Do Forest-Management Plans and FSC Certification Help Avoid Deforestation in the Congo Basin? - Revised version - April 2020

Oct 3, 2026

To allow for timber production while preserving conservation values, forestry regulations in the Congo Basin require Forest Management Plans (FMP) in logging concessions. This paper combines high-resolution forest-cover change maps with official concession activity records to assess how FMP affects deforestation. Using quasi-experimental and difference-in-differences methods, results show deforestation was 74% lower from 2000 to 2010 in concessions with an approved FMP. Further theory-of-change analysis indicates effects appear over time and are strongest near communities within and around concessions and close to earlier deforestation, suggesting FMP can help avoid deforestation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages60

Reading Time2 h 31 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Research question and context

Data and methods

Key findings

Mechanisms and spatial patterns

\# 2019-104 Do Forest-Management Plans and FSC Certification Help Avoid Deforestation in the Congo Basin? Isabelle TRITSCH * Gwenole LE VELLY† Benoît MERTENS* Patrick MEYFROIDT‡ Christophe SANNIER § Jean-Sylvestre MAKAK ** Kenneth HOUNGBEDJI†† Revised version: April 2020 Please cite this paper as: TRITSCH I. , G. LE VELLY , B. MERTENS, P. MEYFROIDT, C. SANNIER, J.-S. MAKAK and K. HOUNGBEDJI (2019), “Do Forest-Management Plans and FSC Certification Help Avoid Deforestation in the Congo Basin?”, AFD Research Papers Series, No. 2020-104, April. Contact at AFD: Kenneth HOUNGBEDJI (houngbedji[at][dial.prd.f](dial.prd.fr)[r](dial.prd.fr)) * † ‡ § ** †† UMR 228 ESPACE-DEV, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Montpellier, France CEE-M , Université Montpellier, CNRS, INRA, Montpellier SupAgro, Montpellier, France Georges Lemaitre Centre for Earth and Climate Research, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium ; Fonds de la recherche scientifique - F.R.S. - FNRS, Brussels, Belgium SIRS, Lille, France Geospatial Company (GEOCOM), Libreville, Gabon DIAL, LEDA, Université Paris-Dauphine, IRD, Université PSL, 75010 Paris, France E-mail : houngbedji[at][dial.prd.f](dial.prd.fr)[r](dial.prd.fr) Papiers de Recherche de l’AFD Les Papiers de Recherche de l’AFD ont pour but de diffuser rapidement les résultats de travaux en cours. Ils s’adressent principalement aux chercheurs, aux étudiants et au monde académique. Ilscouvrent l’ensemble des sujets de travail de l’AFD : analyse économique, théorie économique, analysedes politiques publiques, sciences de l’ingénieur, sociologie, géographie et anthropologie. Une publication dans les Papiers de Recherche de l’AFD n’en exclut aucune autre. L’Agence Française de Développement (AFD), institution financière publique qui met en œuvre la politique définie par le gouvernement français, agit pour combattre la pauvreté et favoriser ledéveloppement durable. Présente sur quatre continents à travers un réseau de 72 bureaux, l’AFD finance et accompagne des projets qui améliorent les conditions de vie des populations, soutiennent lacroissance économique et protègent la planète. En 2014, l’AFD a consacré 8,1 milliards d’euros au financement de projets dans les pays en développement et en faveur des Outre-mer. Les opinions exprimées dans ce papier sont celles de son (ses) auteur(s) et ne reflètent pas nécessairement celles de l’AFD. Ce document est publié sous l’entière responsabilité de son (ses) auteur(s). Les Papiers de Recherche sont téléchargeables sur : [https://www.afd.fr/fr/ressource](https://www.afd.fr/fr/ressources)[s](https://www.afd.fr/fr/ressources) AFD Research Papers AFD Research Papers are intended to rapidly disseminate findings of ongoing work and mainly target researchers, students and the wider academic community. They cover the full range of AFD work, including: economic analysis, economic theory, policy analysis, engineering sciences, sociology, geography and anthropology. AFD Research Papers and other publications are not mutually exclusive. Agence Française de Développement (AFD), a public financial institution that implements the policy defined by the French Government, works to combat poverty and promote sustainable development. AFD operates on four continents via a network of 72 offices and finances and supports projects that improve living conditions for populations, boost economic growth and protect the planet. In 2014, AFD earmarked EUR 8.1bn to finance projects in developing countries and for overseas France. The opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of AFD. It is therefore published under the sole responsibility of its author(s). AFD Research Papers can be downloaded from: [https://www.afd.fr/en/ressource](https://www.afd.fr/en/ressources)[s](https://www.afd.fr/en/ressources) AFD, 5 rue Roland Barthes 75598 Paris Cedex 12,

FAQs

What policy instruments does the paper evaluate in the Congo Basin?

It evaluates Forest Management Plans (FMP) required in logging concessions and considers their role in helping avoid deforestation, alongside certification context mentioned in the title.

How does the study measure the impact on deforestation?

It uses original high-resolution maps of forest-cover changes and official records of logging-concession activities, applying quasi-experimental and difference-in-differences approaches.

What is the main quantitative result reported?

Between 2000 and 2010, deforestation was 74% lower in concessions managed under an approved FMP compared with other concessions.

Oct 3, 2026

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