Asia Pacific Regional Standard for Smallholders
This simplified Forest Management (FM) standard is designed specifically for smallholders with very small management units in the Asia-Pacific region. This tailor-made standard aims to ease the certification process for current and potential certificate holders managing plantations of less than 20 hectares in India, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand.
Community, Family and Forests Work Area
The Asia-Pacific Regional Forest Stewardship Standard for Smallholders (AP RFSS) is a tailored version of Forest Stewardship Council’s FM standard, created to meet the specific needs of smallholders managing plantations in Southeast Asia. The standard applies to very small management units, typically 2 to 5 hectares, and is available for use in India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand.
Traditional FSC Forest Stewardship Standards (FSS) can be complex and resource-intensive, often posing a barrier for smallholders in the region. The AP RFSS simplifies these requirements, using more practical and locally relevant indicators while maintaining the integrity of FSC’s core principles.
To find out more about how this standard was developed, click on the button below to review the process.
From pilot to effective standard
Traditional FSC Forest Stewardship Standards (FSS) can be complex and resource-intensive, often posing a barrier for smallholders in the region. The AP RFSS simplifies these requirements, using more practical and locally relevant indicators while maintaining the integrity of FSC’s core principles.
With a focus on flexibility and ease of implementation, the AP RFSS provides straightforward language and realistic expectations, enabling smallholders to meet certification requirements in ways that reflect their on-the-ground realities.
The FSC Board of Directors approved the transition of the Asia-Pacific Regional Forest Stewardship Standard for smallholders (AP RFSS) from a pilot test to forest stewardship standard (FSS). This decision marks a significant milestone for smallholder certification in the Asia-Pacific region, ensuring a robust framework for sustainable forest management for very small-size forest producers. The AP RFSS currently targets management units of plantations below 20 hectares in India, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, encompassing timber, Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) and ecosystem services.
The scope of the AP RFSS is now expanded to include NTFPs and ecosystem services in natural forests, broadening the impact and benefits of the standard for smallholders in South-East Asia. FSC will closely monitor the first audits in Indonesia to ensure effective implementation of the extended standard.
To see how the pilot test works, please visit the Process page by clicking the button below
Country-specific versions of the AP RFSS
Certification bodies and certificate holders, including smallholders, operating in India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand, can now use the approved Asia-Pacific Regional Forest Stewardship Standard for Smallholders (AP RFSS), following the conclusion of the pilot phase in July 2025.
In Thailand, the AP RFSS is mandatory for smallholders managing plantations with management units smaller than 20 hectares. In India, Indonesia, and Vietnam, the AP RFSS is available as an optional standard that smallholders may choose to apply instead of the national Forest Stewardship Standard (FSS).
Consult the latest national adapted versions of the standard in the Document Centre:
- FSC-STD-RAP-IND-01-2022 Plantations India
- FSC-STD-RAP-IDN-01-2022 Plantations Indonesia
- FSC-STD-RAP-THA-01-2024 Plantations Thailand
- FSC-STD-RAP-VNM-01-2022 Plantations Vietnam
Media resources
Watch these inspiring videos to learn more about the AP RFSS implementation on the ground
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Tapping Change: Empowering Smallholders through FSC-Certified Natural Rubber in Kerala
FSC standard for small-scale producers in Vietnam
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