Assessment of ecosystem service verification according to FSC standards in the Mediterranean countries

Conserving and valuing nature resources, including forest ones is a pressing global development issue. Forest sustainability standards and certifications, like those promoted by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), foster responsible forest management. After the publication of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and under the increasing concerns due to the global climate and biodiversity crises, the ecosystem services (ES) concept has gained momentum within the research and policy arena. Within this, the FSC system has expanded its scope to encompass the intangible benefits associated with forest management. Although many ES are difficult to assess, quantify and certify due to their complexity, intangibility and (often) public good nature, appropriate market-based instruments, like voluntary certifications, can help internalize them. The integration of certification and ES verification within the FSC system represents an ongoing effort to address the complexities of quantifying and certifying the ES associated with forest management, thus creating opportunities to remunerate forest owners/managers providing them. The objective of this study is to investigate the state of the art of ES verification according to FSC. The FSC ES procedure within the Mediterranean region, i.e., in the five countries currently hosting forests that have been verified according to this procedure: Croatia, France, Italy, Spain and Portugal. This includes, among others, analyzing the types of verified ES, the number of certificates issued, the indicators and methodologies employed to assess positive impacts of forest management on ES over time. An assessment framework was developed for this. FSC certificate holder database was used to extract information from publicly available audit reports. Each public report from every certificate holder was analyzed to extract the information and feed the assessment framework. Both quantitative and qualitative analysis methodologies were used to analyze data collected and draw conclusions about ES verification in the Mediterranean region. Our study reveals that the Mediterranean region is witnessing a growing interest in ES verification within the FSC framework, albeit with significant variations among countries. Italy emerges as a pioneer, covering all five ES categories, emphasizing the importance of considering the broader ecosystem context in forest management decisions. However, the scope of ES verification remains limited in some countries, suggesting a potential lack of awareness, readiness among forest owners, or competing timber-focused priorities. Biodiversity and Carbon sequestration appear to be the most popular and desired ES, likely driven by specific policy initiatives and market opportunities. We also identified a significant diversity of methodologies employed in ES assessment within the FSC framework. Key findings include varying interest levels, diverse ES categories, and methodologies, with Italy leading in comprehensive verification. Economic implications remain underexplored, emphasizing the need for standardized assessments. We recommend periodic studies, close collaboration between stakeholders, and better procedural and methodological consistency. This research underscores the dynamic nature of ES verification and its potential to contribute to sustainability goals while identifying areas for further development.