Neha Simlai

With two decades of experience in market development across the Asia Pacific region, Neha has been working on promoting the market uptake of sustainably sourced commodities and advancing nature-based solutions (NbS). Her work has focused on managing deforestation risk in key sectors and enhancing responsible sourcing across multiple countries in value chains like timber, fibre, and rubber, among others.

At Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Neha is the Head of Market Development for the Asia Pacific region representing the organisation in strategic market engagements and partnerships. She drives a comprehensive range of value-chain-related programs that build FSC as a trusted forest solution and market tool in the region.

My Sustainability Goals for 2025:

I will aim to demonstrate how FSC continues to effectively strengthen the business case for responsible sourcing, linking downstream demand to upstream production and supply. I will discuss how businesses can meet stakeholder expectations and address the growing demand for sustainability while remaining competitive in the market, while also effectively restoring, enhancing, and protecting biodiversity through forest certification.

Through this session, I also hope to provide an overview of our work with key value chains, including rubber, tropical timber, textiles, and packaging, in the context of the fast-paced Asia-Pacific markets.