Certified Wood

• Forests are essential to the web of life - they are home to millions of species, protect soil from erosion, produce oxygen and fix carbon dioxide, and help regulate regional and global climate. Forests are also essential to human beings - they provide us with food, fuel and shelter and a variety of wood products, they purify the air we breathe and the water we drink and are places of recreation and renewal. These are some of the benefits of forests we know of today, but there are likely many vital treasures which have yet to be discovered - such as a new medicinal plant containing the cure to a human illness.


• Almost half of the planet's original forests have disappeared and of what remains, only 8 per cent are protected. In the minute it has taken you to read this page so far, some 64 acres (that's roughly the size of 60 football fields) of forest have been lost due to threats such as illegal or irresponsible logging, land clearance for agriculture and development, and forest fires.


• Every year the forest industry accounts for the harvest of 680 billion board feet of wood to meet the growing demand for paper and timber products. Worldwide demand for paper - the single largest use of wood fiber - has increased fivefold since the 1950s, and it is expected to double again over the next 50 years. Harvest on this scale must be extremely well-managed to minimize impact on the environment and local communities, and to maintain future supplies of forest products.


• One key to the conservation of forests worldwide is a rapid transition toward forestry practices that maintain or restore the health and integrity of forest ecosystems. Recent research by World Wildlife Fund indicates that future demand for wood could be met from approximately one fifth of the world's forest area. Sound forest management, coupled with increased productivity and continued efficiency improvements in manufacturing, can move the forest industry towards sustainability. The immediate challenge is to combat illegal harvest, poor practice and over-exploitation in some areas that threaten the future of forests and tarnish the entire industry. Forest certification offers an effective tool for achieving these goals.


• With today's growing emphasis on corporate responsibility and consumer demands for environmental and social accountability, forest certification provides a global solution for businesses and consumers. Many see great promise in forest certification because it strikes a balance between economic needs and conservation objectives, offering a market-based, rather than regulatory, solution for improving forest practices.


• Simply put, forest certification is a means of protecting forests by promoting responsible forestry practices. Forest certification provides an independent third-party assurance that a forestry operation meets standards set by a certification program. Companies apply voluntarily, and government has no direct role in the process.


• Forests are evaluated according to previously defined standards and certified as well-managed by a qualified independent auditor. A well-managed forest satisfies standards for environmentally, socially and economically responsible management. These standards ensure the long-term health and productivity of forests for timber production, wildlife habitat and water quality while also providing social benefits such as stable and lasting community employment.


• Wood products from those forests are then labeled so that consumers can identify them as coming from well-managed sources. Consumer demand for certified forest products is a powerful incentive for forest managers to adopt more ecologically sound practices, and for retailers and manufacturers to seek wood from certified forests. In combination with other strategies, including more efficient wood use and the designation of forest reserves, certification is a vital part of protecting our forest heritage.


• Forest certification is a relatively new concept - most certification systems were established in the 1990s, and all are evolving rapidly as they grow and compete.

Today four forest certification systems operate in North America. To learn more about these systems and how they differ, visit Compare Forest Certification Systems.

This document was created by:
Certified Forest Products Council
721 NW 9th Avenue, Suite 300
Portland, OR 97209
(503) 224-2205 fax (503) 224-2216
www.certifiedwood.org

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