Other indicators for legal timber trade of Cameroon

Third party certification

Forest certification progressed rapidly in Cameroon until 2016, with nearly 940,945 hectares of forest still covered by FSC forest management certificates. Due to the shutdown of the country's two main forestry companies (Wijma and Rougier), the certification process experienced a reversal during the last two years, with only 341,708 ha of FSC-certified forests remaining in the country by the end of 2019 (one certificate awarded to Pallisco and its partners). As of 2019, Cameroon had approximately 2.6 million hectares of forests certified according to Bureau Veritas' OLB system. OLB stands for Origine et Légalité des Bois (Timber Origin and Legality). Cameroon also has FSC CW/FM certificates (FSC Controlled Wood) and Legal Source certificates (Preferred by Naure) accounting for around 400,000 hectares (ATIBT, 2019).

In Cameroon, PAFC Cameroon (the national forest management certification scheme which was recognised by PEFC at the end of 2019) will have to be replaced by the PAFC Congo Basin scheme as soon as it is implemented (following its recognition by PEFC). Moreover, an initial regional workshop for the development of the PAFC certification standards for the Congo Basin was held in Libreville in November 2019, and allowed stakeholders to agree on the first versions of the sustainable forest management and chain of custody standards. As the PAFC Cameroon standard hasn't been completed and the sub-regional standard is still in the development process, there are no forests certified according to the PAFC system.

On October 26 and 27, 2020, the PAFC BC forest certification standard was validated, see article ATIBT