CNN Central News & Network–ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: The Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Bhopal, successfully organized the India-UK Knowledge Exchange on Forest Standards, Certification, and Product Traceability in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India, and the UK Government. This workshop is part of a broader initiative under the UK’s Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions (PACT) program, focusing on traceability and certification in the agroforestry sector.
The event was inaugurated in the presence of Mr. Aseem Srivastava, PCCF & HoFF, Madhya Pradesh Forest Department; Dr. K. Ravichandran, Director, IIFM; Mr. Amit Anand, Deputy Inspector General, MoEFCC; Mr. Owen Roberts, Head of Climate Policy at the British High Commission; and Mr. Manoj Debnath, Country Director, CIFOR-ICRAF.
Mr. Owen Roberts expressed his delight in participating in the workshop and highlighted that the UK has been collaborating with India on forest conservation under the India-UK Forest Partnership since 2021. He emphasized that this initiative supports sustainable agroforestry and forest product traceability, benefiting smallholders and strengthening sustainable forest management. Experts from the UK Forest Research participated in the workshop alongside dignitaries from government, industry, finance, academia, and civil society.
Dr. K. Ravichandran presented an overview of the Indian Forest & Wood-based Certification Scheme “PRAMAN”, launched by MoEFCC on 12 December 2023. He underlined the importance of third-party verification in certifying forests, trees outside forests, timber, and non-timber forest products.
The discussions focused on the UK’s journey and experiences in developing and implementing forest certification and product traceability systems and how India can leverage these insights to strengthen its frameworks. Technical sessions covered:
Institutional and administrative frameworks supporting forest certification
Technical standards and ground-level operations
Inclusion of smallholders and local communities in certification systems
The role of certification in meeting global due diligence and sustainability requirements
The workshop concluded with breakout sessions and panel discussions, where the UK’s experiences were contextualized to Indian needs and realities. Panelists included representatives from MoEFCC, CIFOR, NABARD, Indian Plywood and Panel Industries Federation (FIPPI), Greenlam, and IN-QUBE. The workshop ended with a consensus on the need for continued technical cooperation and stakeholder engagement between the two countries.
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