Forest Certification: Addressing Common Questions
Are you new to forest certification? Or just looking to make sense of the different standards and how your flooring brand can benefit?
Nick Johnson, director of sustainable supply chains with the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, addresses the top queries about forest certifications.
Why should brands care about forest certification?
People and organizations are increasingly seeking solutions that not only reduce negative environmental impacts but ensure positive contributions to the long-term health of people and the planet. Forest certification utilizes a set of standards to ensure forests are managed sustainably to protect the environment, support communities and promote responsible resource use. It has become a highly trusted solution to meet the growing demand for forest-based products from sustainably managed forests. Companies certified to these standards conserve wildlife and water, practice climate-smart forestry and support relationship building with Indigenous Peoples. Whether a manufacturer, retailer or designer, supporting forest certification programs is an impactful thing you can do to support healthy forests now and into the future. In doing so, you communicate to your customers that your brand cares about the environment.
What is forest certification? And what is meant by chain of custody?
Forest certification is a voluntary, market-based instrument, implemented through two separate but related processes: forest management certification and chain of custody certification.
Forest management certification ensures specific forested lands are managed sustainably, balancing environmental, social and economic factors. In Canada, forest certification complements a strong existing legal and regulatory framework that requires forest resources to be managed responsibly. Forest certification standards typically contain requirements to protect water quality and biodiversity, including species at risk, promote climate-smart forestry, fire resilience and awareness, and recognize and respect Indigenous Peoples’ rights as they apply to various lands and jurisdictions.
Chain of custody certification applies to any organization that sources, processes, manufactures, handles, trades, converts or prints forest-based products. They must have processes, such as inventory control, employee training, comprehensive reporting and invoicing, so they can track the volume of forest resource from certified forests or non-certified forests, and make claims based on the forest fibre they receive. Chain of custody standards also have requirements to ensure certified organizations avoid sourcing from controversial sources, which include illegally logged and deforested areas. Chain of custody standards can be applied in any country worldwide that imports or sells wood products from certified forests.
Which forest certification systems should manufacturers look for when sourcing wood? How are they different from one another?
There are many credible forest certification standards. In particular, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) all can provide assurance that wood products are sourced from sustainably managed forests. Globally, SFI meets PEFC’s internationally recognized benchmarks for responsible forestry. This endorsement ensures SFI-certified products are accepted globally as sustainably sourced, allowing them to carry the PEFC label in international markets.
While there are some small differences between each certification program, the three used in North America all promote principles, criteria and objectives based on sustainable forest management, including reforestation, reasonable harvesting quotas and protection of wildlife habitat, soils, water and surrounding ecosystems.
The best thing you can do is request the wood be certified to any of these credible forest certification programs. Many industry professionals have forest policies that give preference to wood products that are certified to any of these standards.
Do certified forest products cost more? And how can a manufacturer verify that a wood supplier is certified?
Typically, there is not an additional cost associated with using certified forest products. However, each manufacturer or supplier is different in how they market their certified forest products. The easiest way to verify the certification status is to request an on-product label. All forest certification programs also have an online searchable database to find suppliers.
What are the benefits of using certified forest products?
Sourcing wood from certified forests demonstrates to customers a commitment to producing flooring responsibly. Using and promoting your use of certified forest products can also boost brand equity and even attract more customers. Recent market research shows that more people are looking for responsibly sourced wood products, especially when they come with proper certifications. This shift seems to mirror the growing environmental awareness among consumers, who are prioritizing sustainable choices for their homes. What’s interesting is that many are willing to spend more, especially when products are labelled and they are given clear, reliable information about sustainable forest management. That’s why it’s crucial to back up those claims with certifications that are globally recognized.
Do consumers really trust or even care about environmental certifications? If so, how can manufacturers communicate the value of certified forest products?
More and more consumers care about the impact of their buying decisions and want to ensure the products they are purchasing support positive environmental outcomes.
In one study, more than 85 per cent of consumers expressed a desire to avoid products that harm the environment and related biodiversity. Furthermore, consumers increasingly value sustainability claims, with 95 per cent believing their personal actions can help reduce unsustainable waste, tackle climate change and protect wildlife.
There are many ways to communicate the value of certified forest products to customers. Organizations do this through ads, point-of-purchase materials, sustainability or environmental, social and governance reports, and their websites. Certification programs and their websites offer a wealth of information you can share with buyers.
Canadian Wood promotes and supplies information about softwood products from British Columbia to wood industry professionals, and connects manufacturers, designers and wholesalers with leading softwood suppliers from B.C. This article is adapted from Answering Furniture Makers Questions About Forest Certification, which was originally published on Canadian Wood.