Before being formalized under the Community and Family Forest Program, FSC was developing alternative and additional ways to support small-scale forest owners and communities striving to achieve certification under the New Approaches Project started in 2016. To get to where we are today, the project underwent the following phases:
2016 – 2017 Mobilize and launch
After starting in 2016, the New Approaches project engaged smallholders across the globe to co-develop a multi-year plan to improve access to certification and to markets.
2017 – 2018 Develop and test
A global team of experts focused on executing the plan and testing locally relevant solutions.
2019 – 2020 Scale up
After testing solutions, the best solutions were identified and launched in activities such as developing the capacity of the FSC Network to roll them out throughout the world.
2021 onwards
A new work area was designed to reflect the new strategic positioning of FSC and ensure small forest owners and communities contributions to FSC commitments. Our focus for this new phase is to “Enable the Enablers”, meaning that we will prioritize supporting the FSC Network and certification bodies in the first two years, and extend our efforts to (potential) certificate holders and other partners in rolling out our solutions and tools for the remaining period.
New Approaches Project: 2018-2021
Dive into the detailed work streams and achievements of the New Approaches project by reviewing the yearly reports from 2018 through 2021. All of the factsheets are also available in French. Please contact Vera Santos, v.santos@fsc.org.
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A Decade in a Glance: 2005 - 2015
But what was done before the New Approaches project? The work was built on years of history and effort starting in 2002 and taking off under a programme in 2005. Review milestones below to understand how we started from a single social policy at FSC to a broader reaching program:
- 2002 – Social strategy
- 2004 – SLIMF policies
- 2005 – Modular Approach Programme (MAP)
- 2005 – FSC-Fairtrade dual certification pilot project
- 2008 – Lisbon Process – from policy to support; CEFCO project; Smallholder Fund; European Smallholder Network
- 2008 – FSC certification of conservation and protection areas – inclusion of ecosystem services in the FSC system
- 2010 – Social Policy Programme created
- 2011 – Smallholder Support Programme (Train the Trainers; Small and Community Label Option (SCLO))
- 2014 – A set of iconic motions were approved in FSC General Assembly that were in the genesis of New Approaches project
- 2016 – New Approaches for Smallholders and Communities Certification project was officially launched