Forest certification – an answer to the challenge of sustainable forest management?

Eco-labelling forest products through forest certification is a market-driven tool with a global influence. It is also met with challenges in acceptance and diffusion among stakeholders. Here the authors aim to provide a synthesis of forest certification impact and place this in the context of small private forest owners. The chapter starts with an introduction to the concept of forest certification and important governance and operations characteristics. Continued with a discussion about the impact of forest certification and how it can deliver environmental, social, and financial value. The case study focuses on the group of small private forest owners and their motivations to adopt forest certification. This is followed by a discussion about the logic behind forest certification for small private owners and what this could mean for the future of forest certification.