ISEAL has been working with funding from UK International Development from the UK Government since 2024 as part of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)’s Investments in Forests and Sustainable Land Use (IFSLU) Phase 2 programme. From 2026, ISEAL has also been working with FCDO on their flagship forest governance programme, Forest Governance, Markets and Climate Phase 2 (FGMC2). We previously worked with UK International Development under DFID from 2015-18 through a four-year grant focused on credible standards for responsible business.

Current Programme: FGMC - Markets for Credible National Sustainability Tools

Project summary 

This project sits under the Forest, Governance, Markets and Climate (FGMC2) programme which aims to enhance local and global processes that strengthen positive impactful forest governance and reduce deforestation. 
ISEAL is working on a 4-year project that will contribute to the FGMC2 goal by boosting recognition of credible national sustainability systems (in Ghana and Indonesia) in global markets (in China and India). We will seek to strengthen the credibility, traceability, and interoperability of national systems to meet evolving international trade expectations. 
Our primary focus will be to: 

• Build a better understanding of the demands of key markets (China and India), to support greater uptake and recognition of trusted national sustainability systems (in Ghana and Indonesia)
• Support continuous improvements of national sustainability systems– including anticipating and preparing for future market trends (e.g. due diligence, credibility, digital interoperability)
• Build shared knowledge and learning from works from global research on forest governance research and practice to support policy and regulatory decisions

The project will have a focus in three commodities: Timber, Cocoa and Palm Oil.

Geographic Focus 

This project will work in China, India, Indonesia, and Ghana.

Target audiences 

• Policymakers in market countries
• National sustainability systems in producer countries
• Voluntary sustainability systems
• Palm, Timber and Cocoa supply chains

Programme outcomes

• Enhanced systems linked to traceability, legality, and forest governance for timber, cocoa, and palm in Indonesia and Ghana.
• Improved policy and market integration in China and India of legality and sustainability mechanisms.
• Relevant research and insights shared via the Evidensia Platform.