How does FSC certification help forest managers in the tropics to compete with pressures from other land uses?
By providing a market differentiation mechanism, FSC enables responsible forest managers to capture more value from their forests, allowing them to compete with pressures from other land uses such as cattle ranching, soya and palm oil plantations, and the artificially low prices caused by predatory and illegal logging. A key factor behind the threats faced by tropical forests is the perception by society at large that they lack economic value. The extraordinary social and ecological value of forests in comparison to other land uses is often not considered. Forests are often converted to other land uses, which lack many of the social and environmental values of forests but promise higher economic returns. FSC uses certification to engage the market in certified products to drive recognition of forests at large and in improving social and environmental standards in forest management practices worldwide. FSC standards ensure that these forests maintain the values and benefits they provide