FSC breakthrough for small-scale tree farmers in Southern Africa
The certification of small-scale tree farming operations in South Africa by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is gathering momentum, with more than 870 certified in one FSC group scheme to date and many more in the pipeline. The target is to certify some 3,000 small-scale grower operations in South Africa over the next few years.

This signals a breakthrough for the forest sector and the growers themselves as it improves the marketability of their wood and brings with it the benefits of responsible forest management.
The breakthrough has primarily been achieved by the FSC's mechanisms and processes that have established more user-friendly pathways to certification that managers of small- and micro-forest operations can access.
These include:
- The FSC standard for Small and Low Intensity Managed Forests (SLIMFs) enables forestry operations to use streamlined certification requirements and auditing procedures in their journey to certification. This reduces the complexity and cost of the process.
- Establishing Group FSC certification schemes enables members to pool their expertise and resources and share costs.
- Developing a Continuous Improvement Procedure allows smallholders to progress to full FSC certification over five years, using a simplified sub-set of indicators as stepping stones.
Historically, small-scale and community-owned forestry operations in Southern Africa have struggled to achieve certification due to the cost and complexity of the process. In contrast, most large- and medium-sized commercial forestry operations have been certified for decades.
These big companies are ramping up their efforts to support all of their timber suppliers in their journey to certification as the premium international markets for wood-based products are increasingly demanding assurance that raw materials are sourced from sustainably managed forests. FSC certification provides this assurance.
Certification is a game-changer for small-scale tree farmers as it improves the marketability of their timber.
It also provides a framework for them to formalise their approach to forest management that is legally compliant, considers workers' health and safety, and minimises harmful environmental impacts. Ultimately, this approach reinforces the sustainability of small-scale forestry as a viable economic activity and job creator.
Mondi Zimele
Mondi South Africa supplements its raw material requirements for its South African mills by sourcing timber from small-scale tree farmers, mainly in the Zululand area. Responding to the need to have all of their timber suppliers certified, Mondi has partnered with two Zululand-based timber purchasing agents, Khulanathi and Awethu, to provide crucial support for the certification of the small growers' operations, which is facilitated through the CMO FSC Group Scheme.
CMO is an independent forestry solutions company with extensive experience in forest certification. It has developed an innovative software programme that turns a complex process into a user-friendly digital system, and certification of the small-scale growers is progressing at pace. Mondi's enterprise development unit, Mondi Zimele, provides business support services to the small growers preparing for certification.
This partnership has been so successful that CMO has over 800 small-scale growers' operations on their FSC Group Scheme and is onboarding more weekly.
According to Sizwe Mtengu, Manager of Mondi Zimele's Forestry Partners programme, 11,000 tonnes of certified timber from these small growers was delivered to Mondi's Richards Bay mill in 2023. He expects to deliver 60,000 tonnes of certified small grower timber to the mill in 2024. The target for 2025 is 100,000 tons.
Sappi Khulisa
Sappi has 400,000 ha of owned and leased plantations and five mills in South Africa. To supplement its raw material resources, Sappi has established a successful outgrower programme, Sappi Khulisa, which has about 4,000 small-scale growers and community forestry projects on its books, managing 37,000 ha of plantations.
The strategic importance of this timber supply pipeline has motivated the Sappi team to take a proactive, developmental approach to help these businesses become more professional and sustainable. A key aspect of this strategy is to get the Sappi Khulisa growers certified.
Sappi's forest certification programme applies a risk-based approach to identify gaps and barriers to the certification of individual growers. A structured intervention plan, including workshops and training, is rolled out to bring the growers up to speed. Internal audits by the Sappi team assess their readiness for certification.
This strategy is starting to bear fruit as three growers with a total timber area of 733 hectares have undergone second-party audits and are recommended for certification under the Sappi FSC Group Scheme.
Furthermore, a group of small growers in the Umkomaas area of southern KZN, as well as a community forestry project in the Eastern Cape, with a combined 545 hectares of timber, have also been earmarked for certification through Sappi's FSC Group Scheme.
Meanwhile, the Sappi team has launched a pilot project to certify small-scale growers in the Manguzi area of northern Zululand through CMO's FSC Group Scheme. These growers participate in Sappi's Khulisa programme, with tiny plantations averaging around five hectares.
"We are developing the whole value chain; this includes the growers and contractors," commented Sappi Khulisa General Manager Sandile Nkosi. "We want to develop our suppliers as successful SMMEs that comply with all regulations," he said.
Certifying charcoal operations
In the Eastern Cape province, a few hundred kilometres south of Zululand, a different FSC story is unfolding. Here, communal grasslands and river valleys have been invaded by black and silver wattles, choking rangelands, reducing biodiversity, and using excessive water resources.
Several initiatives have been launched in this region to clear the wattle off the land. The cost of these clearing operations is offset by utilising the cleared wattle to manufacture charcoal for local and export markets.
These markets – especially those in Europe – are under pressure from consumers who want to know that the charcoal they buy is made from wood sourced from responsibly managed operations.
CMO has engaged with a local NGO to bring FSC certification to several charcoal manufacturing operations. This is potentially a win-win scenario that will benefit the environment and cattle farmers while providing business opportunities and jobs for local community members.
A similar approach is used by CMO in Namibia to certify commercial charcoal producers who are using wood derived from bush-clearing operations in the manufacturing process. Bush encroachment in Namibia poses a serious threat to livestock farmers by reducing the grazing lands they rely on.
Certification initiative in Eswatini
The challenges small-scale growers face in South Africa are similar to those confronting small-scale growers in neighbouring Southern African countries.
The FSC Southern Africa team is working closely with the Eswatini government and key stakeholders in an exciting initiative aimed at assisting small-scale farmers in that country to get their forestry woodlots FSC-certified. Wattle trees (Acacia mearnsii) introduced to the country in the past have turned into unmanaged wattle jungles and have invaded rangelands and river valleys, causing multiple problems.
The FSC's Group Certification Standard and Continuous Improvement Procedure (CIP) are the pathways to prepare small-scale farmers in Eswatini for certification.
It is anticipated that the certification of Eswatini tree farmers will improve their chances of accessing the pulp and wattle bark markets located across the border in South Africa. These businesses are supplying to international markets that do not accept uncertified timber.
Source: Forest Stewardship Council