By Benjamin D. Hodgdon -
A recent article by Chris Lang entitled “Laos: FSC Certified Timber is Illegal,” published on the World Rainforest Movement website, details the findings of a report that describes illegal logging inside a certified forestry operation in central Laos. The article provoked strong responses from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the Rainforest Alliance’s SmartWood program, and the Tropical Forest Trust (TFT), all of which criticized the tack taken by Mr. Lang while noting that there was indeed cause for concern. A SmartWood auditor was dispatched to Laos to investigate further the claims raised in the report. No details on the results of this mission are available at the time of writing.
