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According to Stichting Probos, the certification opens doors to a growing market for sustainably produced timber from community forests — so-called ‘conservation timber’.
“This is wood with a story: sourced from forests managed not only according to international standards for sustainable forest management, but also contributing to sustainable economic development, local employment, and the conservation of forests and biodiversity,” it says.
Probos added that, through collaboration between it, ESS, Suriname sawmill Soekhoe & Zonen, Dutch timber importer Van den Berg Hardhout, street furniture producer ERDI, and the Municipality of Amsterdam, the first shipment of timber from Bigi Poika has been sent to the Netherlands. The wood will be used to make city benches for the Amsterdam streets, each fitted with QR codes telling the story of the timber and the community. “Interest from other municipalities and
market actors is growing, as they recognize that using conservation timber contributes to supporting economic, social, and ecological value creation,” says Probos. According to Eli Prins of Probos, Big
Poika has established a template with global possibilities. “Their certification is an
contribute to climate mitigation, biodiversity conservation, and water management. At the same time, they strengthen local social and economic development, as both income and decision-making remain close to the community.”
Above: Suriname President Jennifer Simons presents the FSC certificate to Big Poika
incredible achievement for them, but the story is bigger. Other communities in Suriname can learn from their success and the first collaborations are already taking shape,” he said. Worldwide, he added, indigenous and local communities are estimated to manage about 20% of the world’s tropical forests. In the Amazon region, this number is closer to 30%. “And studies show that community forests are often better protected against deforestation than conventional concessions,” said Mr Prins. “By conserving and sustainably managing their forests, communities directly
Within the IDB Lab SUSTAME programme, Probos, and ESS are now working on scaling up to other communities in Suriname. The next phase, co-financed by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), aims to facilitate an FSC group certification system for communities, allowing multiple villages to join under one system. On the market side, efforts are underway to develop short, transparent supply chains toward Dutch and other international buyers. The ambition is to ‘create maximum added value for communities in Suriname while ensuring a consistent demand for high quality, sustainably produced timber. “The certification of Bigi Poika proves that the conservation and sustainable use of tropical forests can go hand in hand,” said Probos. “With local leadership, international standards, and fair market access, a new perspective emerges for both communities and forests. Stichting Probos, ESS, and their partners remain committed to advancing this example in Suriname and beyond.” ■
EXPLORING TROPICAL FOREST REVENUE STREAMS
Netherlands sustainable forest and timber sector analysts and advisors Stichting Probos have undertaken research into developing income from sustainably managed tropical forestry. It has undertaken “Exploring current and potential
revenue streams for forest managers in the tropics” (
www.probos.nl/en/projects) on behalf of FSC Netherlands. The project examines the current and potential income sources of forest managers in tropical countries, focusing on timber, non-timber forest products (NTFPs) and payments for ecosystem services (PES). The study includes a global literature review and a country analysis of Suriname, resulting in two reports and an infographic that present the key findings and recommendations for FSC Netherlands.
The global analysis shows that timber remains the main source of income for tropical forest managers overall. NTFPs such as nuts, resins, oils and medicinal plants play an important role in local livelihoods, yet their formal economic contribution remains limited due to informal trade and weak market access. PES, particularly carbon payments, offer promising but still emerging opportunities constrained by immature markets and regulatory challenges.
“Diversifying income through NTFPs and PES
strengthens the financial resilience of forest managers and supports the broader transition toward sustainable forest management, provided that enabling policies and functioning markets are in place,” says Probos. The country analysis of Suriname, which has more than 90% forest cover, shows that the national forestry sector remains highly dependent on timber revenues. Most timber is exported as roundwood to Asian markets, while local processing and value addition are limited. NTFPs such as podosiri (açaí fruit), medicinal plants and wildlife are important for forest communities but remain largely informal. PES schemes are not yet implemented at the forest manager level, although national UN REDD+ programme revenues indicate potential for future benefit-sharing mechanisms. The study recommends that FSC continues to
promote lesser-known timber species (LKTS) to broaden market opportunities for sustainable forest management, raise awareness of the FSC Ecosystem Services Procedure, and facilitate the establishment of group certification in Suriname. These actions can strengthen the economic viability of sustainable forest management and contribute to the long-term conservation of tropical forests. ■
www.ttjonline.com | November/December 2025 | TTJ
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