Investigation of forest resource managers perceptions and attitudes towards forest management certification

This thesis explored the perceptions and attitudes of forest engineers working in Bolu Regional Forest Directorate and determined the variables affecting them. Almost all of the respondent forest engineers were familiar with FSC and/or PEFC. The study investigated whether there is a willingness to pay more for certified The rate of respondents willing to pay more was 58,5% for photocopy paper, 61,5% for coffee table and 64,1% for dining room. Respondents who are women, married, with higher household income, considering themselves environmentalist, bought products with FSC logo and have children are more likely to pay more. According to the results of factor analysis, the main determinant factors of forest certification perception are good management, trust, cost and premium. The prime perceived benefit of forest certification by forest engineers is occupational health and safety improvement. More than half of the participants do not trust the certification bodies, find certification is unnecessary for state forest enterprises and consider certification standards are suitable for Turkish forestry. The perception of certification was an important determinant of the willingness to pay more for certified products.