Meghalaya bamboo forests win FSC certification in five villages

Meghalaya has secured international Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification for natural bamboo forest management in five villages, a step the state government says will improve livelihoods and encourage sustainable forest use.

The certification, announced on Monday, October 26, was issued through the certification body Preferred by Nature. It covers more than 250 hectares of bamboo forest managed by smallholders and recognises management practices that use the resource responsibly while conserving it for the long term.

Who led the effort

The Meghalaya Basin Management Agency (MBMA) led the initiative over the past two years through its Centre of Excellence for Natural Resource Management and Sustainable Livelihoods.

According to the state government, the process involved extensive technical work, including developing methods that were later accepted under the certification standards.

Why certification matters

FSC is one of the most widely recognised forest certification systems. Certified products can be sold into markets where buyers need proof that the raw material was sourced responsibly.

The government said the certification should help the participating communities sell certified bamboo into premium markets. Some bamboo-based industries have already expressed interest in buying it at higher prices.

From pilot to scale

Beyond market access, the project is meant to build community capacity in forest management and promote sustainable use of bamboo, an important natural resource in Meghalaya.

The government said the pilot has laid the groundwork for extending certification to several hundred villages across the state. That could create openings for community-run enterprises while encouraging the conservation of natural bamboo forests.

The bigger picture

The aim is to link conservation with income, so that communities earn more from bamboo without depleting it. For villages that own and manage their forests, as most do in Meghalaya, certification offers a way to turn traditional stewardship into a recognised market advantage.

The names of the five villages were not given in the report.