Smallholders are vital to FSC. They manage millions of hectares of forest worldwide and play an important role in the global value chain. At this session, representatives from Asia Pacific and Africa showcased innovative approaches designed to make certification more accessible — from simplified standards to partnerships supporting communities and livelihoods. 

Responsible forest management, particularly in tropical regions, can serve both people and nature. But the use of tropical timber is still too often framed as a problem, and every day, tropical forests are destroyed or degraded through the conversion of forest landscapes.