The Sustainable Management of the Industrial Plantation Forests of South Africa: Policy Development and Implementation

SYNOPSIS This paper is intended as a basis for discussion of relevant issues regarding management for sustainability in the industrial plantation forests of South Africa. A brief outline of questions relating to sustainability of this sector is followed by a discussion of the concept of environmental sustainability and sustainable forest management. The policies current in South Africa are outlined. A brief review of optional policy instruments for attaining sustainable forest management follows. These include: — prescriptive vs effects-based planning for guiding the choice of development options; — several aspects of environmental management, i.e. of managing for sustainability; — defining sustainability: principles, criteria and indicators; — benchmarking sustainability: performance standards; — achieving sustainability: the process of improving performance through environmental management systems; — recognising sustainability: certification; — rewarding sustainability: labelling; — codes of practice; —...