Webinar: Stewardship in the forestry and value chain

 
 
COVID-19 threatens the jobs, health and lives of millions of workers worldwide. In the forest-based industry alone, the pandemic’s multifaceted impact on workers’ livelihood has been crippling. In the industry’s rural and remote areas, access to hospitals and healthcare services has become extremely challenging. The anticipated return of workers to their jobs, after months of staying at home, was badly managed, adding more stress and anxiety to rural households.


Meanwhile, PEFC and FSC,  the leading forestry certification systems, have changed their rules allowing remote audits and extension of certificates. Trade unions are demanding certificate holders to recognise and negotiate with them at all relevant levels  to identify threats to workers’ rights and welfare and develop and implement workplace responses.

In this context, BWI held a global webinar on stewardship in forestry and value chain on 17 February 2021.

In the webinar, we discussed the following:


  • The inner dynamics created by the pandemic in the forest-based industry.
  • COVID-19’s impact on forestry and workers.
  • BWI demands on protecting workers’ rights.
  • Certification schemes and their impact on enhancing forest management and sharing of social benefits from forests to workers.
  • The role of unions, legislators and labour inspections in promoting, ensuring and advancing the social and economic wellbeing of forest-based workers.