The following Open Letter to David Nahwegahbow, Chair of the Forest Stewardship Council, has been submitted by Philip Owen of Geasphere .
Plantations
Aracruz, SmartWood, FSC and a conflict of interest
In 2003, Brazil’s Aracruz bought Klabin’s Riocell pulp operations in Rio Grande do Sul. The 400,000 tonnes a year pulp mill came with 40,000 hectares of FSC-certified plantations.
Aracruz is among the most controversial pulp companies in the world. It has an ongoing dispute with indigenous people and quilombolas in Espirito Santo province. The company is currently carrying out a racist campaign aiming to turn the population of Espirito Santo against the indigenous people. The working conditions in its plantations are terrible.
Uruguay: FSC cannot guarantee peace of mind
In July 2006, FSC put out a statement in response to World Rainforest Movement’s publication “Greenwash: Critical analysis of FSC certification of industrial tree monocultures in Uruguay“.
FSC’s statement is titled, “FSC guarantees peace of mind to consumers”. FSC based its statement on responses from the two certifying bodies involved, SmartWood and SGS.
Selling South Africa’s Forests down the Elands River
World Rainforest Movement calls for cancellation of 8 FSC plantation certificates
Press release from World Rainforest Movement, 1 September 2006:
Green groups demand cancellation of certificates in Galicia and Uruguay
From the galician ecologist movement to the FSC:
FSC-Watch 