Motivations, adoption and impact of voluntary environmental certification in the Italian Forest based industry: The case of the FSC standard

Abstract

Over the past few years several private voluntary schemes have been developed worldwide to address the environmental issues in the forest based industry. Using survey data, this study analyse the main factors motivating companies operating in the Italian forest based industry to implement FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) standard, as a tool to promote responsible forest management and traceability of derived products, and the impact of this standard on the economic and organisational results. The findings provide evidences that signalling mechanisms drive the entrepreneurs towards the adoption of FSC certification, followed by moral and ethical reasons. In terms of impact, emerges that companies are compared to higher operation costs necessary to obtain the certification of compliance with the scheme requirements, that are only partially compensated, not by an increase in the selling price of certified products, but by the company's ability to establish new business relationships with a consequent increase in the sales.