the “oecd forest seed and plant scheme”

Directorate for Food, Agriculture, and Fisheries 1

OECD SCHEME FOR THE CONTROL OF FOREST REPRODUCTIVE MATERIAL MOVING IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE

FAO Committee on Forestry - March 2007

THE “OECD FOREST SEED AND PLANT SCHEME”

1

Directorate for Food, Agriculture, and Fisheries2

OECD: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

• Intergovernmental body (30 Members)

• Some activities open to non-Members, e.g. within the OECD Trade and Agriculture Directorate, the Agricultural Codes and Schemes Unit deals with:

“TRACTOR TESTING CODES” “FRUIT AND VEGETABLE SCHEME”

“OECD SEED SCHEMES” for agricultural seed, and

“OECD FOREST SEED AND PLANT SCHEME”


OECD CERTIFICATION: BASIC PRINCIPLES

Official

Implemented by National Authorities

(= Certification Agencies)

Common harmonised rules and procedures

for production and control

Promotes good quality/controlled-origin seed

Facilitates international trade


THE OECD FOREST SEED AND PLANT SCHEME

Established in 1967

Certification tool to facilitate international trade in forest reproductive material

Forest seeds or plants collected, processed, raised, labelled and distributed in a manner that ensures their conformity to their identity

‘quality guaranteed’

‘of controlled origin (or source)’

Certified material intended for use in a variety of forestry functions:

timber production, erosion control, environmental criteria, landscaping, producing ornamental trees, etc.


AUSTRIABELGIUMBURKINA FASO (applicant country)CANADADENMARKFINLANDFRANCEGEORGIA (applicant country)GERMANYHUNGARYIRELANDITALYMADAGASCARNETHERLANDSNORWAYPORTUGALSLOVAK REPUBLICROMANIARWANDASPAINSWEDENSWITZERLANDTURKEYUGANDA (applicant country)UNITED STATES

COUNTRIES PARTICIPATING IN THE OECD FOREST SEED SCHEME–March 2007

Applicant country


RULES AND PROCEDURES

Forest seeds and plants produced and officially controlled according to COMMON HARMONISED PROCEDURES:

Approved basic material - Regions of provenance - National Lists/Catalogues

4 categories of reproductive material (to be amended in 2007)

Inspection during collection, processing, storage

Separated and identified lots = sealing and labelling


BENEFITS FROM PARTICIPATING IN THE OECD SCHEME

Using world-wide recognised official labels

and certificates – Facilitate international trade

Making national forest seed resources better known

(OECD database / Web)

Bringing domestic certification performance

to international level

Regular exchanges between Authorities of participating countries and observers (ISF, ISTA, FAO…)

Elaboration of international rules and procedures for FRM

TWO MAIN CATEGORIES OF FOREST REPRODUCTIVE MATERIAL (FRM) UNDER THE OECD SCHEME

"SOURCE-IDENTIFIED " FRM: the geographic origin of the forest stands (i.e., the source of the seeds) is known

– YELLOW LABEL

"SELECTED" FRM: from stands located in well-delineated regions of provenance, which have proven to be above average – GREEN LABEL________________________________________________________________

More « advanced » categories to rediscussed from 2007: "from UNTESTED SEED ORCHARDS"

which can produce seed of improved quality – Future « QUALIFIED » category? "TESTED" FRM: genetically improved, high-quality material with selected characteristics (growth, pest

resistance, adaptability…).

National catalogues of approved basic material

FOREST STANDS (+ SEED ORCHARDS, CLONES, etc.)

listed in national catalogues

as eligible for production of OECD certified reproductive material

OECD database total all countries: 250 forest tree species,

covering an area of 13 million hectares


IDENTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR OECD FOREST REPRODUCTIVE MATERIAL

CERTIFICATE

-- established by the National Authority

-- one certificate per lot

-- used by Authorities, custom officers, seed sellers and buyers

LABELS -- affixed to each bag, cannot be opened without damages

-- identify the FRM from the company to final users

-- easy to keep/check in case of dispute

OECD LABELS: "SOURCE-IDENTIFIED" AND "SELECTED"

Source-Identified

(recto) (verso)

Selected

(recto only)


DEVELOPMENTS AND CHALLENGES FOR THE OECD FOREST SEED AND PLANT SCHEME

Update the Rules of Procedures = Revision in progress

New forestry production and tree improvement techniques

It is more difficult for “advanced“ material (divergences on GM issues) -- to be rediscussed in future years

Harmonisation with other existing systems (E.U…)

Admit new participating countries into the Scheme

Update and develop the database on approved basic material (initiated in 2004)


OECD Forest Seed & Plant Scheme WEBSITE www.oecd.org/agr/forest

DATABASE ON APPROVED BASIC MATERIAL (stands areas…)

= Search by Tree species and/or by Country

http://www.oecd.org/agr/forest


OECD certification rules,

National Authorities contact,

Access to database… …

www.oecd.org/agr/forest

THANK YOU!


Rwanda – Regions of Provenance

Portugal – Regions of Provenance (e.g. Pinus pinea)


PRIVATE/PUBLIC COLLABORATION IN FOREST SEED CERTIFICATION

Various national situations

FRM producers = registered public & private bodiesOfficial National Lists/Catalogues = public & private stands (+ other materials)

OECD Certified seed: controlled “under the responsibility of the Designated Authority, at least by random checks during collection, processing, storage, raising, labelling and sealing…”Stand inspection “by a qualified person acting on behalf of the D.A…”

= Room for public/private collaboration in certification process where applicable and agreed by the Authority

Company records made available for official inspection

Certificates and labels issued by the Designated Authority

the “oecd forest seed and plant scheme”

Documents