The Implementation of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) Within Canada’s Forest Sector: Examining the Transformative Influence of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certification

This research examines practices implemented by forestry companies across Canada in pursuit of free, prior and informed consent (FPIC), as required by Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. The objective is to assess alignment between company practices and a substantive interpretation of FPIC. The study is based on semi-structured interviews with representatives from fifteen FSC-certified forestry companies. Results reveal strong overlap between practices implemented in pursuit of FSC and those aimed at meeting legal obligations related to the “duty to consult”. Some forestry companies go beyond legal obligations, developing informal consultation mechanisms and the negotiation of agreements. The application of FPIC is also constrained in several ways. First, the scope of negotiations tends to be limited to operational issues over strategic ones. Second, clear mechanisms for the withdrawal of Indigenous consent are not readily apparent, and companies that encounter objections to forestry activities tend to rely on short-term mitigative strategies.