Artisanal logging and legality verification in DRC: what are the options?

Artisanal logging and legality verification in DRC: what are the options?

DR Congo - 13 May, 2013

FSC certification is not the right instrument to improve forest governance in DR Congo at the moment. This was the conclusion of a network event organised by WWF and the Dutch Tropical Forest Association VTB the 23th of April at the WWF office in Zeist, the Netherlands.

Three speakers that have been working on forest governance in the Congo Basin and more specifically on DR Congo shared their field experiences with the public. Daniel Tiveau (WWF) gave an overview of the work of WWF in Central Africa and the Congo Basin. Danielle van Oijen presented the results of Greenpeace’s research on illegal logging in DR Congo. Charlotte Benneker (Tropenbos International) showed how artisanal logging is organised in the field.

To head towards a sustainable use of the forests in DR Congo, forest governance should be improved first. The new forest code in DR Congo was enacted 10 years ago. Its application is slow and lately illegal logging even seems to be increasing. Government officials enable illegal practices though the emission of illegal logging permits.

Actual forest use takes place far away from the capital Kinshasa and out of the sphere of influence of policy makers and executors. Communities manage, de facto, large tracts of forests in DR Congo based on customary regulations. Local government and customary authorities, the private sector and communities all actively participate and benefit from current artisanal logging practices.

All speakers considered that the institutional environment in DR Congo does not allow for credible FSC certification at the moment. Working with industrial forest enterprises is still considered an option to offer the enterprises and the country the option to improve forest management practices. But a first step is effective controls and halting illegal logging and trade as well as make sure that communities actually start benefiting from industrial logging.

Tropenbos International beliefs that any program directed at improving forest governance and management in DR Congo should consider all actors involved in logging and their economic interest. With Greenpeace it calls upon donors to support activities that include the local level stakeholders in a pragmatic and practical way and foster meaningful participation of local communities.