Forest certification: The view from Europe's NIPFs

Despite different backgrounds and cultures, British and Finnish landowners hold remarkably similar opinions regarding forest certification. They are u nsure of certification's potential benefits, either economic or ecological, and few would find participation attractive. Owners of large forest estate s consider certification a threat; owners of smaller properties are less ec onomically dependent on forestry and may see in certification a way to impr ove the state of their forests. If market forces eventually require large-s cale certification, the needs and preferences of private forest landowners must be taken into consideration to ensure their participation.