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Forest certification in Russia: Challenges of institutional development

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  • Ulybina, Olga
  • Fennell, Shailaja

Abstract

This article examines the implementation of voluntary forest certification in Russia and the role it has played so far as a mechanism of multi-level governance with the potential to create sustainable forestry. The evidence was gathered from a data-set of over a hundred in-depth interviews with individuals from business, communities, state and non-governmental organizations in several major forestry regions in the European and Far-Eastern parts of Russia. The respondents' views regarding the nature and effects of certification were wide ranging. Certification is associated with new and powerful tools that are an alternative to coercive state governance, which may become instrumental in ensuring law enforcement and sustainability. At the same time, the combination of commercial drivers behind certification and the lack of social controls may lead to the institutionalization of existing, not necessarily desirable, forestry practices. Our paper shows that the inconsistent outcomes of certification are highly related to path-dependent social institutions and local practices. The expectations for internationally-devised schemes aimed at establishing sustainable forest management can be easily thwarted by the behavior of individuals involved at the local level. Greater focus on low-level actors is required for effective realization of multi-level governance in Russian forestry.

Suggested Citation

  • Ulybina, Olga & Fennell, Shailaja, 2013. "Forest certification in Russia: Challenges of institutional development," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 178-187.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:95:y:2013:i:c:p:178-187
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2013.09.004
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Niedziałkowski, Krzysztof & Shkaruba, Anton, 2018. "Governance and legitimacy of the Forest Stewardship Council certification in the national contexts – A comparative study of Belarus and Poland," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 180-188.
    4. Julika Herzberg, 2019. "Protection and Profit: Empirical Evidence of Governmental and Market-based Forest Policies," MAGKS Papers on Economics 201901, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, Department of Economics (Volkswirtschaftliche Abteilung).
    5. Guillaume Lescuyer & Raphaël Tsanga & Samir Nziengui & Eric Forni & Claudia Romero, 2021. "Influence of FSC certification on the governance of the logging sector in the Congo basin," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 45(3), pages 289-304, August.
    6. Hubert Paluš & Ján Parobek & Rastislav Šulek & Ján Lichý & Jaroslav Šálka, 2018. "Understanding Sustainable Forest Management Certification in Slovakia: Forest Owners’ Perception of Expectations, Benefits and Problems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-17, July.
    7. Zubizarreta, Mikel & Arana-Landín, Germán & Wolff, Sarah & Egiluz, Ziortza, 2023. "Assessing the economic impacts of forest certification in Spain: A longitudinal study," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 204(PA).
    8. Hubert Paluš & Ján Parobek & Roman Dudík & Mikuláš Šupín, 2017. "Assessment of Chain-of-Custody Certification in the Czech and Slovak Republic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-13, October.
    9. Tricallotis, Marcos & Gunningham, Neil & Kanowski, Peter, 2018. "The impacts of forest certification for Chilean forestry businesses," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 82-91.

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