FSC Certification

FSC Certification

Forest Stewardship Council is a certification issued by the Forest Stewardship Council to indicate that a product has come from a forest that has been sustainably managed in an environmentally friendly, socially beneficial and economically viable manner. FSC is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organisation founded in 1993 with its international centre in Bonn, Germany.

The Purpose and Background of FSC Certification

The FSC's roots can be traced back to the 1990 California Conference, where representatives of consumers, timber trade groups, environmental and human rights organizations felt the need to create an honest and credible system for identifying well-managed forests. The purpose of the FSC is to promote environmentally friendly, socially beneficial and economically viable forest management worldwide and to address the loss and degradation of forest area.

FSC certification standards and principles

FSC certification mainly follows the following standards and principles:

1. Legality.

To ensure that forest management activities comply with relevant laws and regulations.

2. Economic applicability and social rights. 

To safeguard the social and economic rights and interests of communities and workers in forest management activities.

3. Ecosystem adaptation and conservation.

To ensure that forest management activities are adaptive to ecosystems and protect endangered species and critical ecosystems.

4. Management planning and evaluation.

It requires the establishment of an effective forest management plan with regular evaluation and monitoring.

5. Social and economic assessment of timber producing areas.

To make an assessment of the social and economic conditions of timber producing areas to ensure that forest management meets social and economic requirements.

FSC certification process

The FSC certification process consists of the following steps:

1. Preliminary assessment.

Define the scope of certification, collect data, conduct on-site investigation, and evaluate whether it meets the standards and requirements of FSC certification.

2. Submit application.

Fill in the certification application form and submit it, and pay the certification fee.

3. ‌ Audit.

The certification authority will review the application form and other relevant documents, including document audit and on-site audit, to verify that the information is true.

4. Rectification and review.

In the case of non-conformity, the certification authority will give suggestions for rectification and require rectification. After the rectification is completed, a review will be conducted to ensure that the problem is resolved.

5. Obtain certification.

If the audit and rectification are successfully passed, the certification body will issue the FSC certification. Companies are required to regularly monitor and review their forest operations to ensure continued compliance with FSC standards.