Governance issues in the Ecosystem Approach: what lessons from the Forest Stewardship Council? (Special Issue: Socio-economics in forestry.)

摘要

The certification scheme of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Ecosystem Approach (EA) as conceptualised under the Convention on Biological Diversity show substantial convergence in their broader aims and normative background. Taking this finding as a starting point, the paper discusses what lessons could be learned from FSC's experience in developing and implementing specific norms and standards. The elaborate decision-making mechanisms of FSC may prove useful for the refinement and implementation of the EA, in particular regarding the transformation of generic principles into national and regional level standards. FSC's strong reliance on market mechanisms, however, and the related influence of dominant economic actors limit its suitability as an overall blueprint for the implementation of the EA.Digital Object Identifier http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10342-009-0350-y