Many of the world’s forests are severely degraded. Yet forests produce many consumer products that we depend on, such as food, medicine, building materials, and raw materials for industrial products like paper. So what should a conscientious consumer do?
Explore the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) website (ca.fsc.org).
Evaluate the website and work with the information to answer the following questions:
Is this a reliable information source? Does the FSC have a clear and transparent agenda?
Who makes up this organization? Does its membership make the FSC reliable/unreliable? Explain.
What is this organization’s mission? What are its underlying values? How do you know this?
Does the FSC give supporting evidence for its claims about forest resources and its vision to address the problem? Does the website give sources for its evidence?
Identify a claim the FSC makes and the evidence it gives in support of this claim. Is it sufficient? Explain.
Do you agree with its assessment of the forest issues? Explain.
The FSC is currently engaged in a Regional Forest Management Standard Revision, and this is listed as a way to get involved. Go to ca.fsc.org/regional-fm-standard-revision.246.htm and download 120305 Standards Revision Process PASSED Motion.pdf.
Who may participate in this revision?
What is the “strategic direction” for this revision?
Do you agree with this direction? Why or why not?
How can a consumer select FSC-certified products, according to this website? Is it easy for consumers to know if the wood products they are purchasing are FSC certified? Explain.
How might FSC certification help forests?