SLIMF and Community Forests Standard
This standard defines the eligibility thresholds for forest operations to be considered as Small or Low Intensity Managed Forests (SLIMF) and Community Forests (CF), within the FSC system.
This standard is not intended as a stand-alone certification offering, but rather as a foundational reference used by national and regional standard development processes and by certification bodies to assess eligibility.
Community and Family Forests Work Area
The SLIMF and Community Forests Standard (FSC-STD-01-003) is a free-standing eligibility standard. It does not prescribe certification requirements itself, but instead defines the thresholds used to determine whether a forest operation qualifies as a Small or Low Intensity Managed Forest (SLIMF) or a Community Forest (CF).
These eligibility definitions are applied across the FSC system and are incorporated into Forest Stewardship Standards (FSS) at national, regional, and international levels. For example, they are used to determine whether an operation can apply alternative implementation approaches such as the Continuous Improvement Procedure (FSC-PRO-30-011) or the Asia-Pacific Regional Forest Stewardship Standard for Smallholders (FSC-STD-RAP-01).
The SLIMF & CF standard is connected to and influences the adaptation of other key policy solutions within the FSC framework.
Qualifying as SLIMF or Community Forest
Many Forest Stewardship Standards include tailored requirements for SLIMF and CF operations, recognising the specific characteristics of smallholders and community-managed forests. Likewise, eligibility under this standard can influence how evaluation activities are conducted by certification bodies.
To determine whether you qualify as SLIMF or CF and how the criteria apply in your country, check your national Forest Stewardship Standard or consult your FSC Network Partner.
To find out more about how this standard was developed, click on the button below to review the process.
SLIMF and Community Forest International Criteria
The latest version of the standard included eligibility criteria for 'community forest' based on tenure and management, independent of scale and intensity. A default international framework was maintained, but with additional flexibility incorporated through national adaptations.
The threshold per country is defined during the Forest Stewardship Standard development process and may differ slightly across regions and countries.
SLIMF Criteria
Community Forests Criteria
Scale:
- management units smaller than 100 ha
Management Intensity:
The rate of harvesting is less than 20% of the mean annual increment (MAI), AND
- annual harvest is less than 5,000 m3/year OR the average annual harvest from the total production forest is less than 5,000 m3/year during the certification cycle
- only non-timber forest products (NTFPs) are collected or harvested
Tenure:
- The legal and/or customary right to manage a ‘community forest’ MU is held at communal level, either located in a communal forest and/or on individually assigned plots.
Management:
The management is done actively by the community, or they can authorize the management by others if:
- the community has legal responsibility for forest operations, AND
- has control over the forest management decisions and monitors the forest operations.
FSC-STD-01-003 SLIMF and Community Forests Eligibility Criteria
The standard is applied by FSC-accredited certification bodies and standard-setting bodies to ensure consistent recognition of SLIMF and CF operations globally.
You can find more resources here, including a factsheet on this standard. For the most up-to-date version of the standard, please consult the Document Centre page for the FSC-STD-01-003 by clicking the button below.
SLIMF & Community Forests e-Training
This free e-learning course is available in the three official FSC languages: English, Spanish, and French.
The training provides a concise and practical introduction to the SLIMF and Community Forests Eligibility Criteria, which play a key role in enabling broader access to FSC Forest Management certification.
You will learn how these eligibility criteria are applied by standard developers and certification bodies to support greater inclusiveness across the FSC system.
Access the training in your preferred language below
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