ABSTRACT
The idea of forest certification (or an incentive-based tool for conservation) began with several organizations in the conservation movement and the wood industry at nearly the same moment in time during the 1980s. Although the initial attempts to use incentives, such as boycotts, to change forest practices were aimed at destructive practices in tropical forests, they did not have the desired effect. Consequently, the World Wildlife Fund, the Rainforest Action Network, and the Woodworkers Alliance for Rainforest Protection looked at promoting forestry operations that were both environmentally friendly and socially beneficial.
