Most SFI program participants have obtained or are pursuing certification to the SFI Standard, which is a way to verify that an organization is adhering to all of the requirements related to the practice of or support for sustainable forestry as described in the SFI Standard.
SFI offers certification options for:
- Forestland owners – Any company or individual landowner (typically with a minimum of 10,000 acres*) can work to certify the sustainability of their forest management practices to the SFI Standard.
- Procurement or wood sourcing operations – Companies or other entities that don’t own forests, but purchase wood to use in the manufacture of products can have their procurement or wood sourcing operations certified to the SFI Standard.
What is required? An independent audit is required for all SFI certifications. These audits are rigorous 3rd party, on-the-ground assessments of an organization’s operations conducted by highly qualified and accredited auditors.
Certification and Labeling
SFI program participants that certify their operations to the SFI Standard can also pursue various labeling options, ranging from on-product labels to chain-of-custody and fiber-sourcing labels.
SFI currently** has:
- 848 SFI chain-of-custody certificate holders covering 2033 facilities
- 80 certificate holders meeting the SFI program’s fiber sourcing or responsible procurement requirements
For more information on certification and labeling, visit the SFI Inc. website.
*The American Tree Farm System is a resource for landowners that own smaller acreages and want to pursue certification.
**Source: March 2010 SFI Newsletter