Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav on Tuesday handed over India’s first PRAMAAN (Programme for Recognition and Accreditation of sustainable Management practices for Agroforestry And Natural forestry resources) certificates under the Indian Forest and Wood Certification Scheme (IFWCS), marking the transition of the certification framework from policy to field-level implementation.
The certificates were presented to the Andhra Pradesh Forest Development Corporation (APFDC) for its plantations spread over 33,000 hectares, and to Govind Mohapatra, a bamboo farmer associated with the Odisha Bamboo Development Agency (OBDA).
The event was organised in New Delhi by the Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Bhopal, which is the operating agency for the scheme. Senior officials of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), State Forest Departments, certification bodies and industry representatives attended the event.
The plantations and farming activity covered by the certificates underwent rigorous field and management audits before certification. The certificates mark the culmination of processes established since the Ministry launched the IFWCS in December 2023.
PRAMAAN to support sustainable timber sourcing
Addressing the gathering, Yadav described PRAMAAN as an important instrument for Indian producers, exporters and forest-based enterprises to meet emerging global regulatory requirements, including due diligence and responsible deforestation-free timber sourcing norms being adopted by major international markets.
With market access increasingly linked to verifiable sustainability credentials, the Minister said PRAMAAN can help India strengthen its position in sustainable forest management and the management of trees outside forests, in line with the vision of “Vocal for Local and Act Global.”
He said several State Forest Departments, Forest Development Corporations, farmers and industries have already applied for Forest Management, Tree Outside Forest Management and Chain of Custody certification, with applications at various stages of processing.
Certification based on independent audits
The Minister highlighted that the PRAMAAN accreditation architecture is benchmarked against international certification frameworks, with the objective of ensuring recognition of certificates among domestic and global buyers and regulators.
Forest Management certification under PRAMAAN is anchored in the principles of the National Working Plan Code (NWPC) 2023. The framework provides for certification based on third-party audits rather than voluntary self-declaration alone.
The Forest Management certification is assessed against the Indian Forest Management Standards, which form part of the National Working Plan Code 2023. Certification bodies are required to be accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB) under the Quality Council of India.
Focus on farmers and forest-dependent communities
Yadav also underlined the livelihood dimension of PRAMAAN, saying the scheme is intended not only as a trade instrument but also as a mechanism to create new income opportunities for rural and tribal communities, smallholder farmers and forest-dependent communities.
By bringing these groups into a structured and verifiable certification system, the framework can help connect compliant producers with premium markets without adding to their compliance burden, he said.
Women Self-Help Groups and marginal landholders engaged in non-timber forest product (NTFP) collection and processing, farming, agroforestry and other tree-based agricultural systems are among those expected to benefit from the initiative.
The Minister said PRAMAAN reflects India’s broader development vision under Viksit Bharat @2047, combining economic growth with ecological stewardship and positioning India as a producer of sustainable goods as well as a participant in sustainable global trade.
He called upon certification bodies, State Forest Departments, tree growers, farmer producer organisations, farmer producer companies, industries and institutions to expand their participation in PRAMAAN.
What is PRAMAAN?
PRAMAAN is a nationally accepted framework for certification of forests, wood and non-timber forest products.
The initiative seeks to strengthen linkages between certified forests and agroforestry products and domestic and international markets. The IFWCS-PRAMAAN certification is also aimed at enhancing the social and ecological values of India’s forests, agroforestry systems and wood-based industries.
Under the framework, Forest Management certification is assessed against Indian Forest Management Standards derived from the National Working Plan Code 2023. Independent audits by accredited certification bodies form the basis of certification, while the accreditation architecture is benchmarked against international frameworks to facilitate recognition among buyers and regulators in India and overseas.
