Group certification

Regional group certification is cost effective and improves biodiversity protection.

The PEFC Finland standard offers family forest owners the option to apply for a certificate together with other forest owners. The regional group certification model certifies local forest owners associations or a regional union of these associations on behalf of its members and other forest owners who have registered for the application.

Regional group certification suits Finnish conditions, where almost two-thirds of the commercial forest area is owned by private individuals and families. In addition, 80% of the wood purchased by industry originates from these private forests. The average forest ownership is 25 hectares. This is quite small and means there are a lot of forest owners in Finland, and depending on the calculations, representing almost one-fifth of the population.

The basic idea behind group certification is to increase cost effectiveness for small forest owners and ensure the wider implementation of certification measures. Family forest owners in Finland are well-organized and group certification through their representative associations ensures effective communication and implementation.
 
Safeguarding forest biodiversity and the multiple-use of forests can be planned more effectively in regional group certification than for single, small forest holdings simply because the planning areas are bigger. It also offers small forest holding owners an equal opportunity to participate in forest certification.

It is important that everybody has the possibility to participate.

Additional information can be found here.