FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)

The FSC certification ensures that products come from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social, and economic benefits.

Foundation: 1993
Sector: General

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Objective

The FSC certification ensures that products come from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social, and economic benefits.

Forest owners and managers can become certified to demonstrate responsible forest management. Along the value chain of forest-based products, FSC certification offers several advantages, including access to new markets.

The FSC Principles and Criteria establish best practices for forest management. National Standards adapt these requirements to the specific conditions and contexts of each country or region and are developed by local working groups.

Forest owners or managers seeking FSC Forest Management Certification must contact an FSC-accredited Certification Body to conduct an assessment. The Certification Body will verify whether the organization meets all relevant FSC requirements. If compliant, an FSC Forest Management Certificate is issued, valid for five years and monitored annually.

If the forest owner or manager intends to sell FSC-certified products, they also need FSC Chain of Custody Certification.

FSC Chain of Custody Certification applies to all actors who transform, process, or trade FSC-certified forest products. It verifies that products sold as FSC are tracked throughout their production chain. At each stage of processing and transformation, FSC Chain of Custody Certification is required to ensure that certified forest products are kept separate from non-certified products or are mixed only in authorized ways.