Stop for a moment to think about objects that surround you, at this very moment…How many are made of wood or paper?

You surely have a role nearby, right? Well, take good note: look for this stamp. The FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) is a certification that guarantees the correct management of forest resources, which end up converted into different consumer products.

The acquisition of an FSC certified product guarantees the consumer the contribution to the conservation of forests and the social, cultural and environmental values ​​associated with them. In the same way, FSC allows responsible forest managers and owners to differentiate their products in the market from those coming from such illegal or unsustainable sources.

The problem of illegal logging

As happens in other markets, there are illegal practices, harmful to the environment and to the people who work in the sector.

This seal makes it possible to stop these illegal practices in the production and distribution processes and offers the consumer the option to choose responsibly. If we all order products with the FSC seal, we will promote the expansion of sustainable forest management.

Beyond wood, forests provide many other products.

Furthermore, we must bear in mind that we not only extract wood and paper from forest resources, but also their derivatives (non-timber forest products) that are in our daily lives without us knowing their origin.

In the Spanish forests we find cork, mushrooms, pine nuts... and in the tropical forests they are rubber, chewing gum, countless fruits and medicinal plants or fibers such as rattan.

FSC Certification

Forestry certification guarantees that forestry exploitation meets demanding social and environmental standards that have been agreed upon by representatives of the social, environmental and economic interests of forest management.

FSC is also a rural development tool. FSC provides added value to forest products and improves the image of forest products (wood, paper and cork) in the market.

This organization is a non-profit NGO that brings together, under the principle of participation, forest owners, industry, local communities, environmental organizations, unions, and indigenous groups. They are grouped into three chambers with equal weight and with equal participation between countries from the North and South.

Since its constitution, FSC has managed to bring traditionally opposing sectors to the table and, wherever it has been applied, it has made it possible to harmonize the conservation of the natural and social values ​​of forests with the interests of the industry and forest owners to present its products before a society that recognizes this balance through the FSC logo.

There are other seals on the market, which although they aim to guarantee the sustainable origin of the wood, are not supported by the main social and environmental NGOs, as they are much less demanding than FSC.

Fuente: Forest Stewardship Council