About FSC^® system

Forest Stewardship Council A.C. (FSC^®) was created in 1993 to develop the decisions of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Earth Summit, Rio de Janeiro, 1992) with the mission of promoting ecologically sound, socially useful and economically viable management of the world’s forests.

Ecologically sound forestry management ensures that the harvesting of wood, non-timber forest products and the use of ecosystem services support forest biodiversity, productivity and ecological processes in them. Socially beneficial forestry helps both local residents and society at large to enjoy the long-term benefits of forests, and provides strong incentives for local populations not to deplete forest resources and to adhere to long-term management plans. Economically viable forestry means that forest management activities are organized and carried out in a way that ensures sufficient profitability without creating financial gains at the expense of forest resources, ecosystems or communities whose interests are affected. The conflict between the need to obtain adequate financial returns and the principles of responsible forestry management can be reduced by making efforts to promote the full range of forest products and services at the best possible price (FSC^® A.C. By-Laws, ratified, September 1994; last revision in June 2011).

FSC^® is an international organization that provides a system of voluntary accreditation and independent third-party certification. This system allows certificate holders to market their products and services as resulting from environmentally sound, socially beneficial and economically viable forestry management. FSC^® also sets standards for the development and approval of FSC ^® forestry management system standards based on FSC^® principles and criteria. In addition, FSC^® sets standards for the accreditation of conformity assessment bodies (also known as certification bodies) that confirm compliance with FSC^® standards. Based on these standards, FSC^® provides a certification system for organizations seeking to promote their products as FSC-certified.