ABSTRACT The smallholder tree-farm resources of Southeast Asia are generating substantial benefits for growers and support many successful domestic wood processors. They could provide even greater benefits at all levels of the supply and value chains if they enjoyed a sympathetic policy framework; technical and specialised support and training to promote productivity gains; and greater knowledge of market trends and access requirements. This paper reviews current forest certification systems as applied to smallholder tree-farmers in Southeast Asia, with a focus on the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Thailand and Viet Nam, and questions whether perceived benefits match operational realities. A critical issue in any form of transactional relationship between two or more people or institutions is to answer to mutual satisfaction the question, ‘Who benefits?’ This is particularly important in transactions between relatively weak and vulnerable and relatively strong and powerful individuals and groups, such as the relationships between smallholder tree-farmers in Southeast Asia and purchasers of certified wood products. We explore factors that drive certification and how they intersect with salient characteristics of smallholder tree-farms restricting the adoption of certification. We argue that new approaches are required to deliver the benefits necessary to expand smallholder participation in wood production supply chains, such as national codes of practice for small-scale forestry and agreed standards that encourage mutual recognition between verification systems. Innovative approaches should be adopted to deliver a fair, equitable and inclusive model that is relevant, practical, feasible and cost-effective for smallholder tree-farmers. As currently practised, certification has many positive aspects for some types of forests and wood producers but rarely for smallholder tree-farmers. A new approach to smallholder forest certification is required to ensure that the answer to the question, ‘Who benefits?’ is, ‘All participants in the supply and value chain, including smallholder tree-farmers’. To achieve this outcome, certification organisations and forest products businesses should remove existing barriers to smallholder participation and develop initiatives to more fairly link smallholder tree-farmers with others in the supply chain, based on enabling and mutually supportive partnerships.

中文翻译：

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东南亚的小农林农和森林认证：为种植者带来更多利益的替代方法

摘要东南亚的小农林场资源为种植者带来了可观的收益，并支持了许多成功的国内木材加工商。如果他们享有同情的政策框架，他们可以在供应链和价值链的各个层面提供更大的利益；技术和专业支持和培训，以提高生产力；以及对市场趋势和准入要求的更多了解。本文回顾了适用于东南亚小规模林农的现行森林认证体系，重点关注老挝人民民主共和国、泰国和越南，并质疑感知收益是否与运营现实相符。在两个或两个以上的人或机构之间的任何形式的交易关系中，一个关键问题是要让双方都满意地回答这个问题，“谁受益？” 这在相对弱小和相对强大和强大的个人和团体之间的交易中尤为重要，例如东南亚小规模林农与认证木制品购买者之间的关系。我们探索推动认证的因素以及它们如何与限制采用认证的小农林场的显着特征相交。我们认为需要新的方法来提供扩大小农参与木材生产供应链所需的好处，例如小规模林业的国家行为准则和鼓励验证系统之间相互承认的商定标准。应采用创新方法，提供相关、实用、对小规模林农来说可行且具有成本效益。按照目前的做法，认证对某些类型的森林和木材生产者有许多积极的方面，但对小规模林农来说却很少。需要一种新的小农森林认证方法来确保“谁受益？”这个问题的答案。是“供应链和价值链的所有参与者，包括小规模林农”。为实现这一成果，认证组织和林产品企业应消除小农参与的现有障碍，并制定举措，在有利和相互支持的伙伴关系的基础上，更公平地将小农林农与供应链中的其他人联系起来。认证对某些类型的森林和木材生产者有许多积极的影响，但对小规模林农来说却很少。需要一种新的小农森林认证方法来确保“谁受益？”这个问题的答案。是“供应链和价值链的所有参与者，包括小规模林农”。为实现这一成果，认证组织和林产品企业应消除小农参与的现有障碍，并制定举措，在有利和相互支持的伙伴关系的基础上，更公平地将小农林农与供应链中的其他人联系起来。认证对某些类型的森林和木材生产者有许多积极的影响，但对小规模林农来说却很少。需要一种新的小农森林认证方法来确保“谁受益？”这个问题的答案。是“供应链和价值链的所有参与者，包括小规模林农”。为实现这一成果，认证组织和林产品企业应消除小农参与的现有障碍，并制定举措，在有利和相互支持的伙伴关系的基础上，更公平地将小农林农与供应链中的其他人联系起来。“供应链和价值链的所有参与者，包括小规模林农”。为实现这一成果，认证组织和林产品企业应消除小农参与的现有障碍，并制定举措，在有利和相互支持的伙伴关系的基础上，更公平地将小农林农与供应链中的其他人联系起来。“供应链和价值链的所有参与者，包括小规模林农”。为实现这一成果，认证组织和林产品企业应消除小农参与的现有障碍，并制定举措，在有利和相互支持的伙伴关系的基础上，更公平地将小农林农与供应链中的其他人联系起来。