The Association for Ecological Forestry Certification

I am a sitting member of the Board of Directors of the Association for Ecological Forestry Certification (AEFC), and, following a re-election in 2025, will serve on the Board of Directors until 2028.

The Association for Ecological Forestry Certification was founded in May 2023 in Helsinki, Finland. Its mission is to develop and maintain a rigorous certification and labelling system for timber and wood products built on the scientifically grounded principles of Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF). CCF is economically viable while significantly enhancing biodiversity conservation, water quality, carbon sequestration, and socially just forest use.

The Association has already begun work on globally applicable, performance-based principles, criteria, indicators, and standards for ecologically, socially, and culturally sustainable forestry. The first national standards—developed collaboratively with regional stakeholders—will be completed in Estonia, Finland, and Sweden in 2025.

The AEFC was created to bring tangible, measurable, and lasting improvements to responsible forest management and long-term forest stewardship. Originating as a pan-Nordic and Baltic collaboration, the organisation draws on exceptional regional expertise with the aim of redefining how forest owners can manage their land in economically efficient ways without overlooking essential non-monetary values. These include ecological integrity, cultural and recreational considerations, heritage landscapes, and the protection of forest-dependent communities and species.

Engagement in Brussels and Endorsement from European Institutions

In furtherance of its mission, the AEFC Board of Directors recently travelled to Brussels to present the emerging certification system and the scientific rationale behind Continuous Cover Forestry to policymakers and officials within the European Union. During this visit, board members met with both Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and senior representatives of the European Commission.

The team in Brussels

These discussions were highly constructive. The policymakers we met recognized the urgent need for forest management approaches that simultaneously address climate adaptation, biodiversity loss, rural livelihood stability, and the European Union's tightening sustainability and climate frameworks. The principles embodied in the AEFC system—particularly the emphasis on maintaining continuous forest canopy, enhancing carbon sinks, and integrating social and cultural values—were strongly welcomed. Several MEPs and Commission officials expressed explicit support for the development of a CCF-based certification standard, noting its alignment with broader EU goals such as the European Green Deal, the EU Biodiversity Strategy, and new legislative frameworks governing sustainable land use and supply-chain transparency.

This endorsement illustrates that AEFC's initiative is timely, necessary, and strategically aligned with Europe's evolving environmental governance. As the EU pushes for more sustainable, climate-resilient forestry models, new certification systems grounded in ecological science are essential. The AEFC's work fills a critical gap, offering a credible, performance-based, and measurable standard that helps forest owners and wood-product industries meet emerging expectations while maintaining strong economic viability.

The Scientific Basis and Sustainability of Continuous Cover Forestry

Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF) is rooted in decades of research demonstrating that forests managed without clearcutting maintain healthier ecological functions, more stable economic returns, and stronger long-term resilience than forests managed under conventional rotation forestry. The method relies on preserving an unbroken forest canopy, promoting natural regeneration, and selectively harvesting trees while maintaining continuous forest structure.

1. Biodiversity Conservation

Uneven-aged, structurally diverse forests are scientifically proven to support greater biodiversity than even-aged monocultures. CCF preserves:

  • Habitat continuity, essential for forest-floor species, birds, insects, fungi, and mammals.
  • Deadwood, cavities, and layered canopies, which provide key microhabitats.
  • Stable microclimates, protecting organisms from drying and solar exposure associated with clearcuts.
  • By avoiding large-scale canopy removal, CCF reduces habitat fragmentation and maintains ecological connectivity, a crucial factor as climate change alters species ranges.

2. Carbon Sequestration and Climate Resilience

Research consistently shows that CCF-managed forests store more carbon long term due to:

  • Continued carbon accumulation by older trees.
  • Minimal soil disturbance, protecting large soil carbon pools.
  • Reduced carbon-release pulses associated with clearcutting.
  • CCF also enhances resilience against drought, storms, pests, and diseases by diversifying species and age classes, thereby distributing ecological risk.

3. Water Quality and Hydrological Stability

CCF provides superior protection for water systems because:

  • Nutrient leaching is reduced.
  • Soil erosion and sedimentation remain minimal.
  • Stream temperatures remain stable due to retained shade.
  • Natural infiltration and watershed functions remain intact.
  • This is particularly important in countries where forests overlap with drinking-water catchments or sensitive aquatic ecosystems.

4. Social and Cultural Sustainability

Forests provide far more than timber—they are cultural landscapes, recreation areas, and heritage sites. CCF supports:

  • Preservation of scenic and recreational landscapes.
  • Reduced conflicts with communities over clearcut impacts.
  • Support for small forest owners prioritizing long-term stewardship.
  • Its compatibility with traditional ecological knowledge also aligns CCF with the practices of many Indigenous and local communities.

5. Economic Efficiency and Market Advantage

  • Far from reducing profitability, CCF offers:
  • Steady, predictable income from frequent selective harvests.
  • Lower regeneration costs, as forests regrow naturally.
  • Higher resilience, reducing losses from storms or pests.
  • Improved wood quality, often fetching higher market prices.
  • As global markets increasingly demand sustainably sourced wood, CCF-based certification helps forest owners remain competitive and future-proof.

Supporting the AEFC Philosophy

Continuous Cover Forestry is a scientifically robust, economically sound, and socially responsible approach to managing forests in the twenty-first century. By developing a certification system anchored in CCF, the AEFC is contributing to a major shift in global forestry—one that protects biodiversity, strengthens climate resilience, supports rural economies, and meets the evolving expectations of European and international markets.

The support shown in Brussels underscores the importance of this work. Europe needs forestry systems that embody ecological science, social responsibility, and economic sustainability, and the AEFC certification standard directly advances this need. With its first national standards coming in 2025, the Association is well positioned to help shape the future of sustainable forest management across the Nordic–Baltic region and beyond.