The Wonderful World of Forest Certification
Today, many more forest growers, mills and merchants are becoming certified, and increasingly more long-standing brands are bearing the FSC label due, at least in part, to the adoption of the credit system, coupled with the rapidly rising demand.
Other Forest Certification Schemes
The FSC isn’t the only player in the game. The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) was started in 1994, in part as a response to pressures from NGOs (non-governmental organizations), and to combat the stringent Triple Bottom Line standards enforced by the FSC. SFI was formed by members of the American Forest and Paper Association (AF&PA), but soon came under fire for being the fox guarding the henhouse. Over the years, SFI separated itself from the AF&PA and has become more of a transparent organization.
Vic Nathan Barkin has more than 35 years of experience in the printing, paper and wood products industries and currently owns a consulting practice specializing in business development, workflow, and technology implementation, focusing on “Green Procurement and Production” practices. Vic is a QMS Lead Auditor certified to ISO 9001:2008 standards, is a consultant for the Rainforest Alliance as an FSC Chain of Custody and Controlled Wood senior auditor, is an FSC, SFI and PEFC lead auditor for PricewaterhouseCoopers and SGS North America, and has engaged in more than 700 site assessments and audits.
