Forest certification barriers and opportunities for smallholders in Mediterranean countries: a review and analysis

Forest certification is a process by which impartial third parties assess whether forest management complies with predetermined ecological, economic and social standards and certifies it in writing. Despite having benefits smallholders also face various challenges while obtaining certification. This research aims to analyse the state of art of smallholder forest certification, identifying a gap and analysing barriers encountered by smallholders in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Bosnia, France, Croatia, Slovenia and Turkey. The methodology used includes literature reviews, collecting data from FSC Forest Management (FM) certification reports and data will be analysed qualitatively and quantitatively using various statistical tools. To promote sustainable forest management in Mediterranean countries the research focuses on addressing the barriers and providing suitable solutions. Data will be visualized using various visualization techniques like bar graphs and pie charts offering insights for policy makers and stakeholders to support smallholders in forest certification.