ABSTRACT
Individual smallholder tree-farms of Southeast Asia collectively generate substantial quantities of commercial wood offering benefits for growers and wood processors. Increasingly, international markets require some form of certification of wood products, and non-certified growers risk exclusion from these markets. Case studies in Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam demonstrate that the certification standards, originally designed for industrial production systems in natural forests, are inappropriate when applied to smallholders and have provided minimal (although frequently exaggerated) benefits to smallholders and others in the supply chain. If certification schemes are to be promoted and adopted by smallholder growers, then fairer and more equitable models are required, and they should promote sustainable productivity and profitability as core outcomes. This chapter examines whether certification schemes are voluntary; are accessible and/or necessary; support sustainability; are profitable; and deliver a social licence for the certifiers and processors. It presents a practical and cost-effective self-assessment model for smallholders participating in supply chains.
