Three types of FSC certificates
FSC forest management certification
Forest managers or owners who want to prove that their forest operation are socially beneficial and managed in an environmentally appropriate and economically viable manner can apply for forest management (FM) certification.
Special options for smallholders and low intensity managers
FSC chain of custody certification
FSC chain of custody traces FSC certified timber through the production chain.
FSC chain of custody (CoC) certification is for companies that manufacture, process or trade in timber or non-timber forest products and want to demonstrate to their customers that they use responsibly produced raw materials. FSC chain of custody helps companies to strengthen their sourcing policies and comply with public or private procurement policies where FSC is the preferred option.
FSC Controlled Wood
Forest Management companies that comply with the five FSC Controlled Wood criteria will be able to supply FSC Controlled Wood to FSC Chain of Custody operations. FSC Controlled Wood supports the production of FSC Mixed Sources by providing FSC certified companies with tools to control the non-FSC certified wood in their product groups to avoid the wood produced in socially and environmentally most damaging ways.
Frequently asked questions
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Which safeguards exist against timber from unacceptable sources entering my supply chain?
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FSC has developed tools that help FSC certified companies to avoid wood produced from sources that are considered to be socially and environmentally damaging. There are strict requirements to control the non-certified material in FSC-Mixed Sources products.
The non-certified material must comply with FSC Controlled Wood standards and be independently verified before it is mixed with certified material. It specifically helps manufacturers and traders to avoid wood that has been:
- Illegally harvested
- Harvested in violation of traditional and civil rights
- Harvested in forests that have been identified to be of particular biological and/or cultural value
- Harvested from conversion of natural forest (or other natural habitat)
- Harvested from genetically modified trees
Find out more in the FSC statement on Controlled Wood
Category: FSC Controlled Wood, General FSC Certification Process -
What is accreditation?
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FSC does not issue certificates itself. The certification process is carried out by independent organizations called certification bodies. Before being able to certify according to FSC standards, certification bodies have to gain FSC accreditation. To do this, certifiers have to comply with an extensive set of rules.
Accreditation controls the proper implementation of the FSC rules and procedures by the FSC accredited certification bodies. The company managing the FSC accreditation program is called Accreditation Services International (ASI).
FSC is the only global forest management certification system with an integrated accreditation program that systematically controls its certification bodies.
Learn more about the FSC Accreditation Program
Category: General FSC Certification Process -
I have a complaint about an FSC certificate, what should I do and who should I speak to?
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FSC has an official Complaints and Disputes Procedure which is designed to help stakeholders make their concerns known and to find the best way of resolving complaints.
This can be resolved on different levels within the FSC system and we encourage people to take a stepwise approach and hope that most complaints can be resolved in this way. FSC developed a fact sheet that explains this procedure very well. This procedure is currently being revised to improve its application.
FSC fact sheet "Resolving complaints and dispute in the FSC system" (pdf)
If a stakeholder, for example an environmental NGO, is concerned about how a certified forest or a forest in the process of certification is managed, they should contact the forest manager, the certification body and/or the FSC National Initiative. They should explain their concerns, listen to the explanation and try to come to a solution. This is often the fastest and easiest way to solve a problem.
If a certificate holder is not fully compliant, they are required to make the prescribed changes within a given timeframe or else it will loose its FSC certificate. This could be a temporary suspension where it cannot trade with the FSC claim, or immediate termination depending on the severity of non-compliance.
If a stakeholder still has concerns, this could be related to the certification audit itself (i.e. the process in which a forest was certified or the activities of a certification body) or the quality of FSC's standards.
All FSC certified forest operations, certification bodies and National Initiatives have a system for managing and responding to complaints. These are in line with FSC and ISO standards.
Category: General FSC Certification Process -
I have a complaint about the quality of a certification audit, what should I do and who should I speak to?
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FSC has an official Complaints and Disputes Procedure which is designed to help stakeholders make their concerns known and to find the best way of resolving complaints.
This can be resolved on different levels within the FSC system and we encourage people to take a stepwise approach and hope that most complaints can be resolved in this way. FSC developed a fact sheet that explains this procedure very well. This procedure is currently being revised to improve its application.
FSC fact sheet "Resolving complaints and dispute in the FSC system" (pdf)
You should file a complaint directly to the certification body. If the stakeholder is concerned with the quality of an FSC accredited certification body, they should contact Accreditation Services International (ASI) who is managing FSC's accreditation program. This often leads to additional audits of certification bodies by ASI to ensure that they are compliant with FSC's standards.
If the certification body is not fully compliant, they are required to make the prescribed changes within a given timeframe or else it will loose its FSC accreditation. This could be a temporary suspension resulting in the suspension of all certificates it has issued and a ban to make any new contracts, or the immediate loss of FSC accredited status. This depends on the severity of their non-compliance.
Category: General FSC Certification Process -
I have a complaint about the quality of an FSC standard, what should I do and who should I speak to?
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FSC has an official Complaints and Disputes Procedure which is designed to help stakeholders make their concerns known and to find the best way of resolving complaints.
This can be resolved on different levels within the FSC system and we encourage people to take a stepwise approach and hope that most complaints can be resolved in this way. FSC developed a fact sheet that explains this procedure very well. This procedure is currently being revised to improve its application.
FSC fact sheet "Resolving complaints and dispute in the FSC system" (pdf)
You should file a complaint directly to the FSC national standards Working Group who developed the standard. FSC standards are reviewed every 5 years so complaints can feed into the standards review consultation process.
Category: General FSC Certification Process -
The list of FSC accredited certification bodies does not include an address for my country. What do I do?
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The list of FSC accredited certification bodies contains the contact details for the main offices. It does not specify local offices. But most of certification bodies work internationally. Please contact the certification body directly for information on certification in your country.
You may wish to check the FSC certificate database to see which certification bodies have already issued certificates in your country.
Category: General FSC Certification Process -
How does FSC control its certification bodies?
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FSC has an accreditation program to control the proper implementation of the FSC rules and procedures by the FSC accredited certification bodies. The company managing the FSC accreditation program is called Accreditation Services International (ASI).
ASI conducts an office audit and the witnessing of one trial audit in the field. If the certification body is compliant to FSC standards, it will gain FSC accreditation. One such requirement is that all FSC accredited certification bodies have to be in compliance with relevant international ISO standard (ISO/IEC Guide 65: 1996 (E)).
FSC is the only global forest management certification system with an integrated accreditation program that systematically controls its certification bodies.
Every year ASI controls the continued implementation of FSC rules and procedures through at least one office and one field audit for each FSC accredited certification body. The exact number and distribution of ASI surveillance audits is calculated based on ASI’s sampling procedure taking into account complex settings (geographic areas, policies or products that carry increased risk) and the number of FSC certificates handled by a FSC accredited certification body.
Public summaries of ASI surveillance audits
If an FSC accredited certification body is found to not fully comply with FSC rules and procedures, Corrective Action Requests (CARs) are raised. These must be fulfilled within a certain time frame.
Depending on the seriousness of the infringement, the timeline can vary from one year for minor administrative infringements to three months or less, or even suspension, for major infringements.
If the certification body fails to comply with FSC requirements within the given time, the certification body will be suspended and loose its FSC accreditation if the suspension is not lifted after one year.
Learn more about the FSC Accreditation Program
Category: General FSC Certification Process
