practical understanding of the FSC chain of custody, we visited David Serrano Cruz at the Cuenca City Wood Sawmill. As the certification manager, David clarified the challenges and benefits that the implementation of the standard has brought them. The students were able to envision what it might be like to undergo an audit for obtaining the certification in their future businesses.

We will continue working to make these certifications more prevalent in the commercial behavior of consumers of forest products. We’ll also strive to assist forest owners in Castilla-La Mancha in providing the industry with more certified raw materials sourced from our forests. In the coming years, we’ll witness how new forest product chain of custody systems flourish in Spain to preserve the added value of our forest products, which are of extremely high quality. Additionally, we’ll observe how the certification of ecosystem services represents a shift in the economic value of the forest due to the integration of its numerous positive externalities into the economy. It’s a pleasure to be part of the change in the forest paradigm of our territory.