Small or Low Intensity Managed Forests (SLIMF)
FSC has always sought to meet the needs of all forest stewards by promoting responsible forest management across diverse geographic regions and socio-economic contexts. Since their introduction in 2004, the SLIMF Eligibility Criteria V1-0 have enabled small-scale and low-intensity forest management operations to benefit from streamlined certification procedures, reducing costs and avoiding disproportionate administrative and compliance burdens.
In the FSC system, 'Smallholder' is the term used to describe anyone who owns, manages, or uses forests that are considered 'small' relative to others in their region, or who harvests timber at low intensity.
Small-scale, low-intensity forests around the world face similar challenges in preserving their forests and implementing responsible forestry practices, and require tailor-made approaches due to characteristics such as land size, internal governance models, and ownership or customary rights.
Eligibility Standard
The SLIMF and Community Forests Standard (FSC-STD-01-003) is a free-standing eligibility standard. It does not prescribe certification requirements itself, but instead defines the thresholds used to determine whether a forest operation qualifies as a Small or Low Intensity Managed Forest (SLIMF).
These eligibility definitions are applied across the FSC system and are incorporated into Forest Stewardship Standards (FSS) at national, regional, and international levels. For example, they are used to determine whether an operation can apply alternative implementation approaches such as the Continuous Improvement Procedure (FSC-PRO-30-011).
Qualifying for SLIMF
The Australian Forest Stewardship Standard and the New Zealand Forest Stewardship Standard each include tailored requirements for SLIMF, recognising the unique characteristics of smaller forest operations. Determining whether you qualify as SLIMF is important, as it may influence both the certification requirements that apply to your forest and how certification bodies conduct evaluation activities.
To determine whether you qualify as SLIMF and how the criteria apply to your operation, refer to the Australian and New Zealand Forest Stewardship Standards.
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