According to a new Greenpeace report, commodity certification schemes such as Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, and Forest Stewardship Council are ineffective when it comes to protecting the planet’s forests from the risk of logging.

The report by the well-known non-governmental organisation came out a few weeks ago. Its aim is to assess the effectiveness of voluntary certification schemes for land-based commodities in addressing the global problems of deforestation and ecosystems degradation. This is a hot topic, which I recently wrote about. The report also looks at the issue of human rights abuses against workers and Indigenous peoples.

Greenpeace argues that although some certification schemes have strong standards, too many certified companies remain linked to land disputes and the destruction of forest ecosystems. This is because standards often suffer from weak implementation and lack of transparency, for example in terms of product traceability. Another problem is the green-washing effect that certification schemes might have on the market. By improving the image of commodities that actually constitute a risk to forests, certification can normalise their consumption and allow demand to increase unimpeded. At present, then, concludes the environmental NGO, certification schemes enable damaging corporate practices to continue as usual.

Greenpeace’s stated aim with this report is to inform decision-making by governments and companies on the role certification schemes should have in reforming supply chains. Many of the actors criticised in the report, however, have replied saying the document is imprecise and biased.

One of the certification bodies found wanting by Greenpeace, for example, is the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. But according to the pro-palm oil platform Palm Oil Monitor, the environmental NGO places an excessive focus on the product, compared to other commodities they argue are more destructive, such as soy and maize.

Further criticisms of the report can be found in an Annex that Greenpeace itself has published on its website. This document contains the certification schemes’ responses to the opportunity to comment on the draft report. The complexity and level of detail of some of these responses shows just how difficult it is to get to the bottom of the matter. Meanwhile, deforestation continues apace and consumers are left wondering what to do when they stroll down the supermarket aisles.

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