FSC Certification
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification verifies that wood products come from responsibly managed forests that protect environmental, social, and economic values.
In Detail
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an independent, non-governmental organization that sets standards for responsible forest management. FSC certification covers two elements: Forest Management (FM) certification for forest operations, and Chain of Custody (COC) certification that tracks certified material through the supply chain from forest to end user.
For tropical hardwoods like ipe, teak, and cumaru, FSC certification is especially important — it provides documented evidence of legal harvest and verifiable supply chain controls. Illegally harvested tropical wood enters international markets at below-market prices due to avoided regulatory costs. Demanding FSC-COC documentation from your supplier protects you from legal risk and supports legal forest operations.
Look for the FSC logo on the product or accompanying documentation showing the supplier's FSC COC certificate number. You can verify certificate validity at the FSC's public database at info.fsc.org.
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