It was envisioned that this platform would be used in conjunction with annual audits. Potential benefits of this platform include:
Raising the quality and reliability of forest audits;
A positive impact on the cost and efficiency across the certification service delivery chain;
Increased transparency and credibility of the certification process; and
Encouraging greater stakeholder engagement.
With funding from the European Space Agency and FSC, a partnership was formed in collaboration with project manager Eyre Consulting, specialist GIS developer Lutra Consulting, and Sarmap (a Swiss company that specialises in forest and agriculture mapping using satellite data), and as a result TransparentForests was born.
TransparentForests is still in its trial phase. It combines images mapping forests and land cover on selected dates (which could correspond to audit dates), with data from Global Positioning Systems (GPS).
This system could allow any registered stakeholders to view land cover maps and identify changes on the map between any two dates, and will allow them to register this information on the system via a comments and observations function. If it reaches implementation, TransparentForests will be available in both web-based and mobile formats, allowing the system to be carried -quite literally- into the field.
In this way, it is hoped Certification Bodies will have independent and up to date maps of certified areas to support inspections, and stakeholders will have a platform through which to engage and provide critical input on social and environmental issues.
If it passes its current field trials, the platform will have the following features:
Annual maps of relevant land cover types and a record of changes to these maps between any two audit dates;
Relevant forest management data (e.g. boundaries). Not all boundaries will always be visible to all users but will be visible to the audit teams;
A mobile app, allowing users to view maps, changes, boundaries and georeferenced tracks, points of interest, comments and photos;
History of observations and records that have been logged and shared with stakeholders; and
Measurements of areas and changes, and creation of reports and tables that can be built into audit reports.
Following an extensive feasibility study, a Demonstration Project was launched in 2014 and a number of pilot sites were identified, including three in South Africa. In June 2016, field trials of the system were carried out at the South African pilot sites. The purpose of these field trials was to receive feedback from participating stakeholders and partners about whether the project does indeed improve the auditing process in a cost efficient manner. This feedback is received both through open discussions and online surveys. The feedback received to date has been predominantly positive, especially with reference to issues such as ease of use and the helpfulness of the data received.
Gerrit Marais, Director of the Qualifor Programme for SGS, provided the following feedback after joining the site visits in South Africa: “This can become a mapping and management tool of incalculable value to smaller and group growers, reduce the volume of paperwork and provide total transparency. This could be revolutionary.”