#NSF International subsidiary NSF Certification and #SoilAssociation Certification Forestry have announced an agreement to offer certification to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (#SFI) and Forest Stewardship Council (#FSC) responsible #forest management standards.
‘With this agreement, NSF and the Soil Association will be able to provide these important forest management standards at the same time through a single process,’ said Stacey Mack, programme manager of sustainability at NSF International. ‘By working together, we make the process much more convenient for companies seeking more than one certification.’
The collaboration enables organisations to certify to a full suite of forestry certifications with all in one project management and a single point of contact, streamlining processes and making communications more effective. US based NSF will provide certification to the SFI standard while the UK based Soil Association will certify to the FSC standard. These certifications can also be combined with another forestry offering, Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (#PEFC).
‘Our collaboration with NSF allows for the expansion of forestry solutions globally through one seamless process. Soil Association’s forestry services will help NSF meet their customers’ needs by bringing an international perspective to their work, as well as supporting them to build on their knowledge of responsible forestry practices and demonstrate their commitment to the environment,’ said Kevin Jones, head of forestry at the Soil Association.
The SFI and FSC standards offer different types of certification, including:
Forest management: Forest management systems aim to balance commercial values with preservation of forest health and diversity.
Procurement: Organisations sourcing wood directly from forests are required to show that the raw material in their supply chain comes from legal and responsibly managed sources.
Chain of custody: Chain of custody tracks fibre from certified forest content, through manufacturing, to end products.