Intact Forest Landscapes (IFLs)

Until now, FSC’s solution to certify forest management units overlapping with IFLs has been to establish a single global level of protection of the IFL area within the certified area. The current rule requires 80% protection of IFLs within certified areas across all countries and regions, with two exceptions allowing this threshold to be reduced to 50% in the Amazon and Congo Basin, under conditions specified in an advice note and valid until 2026. (See the advice note ADV-20-007-18 V3 compiled under the FSC Directive on FSC Forest Management Evaluations). 

In the FSC General Assembly of 2022, FSC members passed Motion 23 asking FSC to look into applying landscape considerations when certifying forest management units in IFLs. Landscape considerations look beyond the certified forest management unit, at the surrounding landscape and stakeholders. Such considerations can lead to a diversified and landscape specific protection approach. This will involve developing a set of landscape specific indicators in the national FSC forest stewardship standards, addressing risks and management options for FSC certified management units in IFLs.

Watch this video from the FSC General Assembly 2022, in which FSC and our members explain the importance of a new solution to IFL including landscape considerations.

Since the General Assembly in 2022, FSC has actively engaged with members, researchers, technical experts, interested stakeholders, national offices, and the Focus Forests Advisory Group  to develop a guidance and a procedure to support the national standards development groups in developing a solution to IFLs that is locally appropriate. The Guidance is based on learnings from other organizations working on landscape approaches, on academic insights and papers and on practical approaches from FSC stakeholders and certificate holders. The document covers 5 main topics, including landscape identification, development of draft IFL related indicators, stakeholder identification in the wider landscape, landscape dialogues among stakeholders and finally, monitoring and learning.

The procedure, based on this guidance, specifies the set of requirements for countries seeking to implement context-based, differentiated approach to IFLs. Further information on the technical approach to pilot testing including the guidance, procedure, and associated Terms of Reference is available here.