The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international non-profit organization dedicated to promoting responsible forest management worldwide. FSC was founded in 1993 in response to public concern about deforestation and aims to improve forest management.

What the FSC Does

The FSC sets standards for responsible forest management that are internationally recognised. Forests and forest product companies that achieve FSC certification can use the FSC labels on their products, which provides assurance that the material comes from responsibly managed forests.

FSC certification has three main components:

• Environmental standards - ensuring biodiversity, water quality, soil integrity etc. are maintained

• Social standards - protecting rights of indigenous people, workers etc.

• Economic standards - ensuring long-term economic viability of the forest

Why the FSC is Important

FSC helps protect forests for future generations. Some key benefits of FSC certification include:

• Prevents deforestation and illegal logging

• Protects habitats of endangered species

• Respects the rights of indigenous peoples

• Promotes responsible forest management practices

Why do Bear & Block use FSC-Certified Materials?

For furniture makers and other forest product companies, using FSC-certified materials is beneficial because:

• It provides a guarantee to consumers that products come from responsible sources

• It improves brand reputation as an environmentally and socially responsible company

• In some markets it is required to sell to major retailers like IKEA

• It gives access to certain green procurement policies and 'green' consumers

By using FSC-certified materials, furniture makers like us can demonstrate their commitment to environmental protection and social responsibility. Given the growing consumer demand for eco-friendly and ethically-sourced products, the FSC label provides an important assurance.

Learn more about FSC certification atfsc.org