What should you do to achieve the FSC FM certificate?

Nowadays, there are more and more people concerning the origin, the manufacturing process of the product, and its impact on the environment. This indicates that ecology-related information is playing an increasingly important role in the decision-making process of consumers and enterprises.

Hence, if you are a forest owner, a manager or an enterprise specializing in manufacturing, and trading forest products, it is of great importance to show your customers your responsibility for the environment, economy, and society.

What should households do to be awarded by FSC – FM?

• Have a group connection based on the voluntary spirit, electing competent and enthusiastic group management to take care of the group’s work, this group must be approved by the commune authority

• The group management will prepare the records, manage the files, run the group’s work from inviting annual review organizations.

Prerequisites to participate in this group

1. Ensure the land use rights for
2. The minimum size of the forest is 1,0 ha
3. The forest must be farmed on bare land
4. The forest owners’ afforestation plans must conform to the land use plans approved by competent authorities. Plantations must not affect the food security of other households, especially concerning slash and burn cultivation or cattle grazing.
5. Corridors of both sides of rivers and streams with natural vegetation must keep:

• The width of this corridor is at least 30m on both sides of the river with the width of the river bed> 10m.
• The width of this corridor is at least 15m on both sides of the stream with the width of the bed 5-10m.
• The width of this corridor is at least 5m on both sides of the stream with the width of the stream <5m.

Forest management obligations:

1. Boundaries of land-using households must be presented by perennial fruit trees or native trees.
2. Seedings sowed by seeds or cuttings must have invoices or papers of origin
3. Imported trees can be used if they bring better income than the indigenous ones.
4. Must not use chemicals and fertilizers banned by FSC.
5. The entire plan should be detailed and approved by the group manager.
6. Caring and thining activities for increasing the value of forestry must be created and included in the management plan.
7. In case the soil is eroded, land restoration activities should be focused on.
8. Hunting and collecting endangered animal and plant species are not allowed.
9. Leaving bare land following environmental protection regulations.

• A buffer zone of around 30m going along a fixed source of water needs to be managed to avoid being exploited completely and to increase the vegetative layer with native species.

Employees and safety labor:

1. Must ensure the right process of labor safety; Especially when using the chainsaw, the forest exploiter should wear protective clothing.
2. Not employing labor under house arrest or in another form of semi-labor organization.
3. Children under 15 can only work at home or garden. The job should not affect their schooling
4. The forest owners must announce, and explain to their employees FSC-related content.
5. Must have gender equality in terms of income
6. Regulations:
7. All receipts of timber sale and seed purchase must be delivered to the group manager
8. In the case of chemicals, fertilizers, and pesticides are adopted, the group manager should be acknowledged their names, used date, and dosage
9. Accidents should be reported to the commune group administrator.
10. Forest exploitation plans must be reported to the commune level group.
11. The forest exploitation plan must be reported to the leader of the farmer group first. After harvesting, the land use plan must be reported to the leader of the farmer group within 30 days at the latest.
12. Exploiting of more than 10 hectares must be agreed in writing with the group administrator.

KNA is in association with TUV Austria Hellas for auditing and issuing FSC COC Certificate https://www.knacert.com.vn/ For detail of FSC, please visit homepage: https://tuvaustriahellas.gr/tuv-austria-hellas-became-accredited-certification-body-for-fsc-chain-of-custody-certification-for-14-countries/?lang=en

For more information about FSC/FM, please contact KNA CERT

• Email: salesmanager@knacert.com
• Hotline: 093.2211.786