The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a global non-profit organization whose mission is to promote responsible forest management worldwide through a rigorous forest certification scheme. The goal is to make forests environmentally sound, socially beneficial, and economically sustainable. Certification is a tool to demonstrate to the public and the forest industry that sustainable forest management is achievable and beneficial.

FSC initiated Forest Certification for Ecosystem Services (ForCES), which is a pilot program to certify forest management for ecosystem services for forest managers in selected forest areas around the world.

ForCES not only aims to promote and improve sustainable forest management, but also provide the benefits of sustainable forest management such as environmental services.

The program is supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) as the main donor, as well as the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) which oversees the running of the entire process and activities, including the use of its resources.
use of its resources.

In addition to initiating ForCES, FSC also implements and provides global program management and technical support on forest management certification. ForCES is planned or in the process of being piloted in ten forest areas in four countries with different socio-political and environmental conditions, namely Chile (FSC), Indonesia (WWF-Indonesia), Nepal (Asia Network for Sustainable Agriculture and Bioresources/ANSAB), and Vietnam (SNV).

The program is conducted through local and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the four ForCES pilot countries. The FSC certification scheme that will be field-tested is based on biodiversity and environmental services, with ecotourism; carbon sequestration; water; and biodiversity itself included in both aspects.

In implementing the ForCES Program in Indonesia, FSC partners with WWF-Indonesia. In 1990, WWF-Indonesia has also established cooperation with the Indonesian Ecolabeling Institute (LEI) on forest certification issues, which is also supported by the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia.

Through the ForCES Program, WWF-Indonesia supports the development of environmental services within the management areas of communities and companies, by conducting various activities, especially in building community readiness to obtain FSC and PES certification.

This ForCES profile is a comprehensive introduction to the ForCES scheme, locations, and pilot applications as a step towards sustainable forest management in the country.