New FSC certificate in the Congo Basin demonstrates social excellence
Danzer Group’s subsidiary Industrie Forestière d’Ouesso (IFO) has achieved FSC certification for its forestry concession in the Republic of Congo. The company has demonstrated outstanding social practices for the local population living in the concession area and its employees.
IFO was granted FSC certification in March 2009 after demonstrating that it meets the strict social, environmental and long-term management criteria of the FSC Principles and Criteria. It is the second company to achieve FSC forest management certification in the Republic of Congo, after DLH’s Congolais Industrielle de Bois (CIB).
Andre de Freitas, FSC Executive Director, said: "The certification of IFO is another success for FSC in the Congo Basin. This is an important focal area for us and we are glad to see the amount of continual progress.” He continued, “To reach FSC’s standards requires demanding changes in forestry practices and we congratulate IFO for their achievement.”
The concession is located in the Department of Sangha in the north of the Republic of Congo, bordering the “Odzala-Kokoua” National Park. Covering 1.16 million hectares, the FSC certified forest is home to more than 2’000 indigenous, semi-nomadic people and is a refuge for a diversity of endangered and protected mammals. The indigenous Pygmy people account for 40% of the concession’s rural population.
To consult with local communities in forest management decisions and encourage their participation, IFO held over 250 meetings with 70 local communities in 2008. Special participatory techniques were often used – such as large pictures, participatory mapping and using product samples – to take illiteracy into account.
Using GPS satellite technology, IFO mapped the areas of cultural and ecological importance – such as sacred burial sites, springs and medicinal trees – in close collaboration with the local community.
IFO respects tenure rights and gives access to their natural resources through the zoning of hunting areas and the allocation of community development zones. Hunting outside of these areas is restricted for conservation purposes and controlled for illegal poaching.
IFO’s eco-guards patrol barriers to control the illegal poaching of rare or endangered mammals such as gorilla, elephant, chimpanzee, bongo and forest buffalo that are abundant in the forest. Hunting of non-protected species, like small antelopes called Duikers, contributes to a significant source of protein for the Sangha population. To reduce the pressure from poaching, IFO imports cattle, brings fish twice a week from a nearby village and has installed a cold room to offer alternatives to bush meat.
At IFO’s industrial site Ngombé, the company offers regular training for its 900 employees and free access to a hospital, pharmacy and school for their families. The large hospital is also available to the local population and free treatment and medication is provided to Pygmies. The company gives priority to the local population for employment; currently 43% of workers are from the Sangha department and 70% from the North of the country.
The improvements to infrastructure and employment have attracted more inhabitants to the area; 8’100 people that inhabit the Ngombé site live directly or indirectly from the presence of IFO. The Ngombé village public school has been refurbished and IFO is in the process of constructing a school for Pygmy children. The use of sawmill residues from IFO is generating commercial activity – 20-30% of the sawmill residues are recycled by the local population for charcoal production and 5% for timber construction.
Olof von Gagern, Danzer Group CEO for Africa and Veneer Europe, said, “This is a major milestone in our efforts to progressively increase our production and trade of FSC-certified products.”
As a member of the WWF Global Forest and Trade Network (GFTN), Danzer Group has committed to progressively work towards having all of their concessions in the Congo Basin FSC certified. These are the concessions managed by the company’s SIFORCO in the Republic of Congo, where their practices have been publicly criticized by Greenpeace.
The process of achieving FSC certification at the IFO concession presents a learning opportunity for Danzer. Mr. von Gagern said, “It boosts our motivation to increase our efforts towards the certification of our concessions in the Democratic Republic of Congo, managed by our company, SIFORCO.”
The assessment of IFO was carried out by FSC accredited certification body SGS and overseen by FSC’s Accreditation Services International (ASI). By achieving FSC certification, IFO has met the “gold standard” in the industry. It ensures that, among other considerations, IFO adheres to local forestry and environmental legislation, respects the rights and needs of the local population, protects threatened or endangered ecosystems and has a long-term management plan that takes social and environmental needs into account.
SGS public summary report: IFO forest management main assessment report
ASI public summary report of SGS at IFO compliance audit
Read the WWF press release 04/05/09: Responsible forestry prevails in the Congo Basin
