With increased consumption, primarily in the developed countries, and a growing world population, the earth’s resources are exposed to strong increased pressure. This applies not least to renewable assets in forests, agricultural and grazing land and coastal waters. The risk is great of serious, and in the worst scenario, permanent harm to people’s health as well as to plants, animals and nature’s cycles.

The combination of environmental certification of operations and ecolabelling products plays an increasingly important role in stimulating lasting progress. Such systems provide consumers with the chance to directly promote the production and use of ecological goods and services on the market.

The City of Göteborg International Environment Prize 2001, one million Swedish crowns, is therefore shared by two organisations which have great and increasing importance for environmental certification and ecolabelling within the forestry and food industries, respectively.

FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) - a global organisation which affects progress in Sweden, among other countries.
KRAV (The Control Association for Ecological Cultivation) - a Swedish organisation with growing importance as a role model in other countries. Both are among the pioneers in their respective fields and have, in a relatively short space of time, achieved broad penetration with good practical effects both locally and globally.