Context: Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav, today handed over the first PRAMAAN certificates under the Indian Forest and Wood Certification Scheme (IFWCS), in New Delhi.
- PRAMAN certificates were presented to the Andhra Pradesh Forest Development Corporation (APFDC) for its plantations over an area of 33,000 hectares, and to Shri Govind Mohapatra, a farmer associated with Odisha Bamboo Development Agency (OBDA).
- The plantations underwent a rigorous field and management audit before certification.
- The certificates mark the culmination of the processes established since launch of IFWCS by the Ministry in December 2023, signifying its transition from a policy framework to field-level implementation across both forest plantations and tree-based farming.
About PRAMAAN:
- PRAMAAN (Programme for Recognition and Accreditation of sustainable Management practices for Agroforestry And Natural forestry resources) is a nationally accepted, credible, and transparent framework for certification of forests, wood and non-timber forest products with the mission to promote linkages to domestic and international markets for certified forests and agroforestry products.
- The IFWCS-PRAMAAN certificate enhances the social, and ecological values of India’s forests, agroforestry systems and the Indian wood-based industries.
- The Forest Management certification is assessed against the Indian Forest Management Standard, which are part of the National Working Plan Code 2023.
- The core principle of certificate rests on independent audit by certification bodies accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB) under the Quality Council of India, rather than on self-declaration alone.
- PRAMAAN’s accreditation architecture is benchmarked against international frameworks, ensuring recognition among domestic and global buyers and regulators.