Forest Stewardship Council Certification

Certification from third-party organisations like the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) helps in assessing the risks of illegality related to timber or its derived products.

For manufacturers, processors and timber traders anywhere in the world, including APA member mills, Chain of Custody (CoC) requirements of certification bodies like FSC are the most important.

Download the latest FSC CoC standard  in full or just the summary here. Other FSC guidance includes:

• FSC Requirements for Sourcing FSC Controlled Wood – with a due diligence protocol and a new risk assessment system
• FSC Controlled Wood Standard for Forest Management Enterprises
• FSC Forest Management Evaluations

FSC controlled wood is material from acceptable sources that can be mixed with FSC certified material in products that carry the FSC Mix label.  This indicates that certified wood has been supplemented with non-certified materials. This non-certified material still needs to adhere to either the FSC reclaimed wood standard or the FSC controlled wood standard.

Unacceptable wood refers to illegally harvested wood and where it is harvested in violation of traditional and human rights.  It includes wood harvested in forests in which high conservation values are threatened by management activities; where forests face being converted to plantations or non-forest use or where genetically modified trees are planted.