Independent consultants will now assess the Pan African Forest Certification System, PAFC Gabon, against the PEFC‘s benchmark requirements, before the first okoume timber logs can be sold with the PEFC label.
Part of the assessment is a public consultation period, during which all interested individuals and organisations can comment on the PAFC Gabon system.
“Gabon has more than 10 million ha of commerical forests offering a wide range of African tropical hardwoods,” said Rose Ondo, president of PAFC Gabon.
“We are confident that, with a PEFC endorsement, we will be able to meet the existing and fast growing demand for Tropical Timbers.”
The first ever PEFC Chain of Custody certification in Africa was awarded only recently to the timber processing company Medidis in Morocco, underlining the growing importance of forest certification in Africa.
